‘Big Brother UK’ could be getting a major expansion when it returns this fall.
According to The Sun, ITV bosses are exploring plans to extend the civilian series by an entire week, bringing the total run to a whopping eight weeks. The move comes as the celebrity edition faces uncertainty, with sources suggesting it may be pushed back to 2027 due to budget constraints and difficulty booking big-name housemates.
An insider told the outlet:
“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 source added that the civilian version is significantly cheaper to produce than the celebrity spin-off, making the extended run a worthwhile investment. The 2025 series already set a record as the longest civilian run on ITV at 48 days, crowning 60-year-old Richard Storry as the show’s oldest-ever winner.
Hosted by AJ Odudu and Will Best, the show has amassed over 150 million streams on ITVX, with the last civilian series averaging one million viewers per episode across all devices. Applications for the 2026 series are now open, with prospective housemates being asked to commit up to eight weeks for filming.
An ITV spokesperson 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.”