In a thrilling announcement for reality TV fans, Big Brother UK is making a grand return with a new logo – and its highly anticipated live feed, set to be broadcast on ITVX.
The iconic show, which has been a staple of British television since its inception in 2000, is set to return to screens later this year with a fresh look and a brand-new home.
Tonight, ITV finally announced a few extra details we were all waiting to hear – so here’s everything we know so far.
Big Brother UK, based on the international reality television franchise created by producer John de Mol, has been a significant part of the UK’s television landscape for over two decades.
The show follows a group of contestants, known as “housemates”, who live together in a specially constructed house, isolated from the outside world and continuously monitored by live television cameras and personal audio microphones.
The last remaining housemate wins the competition and a cash prize.
The show initially premiered on Channel 4 and quickly became a ratings hit. It featured a 24-hour live feed, allowing fans to view inside the house at any time.
After eleven series on Channel 4 and a subsequent run on Channel 5, the show is now set to return on ITV2 and ITVX.
According to information given out to advertisers, the new season of Big Brother UK is set to launch in October, with a total of 36 episodes running six nights a week.
ITV2 and ITVX will broadcast the show from Sunday to Friday from 21:00 to 22:00.
Earlier this year, ITV confirmed the new hosts for the forthcoming series of Big Brother and its companion show – AJ Odudu and Will Best.
The pair will share the iconic hosting role on the main show, presiding over the weekly evictions and quizzing housemates on all of the goings on in the world’s most famous house.
In addition, a sibling show will run straight after the main show at 22:00, also presented by AJ and Will as they review the evening’s show with an excited live audience of Big Brother fans.
A TV favourite, AJ has recently co-hosted the acclaimed revival of The Big Breakfast. She has hosted on Comic Relief and as part of the Eurovision family, and is also known to ITV audiences having presented backstage on The Voice UK and The Voice Kids.
Close friend and fellow Big Brother superfan Will meanwhile has presenting credits across major broadcasters including Dance, Dance, Dance for ITV as well as other projects for E4, T4 and BBC Three.
Big Brother’s Live Feed Is Back – With A Streaming Twist
In an exciting development, the live feed from the Big Brother house will be streamed into the small hours every night on ITV’s streaming service – ITVX – following the Big Brother companion show.
This move marks a return to the original format of the show, which included a live feed, and is sure to delight long-time fans of the series.
At this point, it’s unknown whether there will be a 24/7 feed on any of the platforms – or just the nightly one.
For now, ITV is only saying “Footage from the house will be live-streamed into the small hours every night.”
ITVX, the new kid on the UK’s streaming block, has been making waves since its debut in December 2022. The service, which took over from the ITV Hub app, is free but comes with adverts.
It aims to compete with major players like Netflix and Disney+. At its launch, ITVX rolled out with over 10,000 hours of on-demand content, including 35 flagship shows, over 200 series, and upwards of 250 films.
ITVX also offers a Premium tier for £5.99/month or £59.99/year. The Premium subscription not only removes the ads but also gives users access to the BritBox library, which is loaded with over 4,000 hours of classic British content, as well as picks from Studio Canal Presents.
Despite some technical glitches and compatibility issues with certain devices, ITVX has managed to clock in a staggering one billion streams within four months of its launch.
ITVX is available on most streaming devices and Smart TVs sold in the UK – so the Big Brother live feed should be fairly easy to watch for most.
However, there’s a long list of devices that don’t support ITV’s streaming app – and likely won’t ever support it – from popular Freeview boxes like the Humax FVP-5000t, to Freesat boxes like the Humax Hb1000s, and older Smart TVs from Samsung and other manufacturers.
Older iPhones and iPads will also lose ITVX support later this summer.
The New Big Brother Eye
The announcement of the live feed’s return comes hot on the heels of the reveal of the brand new Big Brother eye in an exclusive promo aired across ITV1, ITV2, ITV3, ITV4, and ITVBe.
The iconic logo tease and the announcement of AJ Odudu and Will Best as the reality show’s new hosts have set the stage for a highly anticipated return of the beloved show.
The all-new Big Brother house is set to welcome its new housemates in October 2023. With the promise of a return to the original formula, a few modern twists, and the addition of the live feed, Big Brother UK’s return is set to make it the most talked-about show this autumn and the perfect run-up to Christmas.
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EXCELLENT THE LIVE FEED IS BACK HOPE ITS A 24 HOUR LIVE FEED
Hope there will be subtitles for the show on both live TV & streaming for deaf & hearing impaired fans. Can’t wait to have Marcus Bentley back!