ITV boss Kevin Lygo says he’s ‘overwhelmed’ by viewers response to Big Brother’s reboot – and hopes original narrator Marcus Bentley will return as the iconic voice of the show
ITV boss Kevin Lygo has said he is ‘overwhelmed’ by viewers response after officially announcing the channel would be rebooting reality show Big Brother.
It was confirmed during the Love Island final in August that the TV favourite would have a new home on ITV2 and streaming service ITVX.
And while plans for the upcoming series are under wraps the TV producer admitted he hopes to convince narrator Marcus Bentley, who voiced all series of since its beginnings in 2000 with his distinctive Geordie drawl, to return.
Coming soon: ITV boss Kevin Lygo has said he is ‘overwhelmed’ by viewers response after officially announcing the channel would be rebooting reality show Big Brother
Speaking this week to the Broadcasting Press Guild, ITV programmes boss Kevin said: ‘People thought that Big Brother would never come back but we were overwhelmed by the response when we announced it.’
Before going on to speak of his hopes at signing Mark and his iconic twang to once more be the voice of the show.
It comes after news that fans would have to wait until Autumn next year before the rebooted series returns to screens.
Return: It was confirmed during the Love Island final in August that the TV favourite would have a new home on ITV2 and streaming service ITVX (Davina McCall pictures as the show’s host in 2002)
Now a date has been confirmed for the civilian edition of the programme, which last aired on Channel 5 in 2018.
While it was originally tipped to air in March, the programme has been delayed due to the number of entertainment shows airing on ITV at the start of 2023, such as winter Love Island and the All Stars edition of I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!.
An ITV spokesperson told MailOnline: ‘Owing to the influx of big reality TV programming on air during the first half of 2022 we have taken the decision to move the transmission of Big Brother to a more prominent slot in the Autumn.
Hopes: And while plans for the upcoming series are under wraps the TV producer admitted he hopes to convince narrator Marcus Bentley, who voiced all series of since its beginnings in 2000 with his distinctive Geordie drawl, to return (Marcus pictured)
‘This gives our viewers a whole calendar of big reality TV formats across the year.’
MailOnline understands that the show will still air on ITV2 and ITVX and casting for the civilian series is now set to be extended until the summer.
Big Brother started as a social experiment in 2000 – going on to become a firm fixture of popular culture.
Ordinary members of the public entered the iconic house, skyrocketing to fame as they were watched 24/7 by the British public. While a celebrity version of the show with famous housemates also ran from 2000.
Battle Royale: Emily Atack (left) and Vick Hope (right) are ‘in talks with ITV bosses as they battle it out to host Big Brother’s reboot when it returns to screens next year’
The experiment captured the hearts of millions, who could even tune in to the 24h live feed during the night.
It first aired on Channel 4 from 2000 to 2010 and was hosted by Davina McCall, 54, before it moved to Channel 5 until 2018 where it was presented by series two winner Brian Dowling, 43, and later Emma Willis, 46.
The show featured some iconic moments air over the years, with a staggering 3.5million people voting for Liverpudlian builder Craig Phillips from Seaforth, Merseyside to win the £70,000 prize in 2000 at the end of the first series.
It averaged at 5.8million viewers an episode by its third season – but figures dropped to just 2.9million an episode in 2009 thanks to competitions inspired by the very shows it spawned, such as The Only Way Is Essex.
In October it was claimed Emily Atack, 32, and Vick Hope, 33, are battling it out to host the show and have been in talks with TV bosses for several weeks, alongside fellow hopeful Roman Kemp, 29.
In with a chance: Roman Kemp has also met with ITV bosses however final decisions wont be made for a number of weeks
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