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Celebrity Big Brother is reportedly set to be wiped from ITV’s Spring schedule in a further blow after the spin-off show was axed.
The star-studded version of the social experiment last aired in April, with Coronation Street star Jack P Shepherd emerging victorious.
But fans of the show will reportedly have to wait a little longer than expected for the next celebrity instalment.
According to The Sun, CBB will be returning in 2026 but it will air later in the year than usual to make way for other scheduled programmes.
A source said: ‘ITV has confirmed CBB and BB will both air in 2026 but it’s fair to say that news of it being shifted in the schedule for other programmes doesn’t exactly instil confidence.
‘Fans will fear it demonstrates a lack of commitment from ITV.
Celebrity Big Brother is reportedly set to be wiped from ITV’s Spring schedule in a further blow after the spin-off show was axed
‘But ITV insist that they love AJ Odudu and Will Best and that BB remains a priority reality format because of solid ratings and impressive online streams.’
A spokesperson for ITV 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 having recently hit 150 million streams on ITVX.’
The news comes just days after the civilian Big Brother’s Late & Live spin-off was axed by ITV two years after its launch after failing to win over audiences.
Hosted by AJ Odudu and Will Best, the show has not been able to attract enough viewers, despite featuring the likes of JoJo Siwa and other popular housemates as guests.
It’s also been suggested that the show’s live format has been part of the issue after so many fans switched to watching the show on ITVX.
An insider told The Sun: ‘Big Brother in general has struggled this year due to fierce competition from the likes of Celebrity Traitors.
‘Late & Live has really struggled due to the main show not doing as well as hoped.
The news comes just days after the civilian Big Brother’s Late & Live spin-off was axed by ITV two years after its launch after failing to win over audiences
‘Over the past few weeks whispers have been rife that the show would be axed and then during the final week it was an open topic on the studio floor.’
The insider revealed that those who worked on the show were ‘quietly’ informed of its demise.
They said: ‘Bosses have quietly told staff, many of whom are freelancers, not to expect the show to return.’
The insider admitted that while the axing was ‘a shame’, every show must eventually come to an end.
Big Brother first hit British TV screens way back in 2000, and the reality TV show based on George Orwell’s surveillance novel 1984 initially went down a storm with viewers.
At its peak in 2002, the finale attracted a whopping 10 million viewers.
Hosted by AJ Odudu and Will Best, Late and Live has not been able to attract enough viewers, despite featuring the likes of JoJo Siwa and other popular housemates as guests
According to the insider, ITV is still committed to the main show and believes that it has the perfect presenters in AJ and Will.
Big Brother has arguably found a new audience thanks to the rise of streaming platforms and has a whopping 150 million streams on ITVX.
Late & Live’s lack of popularity was arguably reflected by its IMBd page, where it was given an average rating of 5.5 out of 10 from just 54 reviewers.
Viewers of the show took to The Big Brother UK Group on Facebook to express their lack of interest in the main, civilian edition of the show.