Celebrity Big Brother Suspended for Two Years Amid ITV Star Signing Crisis

The Uncertain Future of Celebrity Big Brother

Celebrity Big Brother, a long-standing staple of British television, has reportedly faced a significant setback. The reality show is said to be taking a lengthy break, with no plans for it to return to screens for nearly two years. This unexpected hiatus comes as the show struggles to secure high-profile participants, raising questions about its future.

The most recent series of Celebrity Big Brother aired on ITV in April last year, with Coronation Street actor Jack P Shepherd winning the competition. However, the return of the show has been repeatedly delayed, with current estimates suggesting that it may not make a comeback until at least 2027. Despite this, the show was expected to continue its tradition of airing in March or April, but it now appears that it will have to wait until late 2026.

Fronted by AJ Odudu and Will Best, the format was initially planned to move to ITV2, but this change did not seem to alleviate concerns among producers. A source told The Sun: "Despite announcing the programme was moving from ITV1 to sister channel ITV2, fans were still expecting another series this year." The source added that executives had confirmed the show would not return to its usual air date, which had been in March or April for the past two seasons.

This extended break is seen as unusual for a major ITV show, and it has sparked speculation about the long-term viability of the celebrity version of the program. The show has struggled to attract enough viewers, despite featuring well-known names such as JoJo Siwa, ex-EastEnders star Patsy Palmer, veteran actor Mickey Rourke, former X Factor judge Sharon Osbourne, and ex-Love Islander Chris Hughes.

An ITV spokesperson told The Daily Mail: "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."

Similar challenges have been faced by other ITV programs. For example, Dancing on Ice was paused for this year due to declining ratings and rising production costs, particularly in relation to celebrity fees. In March 2025, ITV announced that the Sunday night show hosted by Holly Willoughby and Stephen Mulhern had been "rested" with "no current plans for another series." This decision meant that the ice-skating competition, which started in 2006, will not celebrate its 20th anniversary this year.

This is another blow for the channel, which also canceled the civilian Big Brother's Late & Live spin-off just two years after its launch due to poor audience reception. At the end of last year, a source 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 insider revealed that those who worked on the show were "quietly" informed of its demise, with many freelancers being told not to expect the show to return. While the axing was described as "a shame," it was acknowledged that every show must eventually come to an end.

It has also been suggested that the show's live format has contributed to its struggles, as many fans have shifted to watching the show on ITVX. Since its debut in 2000, Big Brother has remained a popular reality TV show based on George Orwell’s surveillance novel 1984. At its peak in 2002, the finale attracted a staggering 10 million viewers.