It was a sensational night of telly last night, not only were Love Island winners Ekin-Su and Davide handed their crown, but ITV dropped a Big Brother bombshell, confirming its return in 2023.
The world-famous reality TV show, which first launched in the Netherlands in 1999, is coming back to UK TV, and will maintain its familiar format.
Launching “from 2023” on ITV 2 and ITVX, their new online streaming platform which they aim to open this year, Big Brother has a “brand-new home”.
In the UK, Big Brother first aired on Channel 4 and ran for a total of 11 series, plus seven series of Celebrity Big Brother and a final special edition series entitled Ultimate Big Brother.
The show subsequently aired for a further eight series on Channel 5, with an additional 15 celebrity series, before going on hiatus in 2018.
The upcoming 2023 series on ITV2 and ITVX will mark the first time Big Brother returns to UK screens in almost five years.
Bosses are very much keeping their cards close to their chest when it comes to the revamp’s host and information about the show’s cast.
However, Rylan has teased his involvement in ITV Big Brother.
According to his Twitter page, Rylan is located inside the “Big Brother House” and following last night’s shock ITV announcement he Tweeted: “He was always watching… It’s coming home #bbuk.”
He has however confirmed that he has "not been asked" to host the main show, but we could still see a return of the hit-aftershow 'Big Brother's Bit on the Side'.
He Tweeted today: "Should clarify. I’ve not been asked to host the show.
"As a fan, like always, I’m made up it’s coming back. I know how hard you/we all fought to keep that name alive and I’m so glad it paid off in the end.
"The OG reality is back. It’s the news we wanted. Welcome back bro."
Rylan says he is "praying for" normal housemates, live evictions, no outside contact, a public voting, a live feed and that Big Brother is "always in charge".
Former hosts Davina McCall and Emma Willis are “unlikely” to be involved, according to a telly insider who says the show needs to be “totally new and fresh”.
Despite calls for the show to be a fresh start, Marcus Bentley, the iconic Geordie voice of Big Brother, is thought to be voicing the new series after Tweeting “we are back” last night.
He then shared the new ITV Big Brother branding and said: “Here we go!”
The reboot will start with a civilian series with cast members from “all walks of life” entering the iconic Big Brother House.
An ITV spokesperson said: “A new cast of carefully selected housemates, from all walks of life, will take up residence in the world’s most famous reality TV home for up to six weeks, with cameras capturing their every move, and the nation following every twist and turn.
“The action will all play out under the roof of the iconic Big Brother house, which will be given its own contemporary new look ready for this reimagining of the show.
“Clever tasks, nail-biting nominations and live evictions will be back, with the public once again playing a crucial role, voting throughout the series and ultimately determining the winner, who will walk away with a life changing cash prize.”
Paul Mortimer, director of reality commissioning and acquisitions and controller at ITV2, ITVBe and CITV confirmed the new Big Brother is aimed at “younger viewers”.
He said: “This refreshed, contemporary new series of Big Brother will contain all the familiar format points that kept viewers engaged and entertained the first-time round, but with a brand-new look and some additional twists that speak to today’s audience.
“We’re beyond excited to bring this iconic series to ITV2 and ITVX where it should especially engage with our younger viewers.”
Natalka Znak, CEO of Initial – part of Banijay UK who is producing the show – said their Big Brother reboot is “going to be epic”.
“Big Brother is the original and best reality format and one that I have never made before so it’s a huge privilege to be making an all-new version with ITV2 and ITVX,” he said.
It is unlikely that filming will take place at Elstree Studios in Hertfordshire given that the previous Big Brother House was pulled down.
It is thought that ITV will find a new location to film the highly-anticipated reality TV show.
The new series will play out on ITV 2, just like Love Island, so will be available to everyone on normal TV, as well as streaming on new Netflix-style platform ITVX.
ITV bosses said: “ITVX is the new streaming home of all of ITV and so much more, with exclusive new series launching every week.
“An ever-changing library of blockbuster movies and the nation's biggest live events. Curated themed channels, thousands of box sets and the ability to access BritBox all in one place.”
