How To Watch UK TV Online Including BBC iPlayer, ITVX, Channel 4, And More While Overseas

From left to right: Ness, Stacey, Gwen, Bryn and Gavin crammed into Bryn's blue Picasso as they prepare to drive down to Billericay for the holidays in Gavin and Stacey: The Finale.
(Image credit: BBC / Toffee International Ltd / Tom Jackson)

January sees a whole roster of new, excellent TV to sink into your couches for, with 2025 promising plenty more where quintessential, top-shelf British TV is concerned. You'll want to make sure you know how to watch UK TV online from anywhere, then, with the likes of BBC iPlayer and ITVX now loaded up with all the specials from the holiday period. Catch up on Gavin and Stacey and Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl, as well as the return of a bunch of hotly anticipated shows. For one thing, you can now watch The Traitors UK Season 3, as well as SAS: Rogue Heroes Season 2.

A whole bundle of TV to curl up with, unfortunately you'll need to be on British soil to access the aforementioned BBC iPlayer and ITVX, as well as Channel 4 and Channel 5. If you're a UK citizen on vacation or an expat working overseas looking to watch UK TV online, I hate to break it to you but you're going to be a bit stuck. That's because there are geo-restrictions on some of the biggest streaming platforms – but we do have a solution!

Hot UK TV Shows Right Now!

Gavin & Stacey: The Finale: It may have come out on Christmas Day, but the plot for the final ever episode of Gavin & Stacey can be watched all year round.

SAS Rogue Heroes Season 2: With a wait of over 2 years, the brains behind Peaky Blinders return with the second season of SAS Rogue Heroes, chronicling the creation of the SAS during WW2.

Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light: Available now to stream in full, the Hilary Mantel adaptation returned 9 years later to complete the Thomas Cromwell trilogy.

The use of a VPN (Virtual Private Network) will allow you to gain access to the aforementioned free services all TV licence paying Brits can otherwise watch to their heart's content. It's also worth noting you'll lose access to any UK-based subscriptions, too, while abroad, including NOW, but a VPN will sort you out where those services are concerned, too.

I appreciate it does sounds super technical. However, if I can figure it out, you certainly can – especially once I explain how it works. Then you'll be able to ensure you can watch your native channels no matter where you are in the world. In this case, being able to watch UK TV online outside of the country.

The Traitors UK Season 3 host Claudia Winkleman stands in front of Ardross Castle

(Image credit: BBC)

Why do I need a VPN to watch UK TV online overseas?

When it comes to watching just about any streaming platform, you are at the mercy of licensing agreements. From country to country, different platforms will have the distribution rights to certain shows, movies, and even sports. To control this, platforms have geo-block infrastructure in place to prevent anyone accessing their service outside of the country.

For BBC iPlayer, you might be presented with the message: "BBC iPlayer only works in the UK. Sorry, it’s due to rights issues."

Essentially, then, anyone outside of the UK can't watch anything on BBC iPlayer, ITVX, Channel 4, and the like's libaries, and will likely have to pay for another streaming service in the country you're residing in. For instance, while you can watch The Great British Bake Off on Channel 4 in the UK, you'll need a Netflix subscription in the States to watch the goings-on in the tent. Similarly, if you're abroad in the US when the next season of Love Island UK is on, you'd have to watch it via a Peacock subscription rather than on the free platform, ITVX (and deal with a significant delay, too!)

A VPN (short for virtual private network) can work around this. Long story short, a VPN is a piece of software you can download on just about any device (desktop, smartphone, etc), connect to a location in the UK (VPNs have thousands of servers with locations based around the world). This will conceal your actual IP address (Internet Protocol) and make it seem as if you're browsing in the UK.

Which VPN is best for unblocking and watching UK TV online?

Our sister site, Tom's Guide, ranks NordVPN as the best VPN overall and in particular for streaming and unblocking. In its NordVPN review, it states: "Streaming performance is becoming increasingly important, and it's clear that NordVPN has put a lot of effort into delivering a good service to its users," able to unblock top streaming platforms like Netflix, Disney Plus, BBC iPlayer, and ITVX.

When it comes to helping CinemaBlend readers find out how to watch their favorite shows from anywhere, then, we always recommend NordVPN as the service to use when trying to unblock platforms while away from home.

Watch UK TV online as if you were at home with a VPN

Watch UK TV online as if you were at home with a VPN
Try out NordVPN, our choice of the best VPN for unblocking many of the major streaming services – and doing so speedily – including BBC iPlayer, ITVX, and more. You'll be able to stream from any device, including your mobile or desktop, TV, or gaming console. Incredibly secure, too, get assistance with its 24/7 customer support and enjoy a 30-day money back guarantee.

Step-by-Step guide: How to Use a VPN to Unblock Streaming Services:

1. Choose and install a VPN – as mentioned, our go-to service to recommend for unblocking is NordVPN, costing from $3.99 a month with its 2-year plan.

2. Connect to a server – NordVPN has over 6,000 servers based across 100+ countries. For UK TV services, you'll want to connect to a server based in the UK.

3. Go to the platform you wish to access – to watch UK TV, visit platforms like BBC iPlayer, ITVX, and more.

Can I Watch UK TV Abroad For Free Without a VPN?

The only way to legally access UK TV abroad for free is by circumventing geo-restrictions with a VPN as long as you are accessing these services as you would while back home. Of course, you must bear in mind to watch UK TV live you'll need a TV licence in the UK. This also goes for watching BBC iPlayer's on-demand library. Any other methods of accessing free streams for UK content while overseas are likely forms of piracy.


Alice Marshall
eCommerce Editor

Alice is CinemaBlend's resident eCommerce Editor, here to tell you about the best streaming services like Disney Plus and Apple TV Plus, and how to watch the hottest TV shows and movies. Begrudging Love Island fan and always thrilled about the latest book to screen adaptation. With six years experience in the commercial writing space, Alice has been writing about consumer tech and software for 4 years, previously writing for Trusted Reviews before joining the Future family.