ITV's Big Brother is reportedly planning a major twist for its upcoming series, as viewers express a mix of excitement and backlash over the news.
The beloved reality show, which first aired on Channel 4 in 2000 and was revived on ITV in 2023 with hosts AJ Odudu and Will Best, is set to return later this year. Last year's edition attracted 1.4 million viewers and was among ITV2's highest-rated shows.
Celebrity guests to surprise housemates
According to reports, ITV plans to bring in former Celebrity Big Brother contestants from the past 25 years to surprise the civilian housemates. This includes stars from the show's original Channel 4 and Channel 5 eras, as well as the recent ITV revival.
This move echoes the 2017 series when Gemma Collins, Nicola McLean, and Marnie Simpson entered as special guests. A source told The Sun: "ITV are always thinking up new ways to inject even more fun into Big Brother. When Sharon Osbourne came into CBB as a lodger a couple of years ago it worked really well. The plan is to find big stars from all of the CBB's series to come in and surprise the housemates."
Fan reactions divided
The twist has sparked mixed reactions on social media. Some fans are unhappy, with one writing on Reddit: "I'm fed up with guest residence. Just give us normal non-influencer people." Another said: "Just wish we had CBB tbh. BB now is mostly social media famous types. I don't really want housemates with agents/agency and managers. I'd like 'real people' as it were."
However, others are excited, with one viewer posting on X: "This will be a great uplift for the show. Giving viewers a nostalgia boost #BigBrother." Another wrote on TikTok: "I can't wait for this. Please a bombshell return from Gemma Collins."
ITV has been approached for comment. Big Brother is available to catch up on ITVX.
