[President]

BIG Brother was fighting for survival last night after its shock ratings slide.



The Channel 4 reality TV show is averaging just 2.4 million viewers a night. That is almost million down on last year.

And that's half the average number of viewers who tuned into Big Brother 3 featuring the late Jade Goody (5.8m) and Big Brother 5 which was won by trans-sexual Nadia Almada (5m).

Last Saturday the show hit an all time low. The episode drew the lowest-ever ratings for a Big Brother episode - 1.6 million.

Even though the spy on the wall series has all the ingredients for a 'classic BB' - a romance between Sophie and Kris, a shock walk out by Saffia and a massive 'fight night' bust up - it hasn't attracted a huge following.

TV bosses claim that the figures for BB10 are still 'well above average' for a show airing on C4 at 10pm week nights.

They point out that other popular programmes broadcast at this time such as The Sunday Night Project and Wife Swap often get fewer viewers.

However they cannot deny that ratings are down. The average audience for last year's Big Brother 9 was 3.3m. The news will be a bitter blow for executive producer Phil Edgar Jones.

He fought hard to fend off reports prior to the show's launch on June 4 that Big Brother had had its day.

Edgar Jones, 40, said: "Everyone talks about it getting axed because ratings aren't as good as they used to be. "But it is still one of Channel 4's best performing programmes and fans love it.

"As long as it gets 3 million viewers a night, we'll be happy."

The dramatic fall appears to have come about by Channel 4's own hand.

They decided to axe the 24/7 'red button' live feed on E4 because it is too costly to run.

Fans have been in uproar over the move. Before the show started, they threatened not to watch BB10.

They claim the nightly highlights shows on C4 do not give 'a true picture' of housemates because of the way they are edited. BB fans reckon they were able to see the contestants in their true light on the live streaming.

And judging by the fall in ratings, it seems they have carried out their vow to switch off.

Even the meagre live feed which is broadcast on E4 every night has been a disaster in terms of content.

The footage starts at around 11.30pm and sometimes as late as 1am. By the time it comes on air, the only 'action' TV viewers get to see from the BB house, are housemates retiring to bed or worse still already asleep.

The show's official web site - which was meant to have been upgraded with lots of more news and video clips to appease fans who wanted the live feed - has been a flop.

The web team are rumoured to work from 10am til 7pm.

That means fans have to wait for hours to learn about any stories happening in the house between 7pm in the evening and 10am the next morning.

As a result, after just two weeks on air, ratings have plummeted.

Saturday's highlights show drew just 1.6 million. Those the lowest-ever viewing figures for an episode in Big Brother in its nine year history.

The previous lowest rated show was during BB4 - the series won by Cameron Stout, 38.

One of the shows - which went out in July 2004 - grabbed 1.7 million. Last night a Channel 4 spokeswoman said: "We are less than two weeks into the run of BB10 and are averaging 2.5m which is well above average for our 10pm slot. "Other than the news we are the most popular programme on at that time."

HOW THE RATING COMPARE BB10

The viewing figures so far (average and peak)

Day 1 5.1.m 5.4m
Day 2 3m 3.3m
Day 3 2.2m 2.4m
Day 4 2m 2.1m (Beinazir's eviction)
Day 5 2m 2.2m
Day 6 2.2m 2.3m
Day 7 2.4m 2.8m
Day 8 2.2m 2.3m
Day 9 2.8m 2.9m and 2.1m 2.2m (Sophia's eviction)
Day 10 1.6m 1.8m
Day 11 2.2m 2.3m
Day 12 2m 2.1 m
Day 13 2.2m 2.2m

Total average to date: 2.4 million (Channel 4 claim it's 2.5m if you add on the viewing figs from Channel 4+1 station)

How BB10 fares against its predecessors (average ratings per series)

BB1 4.5m
BB2 4.5m
BB3 5.8m
BB4 4.6m
BB5 5m
BB6 4.6m
BB7 4.5m
BB8 3.8m
BB9 3.3m

http://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/view...-Big-Turn-Off/

[*mazedsalv**]

Well at least the Dialy Star are on our side about the LF being removed being stupid.

[vesavius]

I actually really like this article...

It seems to be written from a fans perspective...

Never thought I would say it, but well done Daily Star.

All they have to do is cover the real deeper reason behind C4 intentionally killing the show (it not being seen as fitting the stations 'vision' and 'DNA' etc by the top brass) and how they are willing the ****** fans off regardless, despite those same fans having made the channel millions over the past decade, and they would have a great story.

[Tom]

Theres so much that is factually incorrect in that article

[vesavius]

Originally posted by Tom
Theres so much that is factually incorrect in that article

This is BB AND the star we are talking about... I wasnt expecting much in the way of 'facts'

[rayheartbliss]

BB8 really did kill the show

i cant believe that this year's launch night got over 5m viewers
O.O

[=-Incognito-=]

It's okay for a bit of light reading. The real story is far more interesting.