The top telly shows viewers want to be part of

From reality to talent many of us fancy trying to get our fifteen minutes of fame…

As the new series of Celebrity Big Brother will soon return to ITV1 and STV – and applications for Big Brother 2025 have officially opened – a study has revealed the most sought-after reality TV shows among Brits. The study analysed data to reveal the reality telly shows UK viewers most want to take part in and which are the most popular that air on British television currently.

While it remains the UK’s most sought-after show for the UK public to take part in, Love Island saw the biggest decrease in searches from potential contestants in 2024, with 17,520 fewer searches than in the previous year. The finding love in a villa series also has the third highest-scoring presenter line-up, earning 9.12 out of 10.

Big Brother shares joint fourth place alongside First Dates, with 28,310 searches overall. The challenging Race Across The World took second place, the series that sees travellers race across the world without smartphones, internet access or credit cards.

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Love Island is the show most Britons want to take part in, with 74,270 searches over the last year. Love Island has dominated the UK reality TV landscape in recent years, offering a fun yet cut-throat dating show with bags of drama guaranteed. 2024 saw season 11 of the hit romance show take to our screens, and while season 12 is yet to be announced, season 2 of Love Island All Stars is here to fill the void.

Race Across the World is the reality TV show generating the second most interest from would-be contestants, with 37,380 searches over 12 months. The show sees pairs of contestants race from point to point without using flights or phones, often traversing entire continents to reach their destinations. Contestants can take any route they want but have to balance the speed of travel with the cost of transport and their ability to earn more travel money along the way.

Britain’s Got Talent saw 31,520 searches from people looking to take part over the last 12 months, making it the third most sought-after show by potential contestants. Britain’s Got Talent is an iconic British TV show that will see its 18th season in 2025, pitting scores of the country’s budding entertainers against each other in the ultimate UK talent competition.