This week celebrates 70 years of ITV, which means 70 years of TV advertising.

The first broadcast was on 22 September 1955 at 7:15pm. It began with filming outside London's Guildhall, where a dinner for the launch of ITV took place.

Representatives from over 70 of ITV’s most iconic programmes were in attendance, spanning our rich history of drama, entertainment, comedy, news, and current affairs. From Coronation Street, Emmerdale, Endeavour and Cold Feet to Love Island, Britain’s Got Talent and Good Morning Britain, the event brought together generations of on-screen talent and programme makers.

Hosted by Joel Dommett, the evening honoured seven decades of groundbreaking television moments. Guests were treated to a specially curated film celebrating our role at the heart of British culture for the past 70 years. The evening included a video message from the Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, alongside addresses from the Chancellor of The Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, and Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, Lisa Nandy.

Carolyn McCall said, “ITV has evolved and transformed over 70 years, inspired by its audiences and this has been made possible by people represented at the Guildhall event tonight. As we celebrate this milestone, we are proud of our heritage and achievements and of how we are succeeding in a dramatically different world to when ITV was created. We are also proud of the crucial role we play in Britain, with impartial and accurate news reporting and investigations, supporting democracy whilst also reflecting and shaping British culture with UK originated shows that matter to our viewers.”

We have loads of exciting things coming up in the next few months in honour of the 70th birthday so stay tuned...and maybe even grab your remote to rewind through 70 years of iconic ITV shows, moments, news & events on our dedicated pop-up fast channel!

To celebrate, ITVX have also launched a dedicated page offering viewers a journey through the decades. The page showcases a vast collection of programmes, from iconic dramas to groundbreaking news and entertainment. This new collection is a slice of ITV history and everything that has shaped our business over the last 70 years.

This curated selection even includes programmes which haven't been seen since their initial broadcast!