Big Brother fans are up in arms over reports that ITV is planning a major twist for the upcoming series, which would see celebrities from Celebrity Big Brother's past enter the house as guest residents.
The hit reality series, which first aired on Channel 4 in 2000, was rebooted on ITV in 2023 with AJ Odudu and Will Best as presenters. Last year's season launched to 1.4 million viewers and was one of ITV2's biggest shows.
Reports of a shock twist
According to The Sun, ITV plans to bring in contestants from across 25 years of Celebrity Big Brother, which first aired in 2001 and returned in 2024. Insiders revealed that civilians will be surprised with the twist just days into the launch, which is expected to happen mid-September and run for an extended seven weeks.
The publication claims ITV is in talks with housemates from not only the ITV era but also from the Channel 4 and Channel 5 reigns. This would be similar to the 2017 series where Gemma Collins, Nicola McLean, and Marnie Simpson were jetted in as guest residents.
Fans react with fury
The idea has already sparked backlash, with fans taking to Reddit and X to express their disappointment. One fan wrote 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.'
On X, a superfan declared: 'Please do not do this ITV… we beg!'
There is currently no official release date for the new season, and ITV has not confirmed whether the concept will go ahead. Metro has reached out to ITV for comment.
