Home and Away is due back on UK screens on Friday 2 January, after its Christmas break, with episodes available from 6am on Channel 5’s streaming service and an evening double bill on 5STAR from 6pm.

Quick Scoop

  • The 2025 UK run finishes on Friday 5 December 2025 before the usual festive break.
  • The show then returns on Friday 2 January with new episodes dropping early morning on Channel 5’s online platform (from around 6am).
  • In the evening, viewers can watch on 5STAR, with a double bill from 6pm (a repeat of the previous episode followed by the latest one).

What’s changing in 2026?

Channel 5 is phasing Home and Away out of its long‑running 1:45pm daytime slot on the main channel and pushing it toward a streaming‑first model and 5STAR airings instead. This means daytime viewers will increasingly need to watch on demand via Channel 5’s app or website, while the early‑evening 5STAR slots stay as the main linear broadcasts.

Forum & fan chat

Fans on soap forums and Facebook groups are already noting that the final 2025 UK episode is on 5 December and that the show “always comes back in January,” often around the first Friday of the month. Many are debating whether the shift to streaming and 5STAR will make it harder for casual daytime viewers, even though regular fans welcome the extra flexibility of on‑demand episodes.

“So basically, no more 1:45pm on Channel 5, but still there if you stream or watch on 5STAR in the evening.” – typical sentiment in UK soap discussions.

TL;DR: Home and Away is off for its usual Christmas break and is scheduled to return in the UK on Friday 2 January, streaming from early morning and airing on 5STAR in the evening, while Channel 5’s traditional daytime slot is being phased out.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.