ITV are planning to extend civilian Big Brother series by an extra week
ITV are said to be looking into plans to extend the civilian series of Big Brother by an additional week, with Celebrity Big Brother being rested until 2027.
The civilian series of Big Brother could be extended by ITV.
Bosses of the reality show are looking into plans to extend the show's autumn run by another week, meaning viewers will be treated to eight weeks of drama from the house, after it was reported that Celebrity Big Brother is being rested until 2027.
A source told The Sun newspaper: "Despite the hold on the celeb version, ITV has always insisted that the programme is what they call a priority reality format'.
"So it’s reassuring to see plans like this being on the table.
"Extending by a week is something fans have been calling for as past runs have shown the action really only heats up in the latter days.
"The civilian one is far cheaper to produce than celebrity so the return on investment is worth the while.
"ITV really is committed to the format and has lots of ideas to keep the civilian version as exciting as possible, with the extension being one of the options being considered."
It was claimed earlier this month that the celebrity version of the show - which is hosted by AJ Odudu and Will Best - was being rested this year after executives struggled to get big names to sign up for the programme.
An insider told The Sun: "Despite announcing the programme was moving from ITV1 to sister channel ITV2, fans were still expecting another series this year.
"Executives also confirmed it wouldn’t be returning to the March/April air date it’s had for the last two seasons, and instead would have to go out in late 2026.
"So the latest development is likely to rock devotees when they realise it will be almost two years between series, which is relatively unusual for a big ITV show."
However, an ITV spokesman revealed that the channel are still committed to the programme despite the hiatus.
He said: "We are committed to both Celebrity Big Brother and Big Brother beyond 2025, and scheduling for any new series will be confirmed in due course. The show remains a priority reality format for us."
