The much-anticipated return of Big Brother is set to be announced soon by ITV after the channel finally struck a deal to broadcast the show, according to a new report.
It was previously claimed producers were in talks to show it on ITV2 in 2023, after Love Island, and now The Mirror claim an iteration of the program for a “young audience” is in the works.
A source told the publication that the “back to basics” format will have fewer challenges and will feature civilians rather than celebrities.
Soon? Big Brother’s ‘return’ is set to be announced as ‘ITV has signed a new deal’ – but it’s ‘unlikely’ that Rylan Clark, Davina McCall or Emma Willis (left) will host
The insider said the deal with rights holder Banijay has finally been signed after months of talks and that the house will be in a brand new location in the UK.
Former presenters Davina McCall and Emma Willis, as well as Bit On The Side host Rylan Clark are unlikely to be involved, it has been claimed.
Still, the insider claimed it’s likely the eye logo will return, while fans are hoping narrator Marcus Bentley will, too.
Web has reached out to ITV for comment.
Exciting: It was previously reported that producers were in talks to air it on ITV2 in 2023, after Love Island, and an iteration of the show for a ‘young audience’ is reportedly in the works (Davina is pictured)
The reality juggernaut originally aired on Channel 4 from 2000 to 2010 and was hosted by Davina before moving to Channel 5 until 2018 where it was presented by Series 2 winner Brian and later Emma.
A TV source told The Sun in April: “ITV is the home of big schedule television. They know better than anyone how to host big live events.
“They believe that by releasing it on ITV2 it will reach a new audience and a legion of younger fans. They are keen to close the deal with Big Brother and hope to announce something solid soon.
“The talks are still at an early and delicate stage and the next few weeks will be crucial.
Iconic: An insider claimed it’s likely the eye logo will return, while fans are hoping narrator Marcus Bentley will too (stock image)
“It needs the full treatment and they are confident they are the ones who can bring it back to its legendary former glory. It has millions of fans and is one of the most iconic TV shows of its generation.”
The show began as a social experiment in 2000 and has become a staple of popular culture.
While ordinary members of the public became famous the moment they entered the house, a celebrity version of the show starring famous housemates also ran from the year 2000.
The show featured some iconic moments over the years, with a staggering 3.5million people voting for Seaforth, Merseyside, Liverpool builder Craig Phillips to win the £70,000 prize at the end of the first series in 2000.
Comeback: The reality juggernaut originally aired on Channel 4 from 2000 to 2010 and was hosted by Davina before moving to Channel 5 until 2018 where it was presented by Series 2 winner Brian and later Emma (Davina is shown in 2002).
The inaugural series of Big Brother captivated the nation due to its then-unprecedented “social experiment”-style composition.
While viewers continued to love the season, what was most shocking was Nick Bateman’s behavior.
The town broker earned the nickname Nasty Nick after attempting to cheat in-game and exchanging notes between contestants to influence nominations. He was confronted by eventual winner Craig.
Kate Lawler became the show’s first female winner in series three with 58.05% of the vote, but the introduction of the late Jade Goody to UK television screens was undoubtedly the highlight of the drama in 2002.
Fame game: Producers are apparently in talks for it to be shown on ITV2 in 2023 after Love Island (Davina was spotted with the late Jade Goody during her eviction in the 2002 finale)
Other big names include the only transgender winner of all time, Nadia Almada, Anthony Hutton and Makosi Musambasi, who shared a controversial moment in the swimming pool, the outrageous late Nikki Grahame, who became one of the most spirited stars to ever grace the show.
Meanwhile, dizzying Essex boy Brian Belo and This Morning presenters Alison Hammond and Josie Gibson also found fame on the show.
Considered a groundbreaking social experiment when it first aired in 2000, the program was initially a resounding success, with the finale of the first series attracting 9.45 million viewers, but was canceled in September 2018 after 18 years on the air on Channel 4 and channel 5
It averaged 5.8 million viewers per episode in its third season — but the numbers dropped to just 2.9 million per episode in 2009 thanks to contests inspired by the shows it spawned, like The Only Way Is Essex .
The move from Channel 4 to Channel 5 saw the show hit an all-time low, with viewership falling to 1.2 million last season.
Celebrity Big Brother took a hit to its viewership already in its sixth season, which followed the racing series of season five. Contestant Jade Goody labeled Indian actress Shilpa Shetty as ‘Shilpa Poppadom’, prompting 10,000 complaints to Ofcom and 2,000 to Channel 4.
The average viewership per episode dropped from 4.6 million to 3.1 million by season six.
As 2010 rolled around, people started to switch off and gravitate towards The X Factor and Strictly Come Dancing.
Fresh: A source said: ‘They think by releasing it on ITV2 it will reach new audiences and a legion of younger fans’ (series 3 winner Kate Lawler was spotted in the show’s 2002 finale).