Channel 4 Seeks Success With Celebrity Big Brother
Channel 4 will this week launch the latest series of Celebrity Big Brother, hoping to build on the successes of previous series’ and capitalise on the recent success of rival celebrity reality show, I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here.
Launching on Thursday at 9.00pm, the show will see a record eight celebrity housemates move into the now infamous Big Brother house, where viewers will be able to watch them for an extended two week run. In accordance with tradition the identities of the celebrity housemates will remain a secret until they enter the house.
Davina McCall will host a special launch night show in which viewers will see the celebrities enter their new home, live on Channel 4. An hour-long Celebrity Big Brother programme with highlights of the house action will be broadcast every night on Channel 4, as well as live eviction programmes hosted by Davina.
The live fanzine show, Celebrity Big Brother’s Little Brother will also return in a late-night time slot of 11pm with host Dermot O’Leary, while E4 will continue to show live action from the house with round-the-clock daily live streaming. Spin-off shows Efourum and Diary Room Uncut will also see a return to cover the series’ events in minute detail.
As always viewers will be given the chance to decide which celebrities stay and which are evicted, with voting available through telephone, text message and interactive TV. Channel 4 will donate 16p from the cost of every 50p vote to a group of charities chosen by the celebrity contestants.
Channel 4 will undoubtedly be hoping for an improved performance from the celebrity show’s third outing, following a dip in average viewing for the last series. The show’s last airing in November 2002 saw it notch up an average viewing figure of 4.36 million, down 12.6% on its first incarnation in 2001 which drew an average of 4.99 million viewers.
Commenting on the new show Sharon Powers, commissioning editor at Channel 4 said: “Given the phenomenal success of Big Brother 5, I’m delighted that the same team are back to produce Celebrity Big Brother. Furthermore, watching celebrities cope with what Big Brother has in store, should make for fascinating viewing – and it’s great that a number of charities will benefit from the money raised as well.”
Shirley Jones, executive producer of Celebrity Big Brother added: “It’s always intriguing to see how well-known faces adapt to life in the Big Brother house, but we are especially excited about seeing our chosen group of celebrities in there as they are an interesting mix. Nothing can prepare our celebrities for Big Brother, but rest assured Big Brother is prepared for them.”
Celebrity Big Brother will be sponsored throughout its two-week duration by phone company TalkTalk, building on the extensive cross-media coverage negotiated for Big Brother‘s recent run (see Channel 4 Talks Up Big Brother Sponsorship).
Channel Four: 020 7396 4444 www.channel4.com
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