Megan Nisbet

Helen Rattray, an Arbroath native and former Scottish, British, Irish and European kickboxing champion, is competing in the BBC's new sand-sculpture series Race Against the Tide. Partnered with professional sculptor Martin De Zoete, she is one of seven contestants who must create themed sculptures in six hours before the tide destroys them. The series, hosted by Iain Stirling and judged by Sadie Clayton and Jamie Wardley, was filmed at West Sands Beach in St Andrews and launches on BBC Scotland and BBC Two in August 2026, with episodes available on BBC iPlayer.

Strictly Come Dancing’s 2026 line-up has been completed with YouTuber John Nellis and actress Melanie Walters joining the celebrity cast. Emma Willis, Johannes Radebe and Josh Widdicombe will replace former hosts Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly, forming the programme’s first presenting trio. Five professional dancers, including Karen Hauer and Gorka Marquez, are leaving, while five new dancers join 15 returning professionals. The judging panel remains unchanged, and the BBC is expected to bring the show back in September, although the official launch date has not yet been confirmed.

Ellie Haddington plays Rose Gough, the matriarch of a local traveller community, in the third season of BBC Scotland's Granite Harbour. The season follows the murder of teenage café worker Lisa Sterling, whose body is found after she disappears near an estate. Haddington, who first gained wide attention as Josie Clarke in Coronation Street in 1995, has since built a career across television and film, including Motherland, Guilt, Silent Witness, Shetland, Enola Holmes and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. Co-star Romario Simpson praised her experienced, naturalistic approach to acting.

Granite Harbour returns for season 3 after a two-year gap, with Dawn Steele reprising DCI Cora MacMillan alongside Romario Simpson and Hannah Donaldson, plus new cast members including Alastair Mackenzie and John Gordon Sinclair. Filming took place in Aberdeen, Glasgow and other Scottish locations, including the coast and Footdee. The new storyline follows a murder connected to the local Traveller community while the investigative team faces scrutiny from the Special Police Investigations Service. The series premieres on BBC Scotland on 23 July 2026, followed by BBC One and BBC iPlayer.