TFI Friday, the iconic Nineties entertainment show known for its chaotic and watershed-defying format, is returning to Channel 4 after an 11-year absence. Long-time host Chris Evans will be back at the helm for the revival, which will air as six episodes of TFI Friday Unplugged.
The show originally aired on Fridays at 6pm from 1996 to 2000, featuring an unpredictable mix of celebrity interviews, live music and competitions. It became a flagship Channel 4 property, known for its anarchic feel and frequent breaches of broadcasting guidelines. Notable guests included Blur, Oasis and David Bowie.
In recent years, the TFI Friday format moved to YouTube as TFI Friday Unplugged, hosted on Virgin Radio where Evans began presenting the breakfast show in 2019. Channel 4 announced on Monday (13 April) that it had acquired six episodes of the Unplugged version, bringing the series back to its original broadcasting home.
The first episode will air on Friday 17 April, with guests including singers Sam Ryder, Shreya Ghoshal and Jack Savoretti, comedian Sindhu Vee, and actors Peter Capaldi and Cush Jumbo. Channel 4 commissioning editor Cimran Shah said: 'TFI Friday was doing stripped-back, personality-led chat long before visualised-podcasts were a twinkle in our eyes! I'm thrilled that this deal brings TFI back to Channel 4, reimagined in a way that feels fresh, immediate and perfectly suited for a new generation wherever they watch Channel 4.'
The show has been revived multiple times before: briefly on ITV in 2005 as OFI Sunday, for a Channel 4 anniversary special in 2015, and a subsequent series that was cancelled after one season. The Unplugged format was revived by Virgin Media this year, featuring guests such as James Corden, Danny Dyer, Bono and Kate Mara.
