Celebrity Big Brother pushed back as ITV reshapes 2026 schedule
The next series of Celebrity Big Brother will not air in it’s traditional Spring slot in 2026 and has been pushed back as ITV reorganises its 2026 schedule. Despite rumours of a return in the early months of next year, the broadcaster has now clarified that Celebrity Big Brother will now air at a later date, with the show still firmly part of ITV’s long-term plans.
Big Blagger understands that the next series of the celebrity edition may not air in 2026 at all and not return until 2027.
In a statement issued to Big Blagger, 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 having recently hit 150 million streams on ITVX.”
While ITV has not confirmed a transmission date, Big Blagger understands that the shift is linked to a packed slate of major reality and entertainment commissions already locked into early 2026. With limited room in the schedule and a desire to give Celebrity Big Brother the space it needs to perform, ITV is opting to move the series to a later slot next year or even postpone the next series to 2027.
Importantly, this is not a cancellation – far from it.
Celebrity Big Brother remains a key part of ITVs reality offering. Big Blagger understands that the Celebrity edition will indeed move to ITV2 when it does return, as ITV deem the channel to be the natural home for the series, where the core Big Brother audience lives and where the franchise has delivered strong digital performance. The success of the 2024 and 2025 editions, capped by Big Brother surpassing 150 million streams on ITVX has reinforced ITV’s long-term confidence in the format.
The decision to delay rather than drop the series shows ITV is prioritising giving the show the right moment to shine, rather than rushing it into an overcrowded schedule. With the franchise performing strongly across linear and streaming, Celebrity Big Brother remains one of the broadcaster’s key reality brands moving forward.
As always, Big Blagger will bring you the latest as soon as ITV confirms the new schedule.
