[JohnnyBB]

The odds on Big Brother being axed from British screens have shortened after Australian TV chiefs pulled the plug on the reality TV show.

Big Brother has been pulled from the Australian schedules by Network Ten seven years after it began there.

The current series, which featured a surprise appearance from Pamela Anderson, will be the last when it ends later this month.

Former Baywatch star Anderson, 41, was flown into the house last week in an apparent attempt to revive the show's flagging ratings.

Ten programming head David Mott said of the decision to axe the series: "After eight successful seasons and 1,316 episodes, Ten has announced that Big Brother will not be returning in 2009. We are immensely proud of the show and the incredible success it has enjoyed. We're ending the season on a high.

"Big Brother is the undisputed grand-daddy of modern, commercial reality television in Australia. Today's reality dramas have all, on some level, been inspired by Big Brother," he said. "The show has taken on topics of race, sex, homosexuality, eating disorders and alcohol abuse, many of which had been handled gingerly, if at all, on TV."

Big Brother originated in the Netherlands in 1999 and the UK version launched on Channel 4 a year later. In 2006, Channel 4 secured the rights to Big Brother until 2010 in a deal though to be worth up to £180 million.

But viewing figures have averaged 3.3 million in the current ninth series, 5% down from the 3.6 million this time last year.

Bookies have now slashed the odds for Big Brother to be axed in the UK following the ditching of the format in Australia from 16-1 to 8-1.

Ladbrokes spokesman Nick Weinberg said: "Big Brother's fall from grace down under demonstrates that everything has a shelf life. It suggests that the format is getting a bit tired."

[Sam1994]

Because it's already been done twice. Now they've got this "zero tolerance" thing going on, which is practically the same thing without twists.

[Fom]

Because I dont think ratings are bad?

[JohnnyBB]

Originally posted by Fom
Because I dont think ratings are bad?

Last year series average was 3.6, this years is 3.3 and going down.

[Sam1994]

It isn't going down, it's staying steady and it's getting gradually higher. And, it was only low at the start because of the last series, not because of this series. Stop complaining about every single detail of everything this series.

[Locke.]

The ratings have been going up. And anyway, if it stays above 3 million you have nothing to worry about.

[MarkWaldorf]

Just enjoy the show and ignore the ratingsssss. kk?

[Tom4784]

Channel 4 usually gets 1-2 million viewers with other programs, so 3 million nightly is amazing for them.

[xXEtchieXx]

Originally posted by Markus
Just enjoy the show and ignore the ratingsssss. kk?

Quote of truth.
All this ratings talk is bollox, let the producers and Endemol worry about that, just enjoy the show.

[Matt]

Even with only a 3.3 million average, it is still one of the - if not, the - highest rating show(s) on Channel 4.

[SamR]

Already been a thread on this, I made it

[bigbr0ther]

The problem is that every YEAR they say Big Brother will be evil and harder on the housemates than ever before... and then he NEVER is! Big Brother hasn't done anything evil this year, but they always say that he will. They need to actually follow through with the evil BB concept if they want ratings.

[MrGaryy]

I think BB has been evil-er than last yearr abyway. The Jail, the divide, the secret mission, pretty evil to me.

[JohnnyBB]

Monday highlights get 2.8m

[stonedape]

Originally posted by JohnnyBB
surely because raitings the first thing i would have thought of is go in the direcion of evil bb to pull back the raitings but i dont understand why producers never did this ? Help Us Were Sinking !!

3.3m is still a lot of people.

[Spike]

The show is still doing good, only coming behind BBC1 in its slot and getting more of the key audience than any other channel in its slot, the show must be making so much money and C4 cannot afford to lose it

Ratings are growing each week but they only show the impact of what 3 bad series has done to the brands. Which other shows could have 3 bad series and still be going?

and I can't see why the Australia version being axed would make a difference to the UK version getting axed. We get the story every few months and its not going to happen for at least another 2 years