ITV2 is reportedly planning to relaunch Big Brother in the UK.
Big Brother could soon be heading back to UK television screens.
The Sun reports that ITV bosses are considering snapping up the rights to the show for ITV2.
If negotiations go well it is thought that the show will air in autumn 2023 in a bid to retain the interest of reality TV fans after Love Island has concluded.
“ITV know better than anyone how to put on big live events,” a source told the paper.
“They think putting it on ITV2 will open it up to a new audience and legion of younger fans. They are really keen on getting the deal done on Big Brother, and hope to have something firm to announce soon.
“The talks are still at an early, and delicate, stage and the next few weeks will be key.”
The brainchild of John de Mol, Big Brother originated in the Netherlands in 1999 with Channel 4 bringing to screens a UK version the following year with Davina McCall as host.
The first series of the show gained widespread attention due to the antics of Nick Bateman – dubbed “Nasty Nick” – and peaked with an audience of 9.5 million.
Channel 5 snapped up the rights to the then decade-old format in 2011 after it was dropped by Channel 4 with former winner Brian Dowling taking over from Davina as host. He was later replaced by Emma Willis.
The show was a ‘social experiment’ in which members of the public were filmed around-the-clock as they co-habited a custom-built house for several weeks.
The housemates had to nominate each other for eviction with the decision on who goes then being put to viewers who could follow their antics via a live feed (limited in the Channel 5 era) or nightly highlight shows. The winner would receive a large cash prize.
Channel 5 cancelled Big Brother in 2018 after its ratings slumped to less than one million.
The show was originally filmed in Bow, North London before relocating to Elstree Studios in Hertfordshire in 2002.
