ITV has reportedly delayed its revival of Big Brother by around six months.
The much-loved reality show is returning for a new six-week run on ITV2 and ITVX next year - five years after it last aired on Channel 5 - and had originally been expected to start in March, directly after the winter edition of Love Island comes to an end.
According to The Sun, however, the broadcaster has now decided to delay the launch until autumn 2023 in order to give it the best chance of ratings success - with the show instead potentially starting when the summer Love Island concludes.
"Big Brother was originally touted to be back early next year but now it's going to be on far later," a source told the newspaper.
"Fans can expect it to air in the Autumn as ITV have such a packed schedule.
"As well as two series of Love Island, they also have the I'm A Celebrity All Stars special in South Africa to go out.
"And that's not forgetting their other major flagship shows like The Masked Dancer and The Masked Singer.
"ITV wants to make sure Big Brother gets the fanfare it deserves and the space it needs in the scheduling to flourish.
"It will be given a prominent spot in Autumn and will air on both ITV2 and ITVX to give it a bigger launch platform."
ITV has yet to decide on a host for the new series, with the likes of Roman Kemp, Vick Hope and Emily Atack all thought to be in the running.
Neil Wilkes
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