Kevin Lygo Confirms Big Brother’s Future – But CBB May Switch to ITV2

Celebrity Big Brother is facing an overhaul, as ITV bosses admit that booking big-name stars has become increasingly difficult under current budget constraints.

Speaking at the Edinburgh TV Festival, ITV’s Managing Director of Media & Entertainment, Kevin Lygo, confirmed that both Big Brother and Celebrity Big Brother will continue on ITV beyond 2025, calling the franchise “a really crucial and important show” which “does a tremendous job for us.”

Lygo praised the series’ performance on ITVX, where it has become one of the streamer’s strongest titles, but hinted that the celebrity edition may not remain on ITV1. “Not on the proper [ITV1] channel for Celebrity Big Brother,” he suggested, indicating that a switch to ITV2 or ITVX is being seriously considered.

The controller acknowledged the challenges of securing high-profile names for a primetime slot, saying: “It is difficult to book big celebrities, which is what we need on the main channel. You can go more interesting and a bit more niche on ITVX and ITV2. Yes, it will be coming back.”

Despite these hurdles, ITV is committed to keeping both formats alive, with talks ongoing with production partner Endemol about costings and future scheduling. Plans are already in motion to expand and refresh the format ahead of its 25th anniversary, with the upcoming civilian series having a longer seven week run.

The celebrity series moving to ITV2 would also align it with the broadcaster’s youth focused and streaming first strategy.

Big Brother returns for its 22nd series September on ITV2 & ITVX.