The Games 2022 start date: Contestants, trailer and news
ITV has rebooted the reality sporting show, airing live across the week.
After 16 years off our screens, reality sporting show The Games returned to ITV last night – with a range of famous faces trying their hands at various sporting events.
Holly Willoughby and Freddie Flintoff return to host the second episode tonight (10th May) – with the series continuing nightly throughout the week – and the celebrities will be taking on even more new challenges live on air.
In episode 2, the men compete in the 50m freestyle and the women have the 50m breaststroke to contend with, while viewers can also expect coverage of the men's canoe slalom and the final round of the mixed synchronised diving.
Read on for everything you need to know about The Games 2022.
By entering your details, you are agreeing to our terms and conditions and privacy policy. You can unsubscribe at any time.
The Games 2022 start date
The Games 2022 began on Monday 9th May at 9pm on ITV.
The series, which is recorded live, will air nightly across the week until Friday 13th May.
What is The Games?
The Games is a reality sports show in which 12 celebrities will take on a number of sporting activities, with one of them being crowned the winner of the competition at the end of the week.
The show originally aired for three seasons on Channel 4 from 2003 until 2006, however ITV is rebooting the show with a new line-up of famous faces.
After undergoing several weeks of intense training, the celebrities will be going head-to-head in athletic, swimming, gymnastic and cycling events with the aim of earning medals.
The male and female contestants with the most medals at the end of the week will be crowned the 2022 champions.
Is The Games live?
Yes – the main action is broadcast live from Crystal Palace, meaning fans can watch all the events unfold as they happen in real-time.
However, the series also includes some footage of the training process, as the celebrities are trained in a number of disciplines by some of the country's finest sports coaches.
The Games celebrity contestants
From reality stars and journalists, to actors and dancers, there's a broad range of celebrities taking part in this year's The Games and they are as follows:
- Olivia Attwood – former Love Island star
- Phoenix Brown – influencer and daughter of Mel B
- Kevin Clifton – ex-Strictly Come Dancing pro
- Max George – The Wanted popstar
- Chelcee Grimes – footballer and songwriter
- Josh Herdman – Harry Potter actor
- Christine McGuinness – model and author
- Lucrezia Millarini – newsreader
- Colson Smith – Coronation Street star
- Wes Nelson – former Love Islander and musician
- Rebecca Sarker – Emmerdale star
- Ryan Thomas – soap actor
With six male and six female competitors taking part in the show, just two champions will emerge from the show at the end of the week.
The Games hosts
The hosts of the upcoming ITV show live will be This Morning's Holly Willoughby and League of Their Own's Freddie Flintoff.
Chris Kamara will be in the commentators' box alongside Simon Brotherton, who was brought in following Kamara's recent apraxia diagnosis.
Meanwhile, ex-footballer and TV presenter Alex Scott will be providing trackside reporting throughout the week.
The Games trailer
ITV released a trailer for The Games last month, giving fans a first-look at the celebrity competitors in their kit.
The Games continues at 9pm on ITV. Check out more of our Entertainment coverage or visit our TV Guide to see what's on tonight.
The latest issue of Radio Times magazine is on sale now – subscribe now and get the next 12 issues for only £1. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to the Radio Times podcast with Jane Garvey.
