Mystery surrounds a media blackout at Corfe Castle in Dorset, as a huge film crew took over the ancient site – after Gary Lineker made a surprise appearance in the Greyhound’s pub garden.
Security guards who were posted at every entrance to the National Trust castle insisted that filming on Monday 22nd September 2025 was for an advertisement – but they were later heard talking about ‘Operation Tango’ in an attempt to keep the project under wraps.
Security guards blocked off all entrances to Corfe Castle while filming took place
Host of new ITV prime time show
When former Match of the Day host Gary Lineker popped up in the garden of The Greyhound – which has direct access to the castle entrance – and said he was taking a break from filming, excitement started to grow in the village.
The previous evening, ITV had released the full celebrity line-up for The Box, a new prime time Saturday night show that Gary Lineker will host in 2026, and said that filming for the show would begin this autumn.
Secrecy had surrounded the filming operation in Corfe Castle, when dozens of outside broadcast vehicles took over the National Trust car park, closing it off to everyone else and posting security guards at the entrance who insisted that no photos could be taken.
And public access to the castle was shut off just outside the National Trust tea room, with all visitors politely being turned back, even those who had made the trip during their holidays from the USA and Canada.
The Greyhound’s outdoor gazebo, where Gary Lineker was first spotted
Corfe Castle’s picture postcard Greyhound is one of the most photographed pubs in England
“Gary was really happy to pose”
But Georgia Samways, assistant manager at The Greyhound, said:
“Just after 12.30 pm, Gary Lineker popped up in the back garden of the pub and said he was filming in the castle and just taking a short break.
“We had opened at 12, but we were very, very quiet due to the filming in the village and after about half an hour, Gary came through our back gate into the garden.
“He didn’t come into the pub itself, but he was spotted by our assistant manager Shaun, who recognised him straight away – he is a huge Manchester United fan and never missed an edition of Match of the Day.
“Gary was really happy to pose with Shaun in the pub garden, so I took a picture of the two of them together – it was a huge surprise, he was very friendly and it was really lovely to meet him.”
The title screen of the latest hit reality show, The Box
Gary Lineker’s first presenting job since leaving Match of the Day will be ITV’s version of The Box, coming in 2026
Shocking reveals and plenty of twists
ITV spokesperson Olivia Hodgson declined to give exact details of its autumn filming schedule for The Box, but confirmed that Gary Lineker would host the show in a prime Saturday night slot in 2026.
Olivia said:
“The Box is a thrilling new format that plunges 10 celebrity contestants into the unknown – with each celebrity enclosed in a yellow box, they’ll find themselves in mystery locations across the country.
“They will never know where they are, or what challenge is facing them on the other side and the challenges could be physical, mental, logical, funny, a bit daunting, or all of those at once.
“With minimal instructions or none, they must decipher and work out what to do and at the end of each episode, two players will battle it out in The Duel, a high stakes head to head game to avoid elimination.
“It’s being produced by Twofour, part of ITV Studios, and promises shocking reveals, mind-bending puzzles, and plenty of twists across the series.”
Jenny Ryan, better known as The Vixen on ITV quiz show The Chase will be one of the 10 celebrities taking part
Sara Davies, founder of Crafter’s Companion and one of the Dragons on Dragons’ Den, will also be taking part
The Box became overnight success
The ten celebrities taking part in the show have been revealed as Sara Davies, Graeme Souness, Ellie Taylor, John Bercow, Shakira Khan, JB Gill, Ranvir Singh, Jenny Ryan, Danny Aarons and Joey Essex.
It is Gary Lineker’s first presenting job since leaving Match of the Day in May 2025 over a social media row, and the show is anticipated to be a rival to BBC’s The Traitors.
The Box is based on a show which ran in Norway at the start of 2025, became an overnight ratings success and has had broadcast companies around the world scrambling to make their own versions.
Gary Lineker (right) was happy to pose with The Greyhound’s assistant manager Shaun (left) during a break from filming
The whole of the National Trust car park was taken over by TV production vehicles and catering units
“It’s going to be thrilling to watch”
Gary Lineker, who previously hosted another ITV game show, Sitting on a Fortune, said in a statement:
“I can’t wait to host The Box. I’ve always felt right at home in the box on a football pitch, and whilst this is a different proposition, the fundamentals are similar.
“The contestants will have to quickly and masterfully work out how each game works, whilst also trying to get ahead of the competition to take control.
“It’s going to be unpredictable and thrilling to watch, and I’m excited that I get to have a front row seat to all the action!”
High up on the castle walls, camera crews were ready to capture the action
Another film unit (centre) was set up beneath the castle’s 12th century King’s Tower
Trust is ‘bound by law not to share’
Katie Rawcliffe, director of entertainment at ITV, said:
“We’re delighted to welcome this impressive lineup of celebrities to The Box.
“They will each bring a unique perspective and approach to the varying challenges they will face, and observing how they react will make for incredibly entertaining viewing for our audiences.”
A spokesperson for the National Trust said that the charity had signed a non-disclosure agreement with the production company, meaning that it was bound by law not to share what was being filmed at the castle.
But if it does turn out to be Gary Lineker’s new reality show, the iconic Corfe Castle could be featured in the very first episode of 2026’s must-watch TV event.
The castle is no stranger to television fame, having been featured in episodes of Who Do You Think You Are, Springwatch, The Mayor of Casterbridge and Hidden Treasures of the National Trust.
It also took a starring role in Disney’s 1971 film Bedknobs and Broomsticks and inspired Enid Blyton’s Famous Five adventures.
The film crew’s welfare unit squeezed its way into Corfe Castle village square
Corfe Castle returned to normal after the film crew’s departure
Further information
- More about ITV’s The Box
- Visit National Trust Corfe Castle
