Reviving Big Brother UK was a somewhat risky decision. Channel 5 dropped the show entirely in 2018, and not without reason. Although ITV had made some primetime reality TV, picking up BBUK created nervousness in fans and producers alike.
But ITV’s risk was a calculated one. Even though the show would return, it would only be for a pair of six-week runs. The short runs would be relatively inexpensive compared to a more complete run. So, if the show failed, at least the losses wouldn’t be as severe as they could’ve been.
However, based on the ratings from the show’s launch, failure is probably the last word ITV would use to describe the revival. With 2.6 million viewers, it makes sense that there would be whispers of a Celebrity Big Brother UK revival as well.
What has ITV said about Celebrity Big Brother UK?
Broadcast revealed that a Celebrity Big Brother UK run is in the works at ITV. The series would reportedly air on ITV1 instead of ITV2 where the current civilian series is airing. Paul Mortimer, the commissioning editor over the Big Brother UK revival, teased that more Big Brother UK could come down the line.
However, when addressing a reboot directly, the channel played a little coy in their response. An ITV spokesperson made an official statement regarding a celebrity revival: “At present, we are focused on the current series of Big Brother and any announcements regarding future series will be made in due course.”
A Celebrity BBUK revival was always likely, especially with the reacquisition of the property. As Mortimer said, “I can’t imagine we are in it just to do two six-week runs.” Seeing as how the mainline series saw such success with its premiere, building on that momentum only makes sense.