[James]

Daily Star today reports...

Show to start on Thursday 18th May.

Longest ever Big Brother UK - 13 weeks.

Sixteen housemates.

Trial-run of house started yesterday.

BIG BRO EARLY BID TO NICK RIVAL TELLY FANS

by PETER DYKE

BIG Brother 7 is set to start up early to get viewers hooked before the launch of rival telly shows.

The new series of Channel 4's smash hit will begin in three weeks on Thursday, May 18.

It will go on for longer than ever with even more housemates.

Traditionally, the spy-on-the-wall show kicks off at the end of May but teams of celebs headed by Robbie Williams, 32, and Gordon Ramsay, 39, battling it out on the pitch.

That will be followed by a week-long celebrity talent show X Factor: Battle of the Stars.

Stunts

A new series of Love Island in June is tipped to run for around eight weeks. BB7 will run for 13 weeks - the longest in Big Brother history and two weeks more than last year's show, won by Anthony Hutton, 24.

Sixteen housemates are expected to take part - more than ever before.

Yesterday, guinea pig contestants were put into the new-look BB house to spend five days trying out some of the tasks and stunts planned for this summer's series before the real housemates arrive.

Daily Star