ITV has announced a significant rebrand of its digital TV offering, confirming today (April 16) that ITVBe – the home of hit reality shows like The Only Way is Essex (TOWIE) and The Real Housewives of Cheshire (RHOCH) – will be retired this summer, with the launch of a brand new channel, ITV Quiz, in its place.
Launched in 2014, ITVBe built a dedicated fanbase around UK reality television. From June 2025, however, its flagship shows will shift to ITV2, which will become the new broadcast home for TOWIE, RHOCH, and other reality franchises. All programmes will remain available for streaming on ITVX.
ITV Quiz to Launch in June
The vacated channel slot will relaunch as ITV Quiz, which ITV says will focus on its “popular, market-leading UK quiz and game shows”. The new channel will capitalise on the success of ITVX’s FAST (Free Ad-supported Streaming TV) quiz show streams and is expected to showcase fan favourites such as The Chase, Tipping Point, and Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
In a statement, ITV said:
“ITV plans to use the channel slot as ITV Quiz, drawing on ITV’s popular UK quiz and game shows and the success and learnings of ITVX FAST channels.”
Reality Content Heads Back to ITV2
TOWIE’s return to ITV2 is especially fitting as the reality hit celebrates its 15th anniversary, having originally aired its first 12 series on the same channel before moving to ITVBe.
TOWIE and RHOCH join a lineup that already includes Love Island, Big Brother, Family Guy, and original ITV2 commissions such as G’Wed, Transaction, and Olivia Attwood’s Price of Perfection.
Sam & Billie Return to Screens
In a boost for reality fans, Sam and Billie Faiers will reunite in a brand-new series Sam & Billie: Sister Act, produced by Potato (part of ITV Studios). The show marks Sam Faiers’ return to TV for the first time since 2021, when she stepped back from Sam & Billie: The Mummy Diaries.
Digital Shift Continues
ITV’s decision to refocus the channel reflects broader trends in TV consumption and a strategic effort to streamline its content offerings for targeted audiences.
According to the broadcaster, ITV2 is currently the UK’s most-watched digital channel among 16 to 34-year-olds, making it a natural destination for high-performing reality content.
The reshuffle also indicates ITV’s growing confidence in quiz show formats, which continue to deliver strong ratings both live and via digital platforms.
