Tv Guide: Why 22 Kids and Counting is not on tonight as Channel 5 makes a big change to schedule — tv guide update
Channel 5 has pulled 22 Kids and Counting from its usual 8pm slot, a change shown in the tv guide that leaves the Radfords' latest episode off the schedule. Viewers expecting episode four on Sunday will find extended snooker coverage in its place, with the family set to return on Sunday March 1, 2026.
Tv Guide listing: snooker takeover, hours-long coverage and the bumped 8pm slot
The broadcaster has reworked an entire afternoon and evening of programming so the third quarter-final of the Live Snooker: Players Championship runs from 12. 30pm, with the schedule set to cut for a one-hour break at 5. 30pm for 5 News at 5. Snooker then returns for the fourth quarter-final from 6. 30pm until 9pm, a window that normally includes the 8pm broadcast of 22 Kids and Counting. Other listings show the snooker coverage running between 6. 30pm and 9pm and being followed by Rich House Poor House, which together have wiped out episode four in the usual 8pm slot.
What the snooker listing says and the weekend’s presenters and pundits
The snooker programme description names Katie Shanahan as presenter for the second session of the final on day six from Telford International Centre, where the first player to reach 10 frames will be crowned champion. It also lists a commentary and analysis team that includes Stephen Hendry, Alan McManus, John Higgins and Matthew Stevens. The context for the tournament notes that last year's final went to 10–9, with Kyren Wilson eventually prevailing against Judd Trump, and that Wilson had earlier beaten Trump that season at the Xi'an Grand Prix and the Northern Ireland Open; Wilson was not present to defend his title this time after failing to reach the required top 16 ranking by the cut-off point.
How the new 22 Kids and Counting series has unfolded so far
The new series only started last month and has broadcast three episodes so far. The opener focused on Sue and Noel Radford's daughter Sophie and the breakdown of her relationship with husband Joe; the couple had been approaching their 10th wedding anniversary when they announced their split. Sophie tearfully admitted: “There won’t be any going back. Enough’s enough. It’s not very nice. You marry someone to spend the rest of your life with them. ”
Josh’s mental health episode and other emotional storylines
A subsequent instalment was dedicated to Sue and Noel's 18-year-old son Josh, whose mental health was in decline as health anxiety set in. Sue and Noel sought advice from medics and mental health charity workers before Josh was diagnosed with agoraphobia. The series has been described as an emotional one so far, with multiple family storylines given full episodes.
Millie and Harley's crisis, the Dubai return and the £2, 000 puppy scare
Last week's episode put Millie Radford and her husband Harley Passmore in the spotlight. Harley revealed he had suffered Bell's palsy, which caused his face to droop on one side and left him struggling to get back to work. Millie surprised him with a new pet dog, but the pooch developed medical problems and the couple needed to find £2, 000 to prevent their cherished puppy from being put to sleep. Sue and Noel ended up flying back from a luxury holiday in Dubai to help resolve the situation.
When the Radfords return and what’s next for Max, Ellie and Steven
The programme is scheduled to return the following Sunday, with the series picking up again on Sunday March 1, 2026. The next episode follows Sue and Noel's 16-year-old son Max as he prepares for his GCSEs. Max is autistic and is described as a maths and physics whizz whose mind excels at logic, yet expressive subjects such as English are almost impossible for him to grasp; his ambitions include becoming an engineer and building planes, submarines, ships and even rockets, but a fail in English could jeopardise those plans.
Other teased storylines for the upcoming episode include Ellie and her boyfriend Steven, who are approaching their first anniversary but are experiencing cracks in their relationship. The synopsis notes that Steven is rarely at home and Ellie often has no idea where he is; when Ellie proposes an adrenaline-fuelled weekend in the Lake District that includes a bungee jump, the idea leaves Steven breaking out in a cold sweat.
Where to watch the series and the usual schedule
22 Kids and Counting returned with fresh episodes screening every Sunday at 8pm before this weekend's change, and the show is available to watch on My5. For now, fans will need to wait until the series resumes on March 1, 2026 for the next instalment following Max and the rest of the Radford family.
