Be on TV: How to Apply for UK TV Shows and Game Shows

Plenty of people who want to be on TV start with a search and a hunch about which show is still recruiting, and this guide checks posting dates, sender domains and call details to separate current UK casting calls from stale ones. ITV’s childhood sweethearts call closed on Friday 26 June 2026 and asked applicants to be 21 or over, as ITV (official broadcaster casting page) lists it.

Related searches captured: 8 · Verified closing dates: 6 · Earliest listed closing date: 26 June 2026 (ITV)

Quick snapshot

1Confirmed facts

ITV’s childhood sweethearts call closed on Friday 26 June 2026 and required applicants aged 21 or over (ITV) (Save the Student (student money guide))
Most UK listings require applicants to be 18 or over and legal UK residents, according to Save the Student (student money guide)

2What’s unclear

Sources give two closing dates for Britain’s Got Talent, 16 October 2026 and 21 December 2026, according to Rayo (Heat roundup)
The sources name a BBC enquiry page for BBC-only shows but no BBC application form, according to UKGameshows.com (contestant call directory)

3Timeline signal

Win Win with Postcode Lottery Series 2 has a closing date of 7 September 2026, according to Lost in TV (casting-call aggregator)
Dated listings from 2026 and 2027 sit side by side in Rayo’s roundups and Lost in TV’s listings, so the posting date matters as much as the show name (Lost in TV (casting-call aggregator))

4What’s next

The Great British Bake Off’s 18th series has a closing date of 1 December 2026, according to Rayo (TV application guide)
TellyMix’s TellyMix (Be On TV page) lists shows casting or open for applications, which makes it a useful starting point for checking each show’s own page

Six facts, one pattern: the closing dates cluster between June 2026 and July 2027, so the listing date tells you more than the show name.

Item	Detail
Minimum age, ITV childhood sweethearts call	21 or over (ITV)
Win Win with Postcode Lottery Series 2 closing date	7 September 2026 (Lost in TV)
Minimum age, general UK listings	18 or over, with UK legal residency
Application route	Method stated on each producer’s call
Related searches captured	8
Verified closing dates in the research set	6

How do I apply for TV shows that offer prizes online?

Information casting listings request

Applicants follow the method printed on each producer’s call, and the directory does not supply application forms, according to UKGameshows.com (contact FAQ)
Some calls also require the right to live and work in the UK, according to Save the Student (student money guide)
Check the age rule before you write anything, because it sits in the call text rather than the headline

Application routes shown in the results

Find the call on the broadcaster’s casting page or a listing aggregator
Check the closing date and the age rule on the call itself
Send the application by the method the call names, not by a form found elsewhere

The catch

A quiet inbox does not prove a call is closed. Producers can get in touch months or years after an application, so keep a dated record of what you sent and when.

The implication: The listing date decides whether a call is worth your time, and a complete application sent to an open call beats a fast one sent to a stale listing.

Which UK TV shows are casting contestants in 2026?

Current casting roundups in the results

The Apprentice closes 22 January 2027, Love Island closes 19 July 2027 and The Traitors closes 31 May 2027, according to Rayo (TV application roundup)
Roundups show which shows are recruiting, but they date each entry on the day it was written

Dates to check before applying

Check the closing date printed on the call, not the date of the roundup that listed it
Compare two sources when their dates differ, as they do for Britain’s Got Talent
Confirm each show’s listing on its own casting page before you send anything

The pattern: Roundups tell you which shows are recruiting, but the closing date on each show’s own call decides whether you can still apply.

How do I apply for ITV game shows?

ITV casting page and listing link

ITV posts its casting calls on its own Be On TV pages, and the childhood sweethearts call is one example (ITV)
Win Win with Postcode Lottery is an ITV casting call, with applicants aged 18 or over and a closing date of 7 September 2026, according to Lost in TV
TellyMix’s Be On TV page lists ITV and other shows casting or open for applications (TellyMix)

Casting companies that handle ITV listings

Aggregators and job boards also list UK casting calls, including StarNow, Applause Store, Super Lucky and Lost in TV
Confirm any ITV listing you find on a third-party site against ITV’s own page before you send your details

What to watch

Read the full ITV call before you assume you qualify. The conditions sit in the body of the listing, and a headline that only names the show hides them.

The trade-off: ITV’s own pages are the most direct route for ITV shows, but they cover ITV only, so a wider check is still needed for other broadcasters.

Can I get on BBC shows as a member of the public?

How BBC casting routes differ from ITV routes

BBC-only entertainment enquiries are posted at bbc.co.uk/beonashow, separate from ITV’s itv.com/beontv, according to UKGameshows.com (contestant call directory)
A separate CBBC page sits alongside the main BBC enquiry route, so check which page fits the programme you want

What the sources do not confirm

No BBC-hosted application form for the public appears in the sources reviewed
Check bbc.co.uk directly before you act on any claim about open BBC casting

The catch

A “Be on BBC” search result is a lead, not a route. It shows what people type, not what the BBC accepts from the public.

The implication: BBC hopefuls should start on the BBC’s own pages, because the sources offer an enquiry route but no public application form.

Is there an app for applying to be on TV?

Checking official app stores and developer names

No dedicated TV application app is confirmed in the sources reviewed, even though the related search “be on tv app” appears in results
An app should only be named once its listing appears in an official app store under a verified developer

Web application forms versus apps

TellyMix’s Be On TV page points to shows open for applications on the web, which is the route the sources describe (TellyMix)
Web forms and email are the routes the sources describe, so start there rather than searching for an app

The upshot

An app search points at the wrong problem. The bottleneck is the listing date and the sender, not the tool you use to apply.

What this means: Skip the app hunt and spend that time confirming each open call on the producer’s own page.

Confirmed facts

ITV’s childhood sweethearts call closed on 26 June 2026 and asked for applicants aged 21 or over (ITV)
BBC-only enquiries are posted at bbc.co.uk/beonashow, according to UKGameshows.com
TellyMix maintains a Be On TV page of shows casting or open for applications (TellyMix)
The Great British Bake Off’s 18th series closes on 1 December 2026, a date two Rayo listings agree on

What’s unclear

The Britain’s Got Talent closing date, where sources disagree on 16 October or 21 December 2026, according to Rayo
The Win Win with Postcode Lottery closing date of 7 September 2026, which rests on a single listing from Lost in TV
Whether a BBC-run public application form exists

“After completing about 50 application forms, you do start to get a feel for what the production team are looking for.”

Di Coke, eight-time UK game show contestant, quoted by Mandy.com (UK trade publication)

“They want someone with a good field of knowledge, but not necessarily the ones that know everything.”

Lawrie, game show casting adviser, as quoted by Mandy.com (UK trade publication)

For a UK hopeful, the decision is clear: confirm the closing date and the sender on the broadcaster’s own page before you send any details, or accept that an old listing wastes the evening.

Additional sources

loquax.co.uk, hellorayo.co.uk, hellorayo.co.uk, hellorayo.co.uk, hellorayo.co.uk, hellorayo.co.uk, hellorayo.co.uk

Frequently asked questions

What details do TV casting listings usually ask for?

Game show forms commonly ask for personal details, a recent headshot and personality questions, according to Mandy.com (UK trade publication).

How are game show contestants selected?

Some processes include a follow-up call with general-knowledge questions, and producers can get in touch months or years after an application, according to Mandy.com (UK trade publication).

Do I need to pay to apply for a TV show?

None of the sources reviewed lists an application fee. Treat any request for upfront payment as a warning sign and check the call on the broadcaster’s own page.

How can I check that a casting call is legitimate?

Match the listing to the broadcaster’s own domain, note the posting date and confirm the call on the official page. ITV’s contestant calls sit at itv.com/beontv, according to UKGameshows.com (contestant call directory).

Do casting calls require applicants to be a certain age?

Most do. ITV’s childhood sweethearts call set 21 or over, and general UK listings set 18 or over, according to Save the Student (student money guide).