Bullseye is back and it’s bigger than ever! The iconic darts TV gameshow makes its long-awaited return to our screens with a brand-new series starting on ITV1 and ITVX at 8pm on Sunday November 9th. The new series of the Bullseye TV show is not to be missed and fans new and old of the show can expect the same darts, laughs and legendary one-liners that made Bullseye one of the UK’s most successful gameshows ever!

Excitement is building around Bullseye’s first full-length series since 2006. The beloved show has been commissioned for a new series following the success of the Bullseye ITV Christmas Special in December last year that drew more than eight million viewers across three transmissions.

When is Bullseye on TV? The Bullseye game show is returning for a full-length series and a Christmas special on ITV in the final months of 2025. The four-episode series will begin airing weekly on ITV on November 9, followed by a Christmas special during the festive period.

The Bullseye series will follow the show’s original format with teams of two made up of an amateur dart player, known as the ‘thrower’, and their team partner, the ‘knower’. Contestants on the show will put their darts skills and general knowledge to the test by throwing darts at different game boards and answering questions correctly to earn money and prizes.

Who is the host of Bullseye? Former England cricket star Andrew “Freddie” Flintoff is the host of Bullseye, having debuted as the show’s host in the Christmas special episode that aired on ITV in December last year. The 47-year-old played for England from 1998 to 2009 and was the 'Man of the Series’ in the legendary Ashes Test series in 2005. Since retiring from professional cricket in 2010, Flintoff has taken on a new career in the media, including several presenting roles on TV shows, most notably Top Gear from 2019 to 2022.

Flintoff is a keen darts fan and was a guest commentator during the World Matchplay in 2012 and famously commentated on Michael van Gerwen’s nine darter against Steve Beaton. Flintoff said about being the new Bullseye presenter: “I love the darts, and Bullseye was one of my favourite shows as a kid. I was really pleased people seemed to like the Christmas special and so now I’m thrilled I get to host the new series. You can’t beat a bit of Bully!”

The Bullseye quiz show returns to our screens with the first episode of its brand-new series on Sunday November 9th at 8pm on ITV1. Viewers can also tune into the new series on ITVX, which is the broadcaster’s on-demand streaming platform that is available to access on selected mobiles, tablets and smart TVs.

Each episode of the Bullseye new series will follow the show’s original format with three pairs of contestants; each made up of an amateur dart player (the ‘thrower’) and their team partner (the ‘knower’) competing against each other. Bullseye contestants will be testing their darts and knowledge skills to earn money and prizes as during the show teams are eliminated until there is one team left standing.

The final pair then face the ultimate decision to either take home their winnings or risk it all for Bully’s Mystery Star Prize in the show’s finale, which could be anything from a brand-new car to a once in a lifetime holiday!

The reigning PDC world champion Luke Littler was a special guest on the Bullseye Christmas special last year. Littler (pictured above) is also set to appear on Bullseye in the first episode of the new series on November 9, with other top professionals such as Luke Humphries, Michael van Gerwen, Stephen Bunting and Fallon Sherrock lined up for guest appearances later in the series.

The return of Bullseye has attracted a record number of applications too, with approximately 36,000 people applying for just six contestant places for the 2024 Christmas special. There was unprecedented interest once again from the general public to be selected for the Bullseye contestant list in the new series, along with tickets to be in the audience for when the series was filmed at Versa Studios, in Manchester, in September.

The prizes on Bullseye for the new series have not been revealed yet, but throughout the show’s 40+ year history contestants have competed for prizes that range from the brilliant to the bizarre! At the end of each episode, the winning team have the chance to gamble everything they have won so far for Bully’s Mystery Star Prize. The mystery prize was hidden behind a screen but was often a holiday, a caravan or the infamous speedboat!

To win the mystery prize, the last remaining team have to score 101 points or more with six darts. The ‘knower’ of the team will throw the first three darts, with the ‘thrower’ in the team then throwing the next three darts to give the team’s combined score.

How long did Bullseye run for? The Bullseye TV game show has a long and rich history that dates back more than 40 years. The British darts-themed TV show’s first run on ITV was from 1981 to 1995 and attracted an audience of up to 20 million viewers during its first peak. Bullseye was created by Andrew Wood and the comedian Norman Vaughan and became a staple of British television, with over 300 episodes being aired on ITV during its first 14 years on the air in the 1980s and 1990s.

The late Jim Bowen (presenter) and Tony Green (referee) both became integral parts of Bullseye in its first run as the show became essential viewing on Sunday evenings in the UK. The show was filmed at the ATV Centre, in Birmingham, from 1981 to 1990, and then at the Television Centre (now Carlton Studios), in Nottingham, from 1990 to 1995.

Bullseye has attracted a who’s who in the darts world to appear on the show as special guests. Darts legends including Phil Taylor, Eric Bristow, Jocky Wilson and Trina Gulliver have all made guest appearances on the Bullseye TV programme over the years to help raise money for charity. As part of the show, the professional player will throw nine darts with each point scored worth a £1 towards a chosen charity. John Lowe set the record score during an episode that aired in 1986, scoring 380 points with nine darts.

Several other famous faces away from the world of darts have also appeared on the Bullseye UK game show, including the legendary footballer George Best, who was a guest during the fourth series of Bullseye that aired in 1984.

Bullseye’s popularity has remained intact throughout the years with repeats of old Bullseye episodes regularly being shown on the Challenge television channel. The iconic darts gameshow has also been revived several times, including for a full series on Challenge in 2006, and more recently in 2020 as part of Alan Carr’s Epic Gameshow on ITV. Bullseye was also brought back as a one-off celebrity special in 2005 for Ant & Dec’s Gameshow Marathon, which saw professional players Eric Bristow and Andy Fordham amongst the contestants.

The latest return of Bullseye came in December 2024 with a Christmas special on ITV that was hosted by Freddie Flintoff. The one-off special drew more than eight million viewers across its three transmissions and led to a full series of Bullseye being commissioned at the start of this year.

Pay homage to Bullseye and celebrate the new series with Darts Corner’s officially licensed range of Bullseye darts products! Our Bullseye collection is perfect for fans of the show with darts, flights, shirts, cases, mats and surrounds that all feature the instantly recognisable Bully cartoon logo.

Earlier this week, Darts Corner announced a new multi-year deal with Bullseye as a retail partner. Laura Wood, the Managing Director of Bullseye Group Limited, commented: "Darts Corner's expertise and reach in the darts world make them the perfect partner to bring our officially licensed Bullseye products to life. It’s a fantastic opportunity to celebrate Bullseye’s legacy while connecting with both long-time fans and newcomers alike."

Pictures: Bullseye/ITV