Paddy McGuinness and Stephen Hendry front Big Break return for BBC Two
Paddy McGuinness and Stephen Hendry will front big break as Daytime brings the snooker format back for Two and iPlayer. The revived series is being reimagined for audiences and will sit alongside Sport’s snooker coverage, with production due to start shortly.
Daytime has commissioned a 20 x 30’ series, giving the format a defined run rather than a one-off return. McGuinness said he was “absolutely delighted” to be part of the show, while Hendry said he could not wait to be “back at the table” for a “whole new audience.”
Two and iPlayer
The new run places big break on Two and iPlayer, a combination that gives the format both linear exposure and a streaming home. That pairing also ties it to Sport’s snooker coverage, which Daytime said helped make this the right moment to revive the show.
Rob Unsworth said snooker fans and pros had been calling for the return, and added that they can “even apply to take part.” Alex McLeod said the timing felt right off the back of another successful Snooker World Championship on the, where the tournament pulled in 120million viewing hours.
Three rounds, one finale
Each episode will bring together three contestants and their pros for three rounds of trick shots, ending in a dramatic finale. Professional snooker players from across the globe will appear in the studio, turning the format into a competition built around skill rather than nostalgia alone.
Tom O’Brien said the show has been off air for “much too long,” and Mobashir Dar called it an iconic show from childhood. In practical terms, that means the revival is being positioned as a family watch with a clear production plan, not just a name check from the archive.
Production starts shortly
Naked is producing the series, with Vibrant Television co-producing alongside it. Big break is commissioned for, and the new episode order gives the format room to test whether the old trick-shot setup still travels with a newer audience.
For viewers, the immediate takeaway is simple: the show is back on Two and iPlayer, and this time it arrives with a 20-episode run, McGuinness and Hendry at the table, and a format built to run alongside the sport that made it work in the first place.
