[Amy]

Celebrity Big Brother: Channel 4 will hoping to find stars who will prove as popular as Bez

Celebrity might be a tarnished programme format nowadays, but that has not stopped Channel 4 from recommissioning another series of Celebrity Big Brother.
Despite the failure of several celebrity formats on ITV, Channel 4 will screen another series of the celebrity version of the reality programme, early next year.

"At this stage we are happy to confirm that Celebrity Big Brother will return in January next year," a Channel 4 spokesman said.

TV programmers have done their best to avoid mention of c-word recently, with Sky One hastily renaming the Celebrity Cup, its celebrity version of the Ryder Cup tournament screening over the August bank holiday, the All Star Cup.

While ITV suffered two ratings misfires this year with Celebrity Wrestling and Celebrity Stitch Up, its much maligned Celebrity Love Island was effective in denting the popularity of Big Brother 6 in May and June when the two programmes were up against each other.

The island reality programme was one reason that made Big Brother 6 the lowest rating series so far, with viewing figures around 16% down on last year's run.

But when Channel 4 screened Celebrity Big Brother in January, it was a success for the network.

Along with US drama Desperate Housewives, it helped to get Channel 4 off to a flying start in January, boosting the network's audience share by nearly 12% compared with the start of 2003.

Channel 4 will hope for a similar success this time around, but it will be hard pressed to attract the most unlikely combination of stars such as feminist Germaine Greer, racing pundit John McCririck and Happy Mondays member Bez, that proved so attractive to audiences.

Article Media Guardian

[Lance]

Wooosh,something to look forward to,so starting after The X Factor and then not too soon after BB will be back.

[Siouxsie]