- Gossip Girl, a controversial teen drama, lands on ITVX for free streaming in the UK from January 2026
- The show, known for its scandalous content, stirred debates but also gained a cult following during its original run
- The show launched the careers of actors like Blake Lively and Penn Badgley, cementing its place as an iconic 2000s series
A teen drama series from the 2000s that was blasted as ‘mind-blowingly inappropriate’ will soon be available to watch free on a UK streamer.
Gossip Girl, which ran between 2007 and 2012, followed the lives of a group of rich teenagers who all attended a prestigious school in Manhattan.
The scandals and intimate details of their lives are tracked and reported on by the anonymous titular blogger, much in the manner of Bridgerton’s very own Lady Whistledown.
Known for launching the careers of Blake Lively, Penn Badgley, and Chace Crawford, Gossip Girl was based on the novel series by Cecily von Ziegesar.
While its live viewing figures were never huge (it reached a peak audience of 3.7million in the USA), its cultural reach spread globally and it had a dedicated cult following – it was eventually broadcast in the UK on ITV2.
As of January 2026, UK viewers will have the choice of two streamers to pick from if they fancy watching all of Gossip Girl completely for free.
While the series is already available on BBC iPlayer, episodes will also be available on ITVX from next month, with its official drop date confirmed as January 25.
ITV said: ‘Gossip Girl has remained a defining cultural force, launching the careers of major stars, shaping global fashion trends, and cementing its status as one of the most recognisable teen drama franchises of the 21st century.’
The CW series was aimed at older teenagers after being given a 15 age rating by content advisory boards, with the series sometimes criticised for its occasional depictions of sexual content and substance use.
Those criticisms were used to great effect, however, when a claim that Gossip Girl was ‘mind-blowingly inappropriate’ was used on its own promotional poster.
Other posters boasted that the series was ‘a nasty piece of work’ and ‘every parent’s nightmare’ while characters were shown kissing in bedrooms and swimming pools.
It worked, as Reddit user SmithyAudrey explained: ‘I literally remember walking through the mall and seeing one of these ads. I was a preteen and just stood there, mouth agape, like “Whoa, what is this show?”
‘My very conservative mother covered my eyes and mumbled something about blocking The CW on our TV. Jokes on you, mom! Netflix came to save the day (a few years later).’
Teen dramas you can stream on ITVX
If you’re looking for binge recommendations after Gossip Girl, here is a selection of similarly themed shows available to watch on ITVX:
- The O.C.
- Dawson’s Creek
- Everybody Hates Chris
- One Tree Hill
- The Vampire Diaries
- Tell Me Everything
- The Sex Lives of College Girls
- Smallville
- The Carrie Diaries
MusicalNix agreed, saying, ‘Capitalising on outrage culture is a baller marketing flex if you can pull it off,’ but other viewers did laugh at the idea of Gossip Girl seeming shocking.
AmazingAdaptance remembered: ‘Looking back, compared to a lot of teen shows of today (Euphoria, Sex Education) it was tame in terms of inappropriate content. It’s wild to see how standards change with time.’
@Medium_Function_2703 concurred: ‘I don’t remember [the show being like] this. The campaign is very misleading. On first glance it seems the show is basically teenage porn! It is genius though!’
The series is also available to stream on Netflix with a subscription, with episodes and seasons available to buy on Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV, xoxo.
Watch Gossip Girl on ITVX from January 25, 2026.
Got a story?
If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us [email protected], calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.
