Tale e Quale Show 2026 format and schedule changes

The 2026 season of the Rai 1 talent show ‘Tale e Quale Show’ is undergoing significant format and scheduling changes. Host Carlo Conti will return, but the judging panel will be updated; while Cristiano Malgioglio remains, Alessia Marcuzzi and Giorgio Panariello will be replaced by Elettra Lamborghini and Alessandro Siani.

In a subsequent development, it was announced that Fabio Fazio will return to Rai as a guest judge for the season premiere. This marks Fazio’s first appearance on the public broadcaster since leaving for the Nove channel three years ago. The fourth judging position is expected to rotate weekly.

The program is also moving from its traditional Friday time slot to Wednesday evenings in prime time, with a scheduled debut of September 23. Rai’s prime time entertainment director, Williams Di Liberatore, described the shift as a “strategic editorial and commercial decision” to navigate a more competitive time slot.

Regarding Fazio’s appearance, Carlo Conti noted that the invitation is a “gesture of friendship and mutual respect,” intended to demonstrate that no rivalry exists between the two hosts despite Fazio’s upcoming programming on a competing channel. Rai management has expressed pride in welcoming Fazio back, describing him as a “professional.”

The sixteenth edition, produced by Endemol Shine Italy, will feature twelve contestants performing musical imitations. The confirmed lineup includes Jasmine Carrisi, Maddalena Corvaglia, Roberta Morise, Paola Perego, Anna Pettinelli, Selma, Stefano Meloccaro, Max Paiella, Andrea Perroni, Vladimir Randazzo, and the duo of Flavio Insinna and Gabriele Cirilli.