Channel 5 is preparing for one of its biggest scheduling changes in years, and it centers on a long-running favorite: Home and Away. For the first time since the network became the UK broadcaster for the Australian soap back in July 2001, the show will no longer appear on Channel 5’s main daytime lineup. Beginning in January 2026, all daytime access to the series will shift entirely to Five Star and Channel 5’s digital platforms, signaling what executives call a strengthened “streaming-first” direction for the brand.
Since March 2025, Channel 5 had already taken steps toward this transition by premiering new episodes on its streaming service daily at 6:00 a.m. Viewers then received an early-evening preview on Five Star at 6:30 p.m., before a traditional repeat aired the next afternoon on Channel 5 at 1:45 p.m. But starting in January, that midday rerun on the flagship channel will disappear completely. Fans who rely on daytime viewing will now need to catch episodes through the official website or wait for the evening broadcast on Five Star.
Despite the shake-up, Five Star’s evening schedule will stay exactly the same. At 6:00 p.m., it will continue airing the previous day’s episode, with the newest installment arriving at 6:30 p.m. This ensures that the core weekday timeslot—one longtime viewers are familiar with—remains uninterrupted even as the daytime model is overhauled.
Channel 5 issued a statement emphasizing that this change marks a meaningful moment for the network’s digital evolution. From January 2026 onward, daytime viewers will shift fully to streaming, while the established evening broadcast block will carry on exclusively on Five Star. The broadcaster framed this decision as a strategic move aligned with the series’ recent momentum, citing a year of unprecedented digital success as proof of changing audience habits.
According to the network, Home and Away’s decision to debut new episodes online beginning March 2025 paid off immediately. In its first month under the new system, the soap delivered a 17% increase in viewing hours compared with the same period the prior year. That growth didn’t fade—each month in 2025 outperformed the previous year’s numbers, underscoring a clear viewer shift toward on-demand access rather than linear broadcasts. The most recent month set another milestone with a 23% rise in digital viewing hours year on year, further solidifying streaming as the preferred format for many fans.
Commissioning editor Greg Barnett praised the program’s performance in this new environment. He noted that Home and Away has thrived under the streaming-first rollout, explaining that audiences appreciate the convenience of watching episodes whenever they choose. Barnett added that moving all daytime content online was simply the next logical step, matching both the show’s success and broader industry trends.
The timing of this announcement also coincides with the end of an era for another beloved soap: Neighbours. After airing its final installments in the UK on Prime Video and in Australia on Network 10, the revived series is now concluding for good. Originally cancelled in 2023 after Channel 5 ended its funding, Neighbours was resurrected by Amazon Studios the following year for its Freevee service. But despite a promising comeback and an additional 60-episode extension, it was not renewed beyond its initial two-year commitment. The final episode is set to air on Thursday, December 11th.
While Neighbours reaches its official end, Home and Away is currently in its traditional Christmas break on UK television. The last episode of 2025 aired on Five Star on Thursday, November 19th, followed by a Channel 5 broadcast on Friday, November 21st. The soap will make its return on Friday, January 2, 2026, with episode 8,601 available for streaming at 6:00 a.m. As usual, Five Star will re-air episode 8,600 that evening at 6 p.m., before broadcasting the UK premiere of episode 8,601 at 6:30 p.m.
In short, Channel 5’s decision doesn’t remove Home and Away from British screens—it simply shifts the show fully into a digital-first model for daytime viewers, reflecting how audiences are choosing to watch in a rapidly changing era of TV consumption. The soap remains secure in its evening home, and for fans who already rely on streaming, the new setup will feel like a natural continuation of the show’s modern evolution.
