Charlotte Minter and
Milo Pope
Published April 10, 2026 8:46pm
Updated April 10, 2026 8:46pm
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Fans have been left ‘gutted’ after the iconic channel has now ended for good (Picture: ITV)
In the early 80s ITV launched a channel which became home to some of the most iconic children’s shows.
Now, the channel has officially ended for good after 42 years on air.
Originally called Watch It!, the channel was later rebranded as Children’s ITV, a.k.a. CITV.
Now, after ITV ceased to air the show in its usual segment on ITV2, fans have been left gutted as they sobbed: ‘This is my childhood’.
Shows like My Parents are Aliens, Tots TV, Horrid Henry and Art Attack lived on the channel, but its time is officially up, according to The Sun.
Previously, a social media account on X called Media Central UK said: ‘In TV news, the CITV block on ITV2 is officially ending on 10th April. This really means the end of the iconic CITV brand that’s been around for 42 years.
‘Farewell CITV, this time for real. CBBC will have some of CITV’s programming while the rest will be under ITVX Kids.’
You’ll probably remember the likes of Tots TV (Picture: ITV/Shutterstock)
Some of the writers credited for My Parents are Aliens have gone on to create global hits (Picture: ITV/Shutterstock)
Originally, CITV content aired in the late afternoon on ITV, but this slot was axed in 2006 and it was only shown on weekend mornings or on its new Freeview channel.
In 2023, the CITV Freeview channel came to an end, and the weekend morning block was moved to ITV2. Content was also put on ITVX Kids hub.
The slot for kids telly airs from 6am in the morning on ITV2. Included in the current roster are classic cartoons like Scooby-Doo! and Looney Tunes, but as of this Saturday, they are nowhere to be seen on the channel.
Instead, from 6am you can watch Project Bakeover, followed by Backyard Builds – hardly the kind of content your child might be thrilled to watch.
Families with smart TVs, a plug-in streaming device, a casting option from a phone or tablet, or certain games consoles or TV boxes will be able to stream ITVX Kids onto their big screens. While others might have to settle for watching on a smaller device.
Reflecting on some of the channel’s best bits and the content that brought us such joy once upon a time, the news hit some fans hard.
@pheestalgia on X said: ‘I fear CITV closing for good is gonna be the final nail in the coffin for linear kids tv and I will not take it well istg [I swear to God].’
Horrid Henry launched in 2006 on CITV (Picture: ITV)
Both Stephen Mulhern and Holly Willoughby presented on the children’s channel (Picture: Kieron McCarron/ITV/Shutterstock)
Linear channels like CBBC still exist, but others have shut down in the last year. POP and Tiny Pop closed before Christmas in 2025 after launching in 2003, and there are concerns across the industry about a lack of investment in shows for little ones.
The account @BigHitsTV1 is amongst those who are worried. It wrote on X after hearing news of CITV ‘coming to an end, for good’: ‘Really feel sad for today’s children. Absolutely nothing on for them. When you think we had Children’s Ward, Grange Hill, Byker Grove, Press Gang, Art Attack to name a few plus all the best cartoons.’
Many others mourned the shows that made CITV so great. @CoffeeJezus called My Parents Are Aliens one of ‘the funniest TV shows I’ve seen’. It wrote: ‘still holds up, no surprise the writers have gone on to big things. I’d love a Blu-Ray release of all of it.’
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Creator of Succession, Jesse Armstrong, is credited as a writer back in the early days of the show, as is his writing partner, Sam Bain.
It also helped give rise to stars like Stephen Mulhern, Cat Deeley and Holly Willoughby, who presented for the channel during the late 90s and early 00s.
This article was originally published on April 4, 2026.
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Metro has reached out to ITV for comment.
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