Jack Whitehall will return to host the Brit Awards in 2026, it has been announced.
The comedian and actor, 37, shared the news in an “Ode to Manchester”, where the ceremony is being hosted next year, to his Instagram page.
In a sketch, Whitehall can be seen walking in front of a green screen that shows various iconic scenes from Manchester, from the Curry Mile to the set of Coronation Street.
Other moments show him celebrating barm cakes, and riding a train with the new Brit Award statue design.
Whitehall said in a statement: “I am so excited to be coming back for this very special Brit Awards in Manchester, a place that is so important to me.
“The city I started my comedy career in, it feels like a real full circle moment returning to host this historic night at the Co-op Live, a venue that is only a stone’s throw away from the comedy club I did my first 10 minute set in all those years ago. Hopefully I get a few more laughs than I did that night. I cannot wait.”
Whitehall returned to the 2025 Brits earlier this year, when he hosted the ceremony for the fifth time, having initially stepped down in 2021.
His performance was met with criticism from singer Becky Hill due to a gag about her being the “Wetherspoons Whitney”, prompting her to point out that many Brit Awards stars, including Whitehall himself, came from privately educated backgrounds.
“Congratulations to [this year’s Brits winners for] showing that people from ordinary backgrounds can reach the top in pop music, that most egalitarian of art forms,” she sarcastically wrote. “And all presented by Jack Whitehall.”
She added: “Imagine being called a ‘Wetherspoons Whitney’ from some privately educated nepo baby who has a TV show with daddy, the showbiz agent, on national TV.
“My parents worked so hard to provide a middle-class life for me, [even though] they couldn’t afford it. No one gave me a leg up. I wasn’t close to London so I couldn’t go to Brits school. So if you associate a Midlands accent with a Wetherspoons that says more about the silver spoon in your mouth, jolly ol’ boy.”
The Brit Awards are being held outside London for the first time in the ceremony’s history, and will take place in Manchester next year and again in 2027.
The ceremony will be hosted at the Manchester Co-Op Live Arena on Saturday 28 February, and be broadcast on ITV1, ITVX, STV and STV Player.
News of the relocation was announced earlier this year and welcomed by Andy Burnham, mayor of Greater Manchester, who called it a “massive coup” for the city.
“After 48 years, it is great that this prestigious global event is about to arrive in the UK capital of music and culture,” he said.
“Greater Manchester has an unparalleled music heritage known around the world, and this summer will play host to some of the biggest gigs on the planet.
“That was only made possible by our strong commitment to new talent and giving emerging artists the opportunities to make their name.
“We thank our friends at the BPI for choosing Manchester and we will pull out all the stops to show they made the right decision.
“Celebrating the Brit Awards right here in the home of 24 hour party people is the next chapter in its story and you can be sure that we will help them do it in style.”
Last month, Manchester-born designer Matthew Williamson unveiled next year’s Brit Awards statuette, which is inspired by the city's heritage.
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