After just two seasons since its much-anticipated revival on ITV, iconic reality series Celebrity Big Brother has reportedly been cancelled by the network ahead of a proposed return next year.
The series came back in 2024 after a hiatus of six years, with David Potts being crowned the winner. A follow-up - the 24th overall season - aired last year, with Coronation Street star Jack P Shepherd coming out on top.
It was expected that ITV, who took over the show from 5, would air another season in 2027, but The Sun has reported that some staff members are already working under the assumption that the series won't come back.
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An insider told the publication that bosses were finding it a challenge to compete with BBC's The Celebrity Traitors, both in terms of viewership and signing up cast members. With ITV also having I'm a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!, it limits choices further.
The regular civilian series, however, is unaffected by these reported developments. In a statement provided to Digital Spy, an ITV spokesperson said: "Big Brother returns to ITVX and ITV2 later this year. No decisions have been made for 2027 as yet."
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Both iterations of the long-running format have been hosted by AJ Odudu and Will Best since its move to ITV. In addition to the two Celebrity Big Brother seasons, there have been three regular civilian seasons.
The news comes as former Big Brother host Davina McCall reflected upon her time with the series. The presenter helmed both the civilian and celebrity versions in their heydays on Channel 4, hosting for nine years before exiting in 2010.
"I love that show so much, it was in my DNA, and interestingly it's changed now and it will never be what it was at the beginning, because [the housemates] know what it is," she explained.
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"They know what to expect. They know what’s going to happen after. They always kind of semi-know they are being watched," she added. "Whereas people at the beginning, it really was an extraordinary human experiment. It was incredible at the time."
McCall, who has since appeared in The Masked Singer UK and My Mum, Your Dad, also revealed that she had put herself forward to return to Big Brother upon its revival on ITV, but was rebuffed by producers.
Big Brother airs on ITV2 and streams on ITVX.
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Reporter, Digital Spy George is a freelance writer who specialises in Movies and TV. After graduating with a degree in Film Studies and Journalism from De Montfort University, in which he analysed the early works of Richard Linklater for his dissertation, he wrote for several websites for GRV Media. His film tastes vary from blockbusters like Mission: Impossible and John Wick to international directors such as Paolo Sorrentino and Hirokazu Kore-eda, and has attended both the London and Berlin film festivals.
