A solid Thursday with The Apprentice serving up its classic food-based challenge, MasterChef: The Professionals continuing its impressive first week of heats, and George Clarke heading to Anglesey for an ambitious steel-and-glass build. Meanwhile, Emmerdale delivers a significant moment in Cain Dingle’s health storyline, and the Winter Olympics roll on from Milan Cortina.
Quick Picks: Tonight’s Best
- The Apprentice – BBC One, 9pm – Chicken v Egg: the candidates turn ingredients into profit
- MasterChef: The Professionals – BBC One, 8pm – Week one heats continue
- George Clarke’s Building Home – Channel 4, 8pm – A dramatic Anglesey build in steel, glass and stone
- Emmerdale – ITV1, 8pm – Cain faces a crucial hospital appointment
- Michael Jackson: The Trial – Channel 4, 10pm – The court appearances and media circus
Early Evening (7pm – 8pm)
EastEnders – BBC One, 7:30pm
Frightening scenes tonight as Nugget suffers a seizure while sitting in his car with parents Ravi and Priya. The couple are left terrified as their son’s health takes a worrying turn – hospital tests suggest Nugget has experienced an epileptic seizure, and Ravi is devastated at the possibility that he could have caused his son to develop a life-long condition. This is the latest chapter in an ongoing health storyline that has seen the family through some difficult times already. The fallout will continue into next week, with Priya making her feelings about Ravi’s choices very clear. Available on iPlayer if you’d rather watch later.
Prime Time (8pm onwards)
MasterChef: The Professionals – BBC One, 8pm
The first week of heats continues as another batch of professional chefs step into the kitchen to face Matt Tebbutt, Marcus Wareing and Monica Galetti. Having launched on Tuesday with former winner Gary Maclean setting the skills tests and the four competing chefs delivering impressive signature dishes, the series has already established that Tebbutt brings a welcome depth of restaurant knowledge to his critiques. Tonight’s chefs will face their own skills tests before serving dishes that they hope will earn them a place in the next round. Early days in the competition, but the standard has been set high from the start.
Emmerdale – ITV1, 8pm
A pivotal episode for Cain Dingle tonight. He attends his hospital appointment accompanied by Sarah – the only person who currently knows about his health concerns. The consultant delivers some serious news: Cain’s best course of treatment is a radical prostatectomy. It’s a lot for Cain to process, and viewers familiar with Jeff Hordley’s ability to convey vulnerability beneath Cain’s hard exterior will know that these scenes are in safe hands. Elsewhere, Dylan finally tells April the truth about Ray’s murder, admitting that he was present for the grisly moment and that Bear was responsible. Another heavy evening in the Dales.
George Clarke’s Building Home – Channel 4, 8pm
Episode two takes George to Anglesey, where Tina and Steve have bought a dramatic plot and are pushing the limits of design with a bold home made from steel, glass and stone. It’s a genuinely ambitious vision – the kind that makes for great television when things go well, and even better television when they don’t. And they don’t, not always: weather setbacks, construction errors and a budget that begins to spiral under pressure all test the couple’s resolve. George navigates the emotional terrain with his characteristic warmth, and the finished result will have you reaching for your Rightmove app.
Spain with Michael Portillo – Channel 5, 8pm
Michael Portillo continues his journey through Spain, uncovering history and culture beyond the familiar tourist attractions. His travels consistently deliver the unexpected, and tonight’s episode is no exception – Portillo has a talent for finding genuine depth in places that casual visitors might overlook, and his enthusiasm for local stories remains infectious.
Coronation Street – ITV1, 8:30pm
Theo chuckles at the love bite on Todd’s neck, but things go from embarrassing to awful when an angry woman called Annie threatens to sue George over a manipulated will. At the shop, a broken Todd is tormented by Jake’s teasing and snaps when Jake suggests he’s pregnant – Gary has to intervene, leaving Todd mortified. Elsewhere, Jodie smashes David and Shona’s wedding photo while dusting the Platt living room, because of course she does. And Megan plants the seed in Daniel’s mind that Sam hates her, telling him she offered help with his coursework only for Sam to throw it back in her face.
The Apprentice – BBC One, 9pm
The Chicken v Egg task – a classic Apprentice format that hands the candidates ingredients and watches them scramble. This week, the 17 remaining candidates must turn chicken and eggs into profit. One team focuses on chicken, the other on eggs, and the challenge ranges from street food to corporate clients. Given that week one saw a double firing in Hong Kong and week two ended with Marcus Donkoh departing after a disastrous children’s book task, the pressure is on for the remaining candidates to prove they belong. Lord Sugar is watching, Karren Brady and Tim Campbell are taking notes, and someone’s getting fired. The only question is who.
Ben Fogle: New Lives in the Wild – Channel 5, 9pm
Ben Fogle’s long-running series continues to find people who have traded conventional life for something more meaningful. Series 21 has already taken viewers from Uganda to Scandinavia, and tonight’s episode brings another story of someone who has found purpose – and often healing – in a life closer to nature. Fogle’s gentle interviewing style draws out the human stories behind the lifestyle choices, and the photography, as ever, is gorgeous.
Late Night
Michael Jackson: The Trial – Channel 4, 10pm
Episode three of this compelling Channel 4 documentary. Jackson’s first court appearance becomes a full-blown media spectacle, with fans and cameras overwhelming the courthouse and turning the proceedings into a circus. The documentary captures the extraordinary scenes as the trial divides the United States, with vivid archive footage and testimony from those involved. This four-part series has been unflinching in its examination of one of pop culture’s most controversial chapters, and tonight’s episode digs into how the legal process became a cultural event in its own right.
The Apprentice: Unfinished Business – BBC Two, 10pm
Angela Scanlon picks apart the Chicken v Egg task with her panel of guests. Who handled the heat, who cracked under pressure, and was Lord Sugar’s firing justified? The replacement for You’re Fired has found its feet, with Scanlon a lively and perceptive host.
Sport
Winter Olympics: Milano Cortina 2026 coverage continues across BBC One, BBC Two and BBC iPlayer. Day 7 of the Games with medal events in alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, freestyle skiing, luge team relay, short-track speed skating, snowboard halfpipe and speed skating. Coverage runs from 9am to 10pm on BBC One and BBC Two, with Olympics Extra available on BBC iPlayer and BBC Sport from 8am to 11pm. Football: Brentford v Arsenal in the Premier League on TNT Sports 1 from 8pm.
The Viewing Schedule
| Time | Channel | Programme |
|---|---|---|
| 7:30pm | BBC One | EastEnders |
| 8:00pm | BBC One | MasterChef: The Professionals |
| 8:00pm | ITV1 | Emmerdale |
| 8:00pm | Channel 4 | George Clarke’s Building Home |
| 8:00pm | Channel 5 | Spain with Michael Portillo |
| 8:30pm | ITV1 | Coronation Street |
| 9:00pm | BBC One | The Apprentice |
| 9:00pm | Channel 5 | Ben Fogle: New Lives in the Wild |
| 10:00pm | Channel 4 | Michael Jackson: The Trial |
| 10:00pm | BBC Two | The Apprentice: Unfinished Business |
What’s On Streaming
BBC iPlayer: MasterChef: The Professionals, The Apprentice, EastEnders, Winter Olympics (full coverage)
ITVX: Emmerdale, Coronation Street
Channel 4 streaming: George Clarke’s Building Home, Michael Jackson: The Trial
Channel 5 streaming: Spain with Michael Portillo, Ben Fogle: New Lives in the Wild
Discovery+: Winter Olympics (full coverage)
Netflix: How to Get to Heaven from Belfast (Lisa McGee’s new comedy thriller, all episodes available from today)
Frequently Asked Questions
What time is The Apprentice on TV tonight?
The Apprentice is on BBC One at 9pm tonight (Thursday 12th February 2026). This is series 20, episode 3 – the Chicken v Egg task, where the 17 remaining candidates must turn chicken and eggs into profit. The Apprentice: Unfinished Business follows on BBC Two at 10pm with Angela Scanlon.
What’s the best thing to watch on TV tonight?
Our top pick is The Apprentice on BBC One at 9pm – the Chicken v Egg task is a classic Apprentice format that hands the candidates ingredients and watches them scramble. For food fans, MasterChef: The Professionals continues at 8pm on BBC One. George Clarke’s Building Home on Channel 4 at 8pm has a stunning Anglesey build worth watching too.
What time is MasterChef The Professionals on tonight?
MasterChef: The Professionals is on BBC One at 8pm tonight (Thursday 12th February 2026). The week one heats continue with Matt Tebbutt, Marcus Wareing and Monica Galetti putting another group of professional chefs through their paces.
Is EastEnders on TV tonight?
Yes, EastEnders is on BBC One at 7:30pm tonight (Thursday 12th February 2026). Tonight’s episode sees Nugget suffer a seizure, leaving Ravi and Priya terrified. Episodes are also available on BBC iPlayer.
What time is Emmerdale on TV tonight?
Emmerdale is on ITV1 at 8pm tonight (Thursday 12th February 2026). Cain attends a crucial hospital appointment where the consultant explains his treatment options.
What time is Michael Jackson The Trial on TV tonight?
Michael Jackson: The Trial is on Channel 4 at 10pm tonight (Thursday 12th February 2026). This is episode three, examining Jackson’s first court appearance and the media spectacle that surrounded the proceedings.
Final Verdict
The Apprentice takes tonight’s headline spot with the Chicken v Egg task – a format that brings out the best (and worst) in Lord Sugar’s candidates. With 17 contestants still in the running after a double firing in week one and Marcus Donkoh’s departure in week two, the competition is intensifying and the boardroom confrontation should be worth staying up for.
Earlier in the evening, MasterChef: The Professionals continues to benefit from Matt Tebbutt’s arrival, bringing genuine restaurant expertise to a judging panel that already boasted Marcus Wareing and Monica Galetti. The week one heats have set a high standard. George Clarke’s Building Home delivers a genuinely ambitious Anglesey build that tests both the homeowners and the viewer’s bank balance fantasies.
For soap fans, Emmerdale packs an emotional punch as Cain Dingle faces the reality of his prostate cancer diagnosis, and EastEnders delivers a frightening health scare for Nugget. Late-night viewers should not overlook Michael Jackson: The Trial on Channel 4 at 10pm – a detailed and unflinching documentary examining one of pop culture’s most divisive chapters. A strong Thursday all round.
