Despite Big Brother having a funeral last year, it has now been confirmed that the show will definitely return this year on Channel 5, as expected.

Channel 5 have signed a two year deal with makers Endemol and first plan to screen a celebrity version sometime during the summer (reportedly sometime in August), followed by a non-celeb version shortly afterwards.

http://www.endemoluk.com/news/channel-5 ... er-signing

It's no big surprise as there had been rumours of Big Brother returning before it had even ended.

Exactly. The only question marks were whether or not it'd be all finalised in time for a series (or indeed two) to be made this year!

Great news for us hardcore Big Brother fans...yes it's still made by Endemol but now of course we have to worry how Channel 5 will fare...the ratings certainly won't be as high as before but they should still fetch a good amount to increase the viewing popularity of the channel

I said several months ago it would be bought by Channel five but no one believed me!

I think it was clear that Channel Five were interested by the fact that the gravestone said See you on the other side.

Exactly

Brian Dowling confirmed as main presenter

Emma Willis will host the spin off "BB: Bit on the Side"

No surprises there.

We all knew it was going to be these guys...there was no one else really that would have deserved it more after all!

The eye and one of the genuine teaser trailers

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVZJGgHRzBQ

Yep, I saw the first sting yesterday on Channel 5! It's getting ever closer!

Quite looking forward to this, however Big Brother kind of lost its appeal with me when they started trying to clash personalities. At the start it just seemed like they were picking ordinary people who then developed. I hope they go down that route again.

I agree with cookie. What people want is a group of people just like them, I think.

Having said that, no riff-raff. There should be a respect between everyone, you know, perhaps a group of people who grow to like each other and be friendly...but that's too boring now for most people...

I say, put Michael Barrymore on the celebrity version. Much misunderstood chap, and still quite funny, apparently. But then, they do have a swimming pool-type thing in the BB House, don't they?

..

As proved by BB4 in 2003.

I think they should have George Osbourne, Peter Sutcliffe, Jeffrey Archer, Michael Ricketts, Michael Barrymore, Neil Armstrong, Ronnie Corbett, David Icke, some lizards and a few others..

Michael Barrymore has been in CBB before.

And Neil Armstrong? Surely he's got to be in his 80's by now?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wI_eeFpvVoM

The new promo with the ex housemates

Hopefully now this will be the last we see of some of these hangers on, it's time for 5 to get fresh IMO

I think he's 80 now, yes. A spring chicken...oh, and I apologise for the list being all-male, that wasn't intentional. I'll add Floella Benjamin to spice it up.

And Sir Nicholas Winton. Now if you're looking for spring chickens...I'm sure 102 will do the trick

Latest rumours with under 2 weeks until the relaunch

Unconfirmed:

24 hour bar is going to be put in the house - http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tv/s150/cel ... r-bar.html

House is going to be something like the Playboy mansion - http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tv/s150/cel ... theme.html

Confirmed:

Kick off time is 18th August at 9pm

Worrying news for BB fans:

http://totalbigbrother.com/news/bb-crea ... n-debt.tbb

The diary room chair has been revealed

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tv/s150/cel ... cture.html

Live feed announcement still being delayed for some reson