Big Brother final: Was it worth bringing the show back?
Big Brother winner to scoop £100,000
Big Brother returned to our screens after five years in a world where reality TV is more popular than ever but was it a success?
Press Box entertainment and TV PR, Lynn Carratt, said: "When Big Brother was at its peak in the early 2000s, it was a TV juggernaut, and there was no other show on TV like it - it was chaotic, unhinged and brought the drama daily.
"Now the return of Big Brother, after five years away, didn't exactly come back with a bang. The 20th series of the reality show launched on ITV1 and ITV2 to an audience of 2.5M viewers, and it was enough to deem it a success."
Of it's previous axing, she added: "As reality TV grew, so did the conversation around the duty of care of the participants on these shows, and many of the tactics Big Brother applied in the 2000s had to be re-evaluated and changed, and viewing figures began dropping off."
In this year's final, there is lovable posh food writer Henry, flamboyant lawyer Jordan, cute Yinrun, outspoken Olivia or beauty queen Noky. But what we all want to know is who will win Big Brother 2023? And was it worth bringing Big Brother back?
Ms Carratt added: "As this Big Brother series approaches the finals, it's safe to say it has provided its fair share of drama and controversy, and now there are just six contestants in the running to scoop the £100,000 cash prize. My money is on Yinrun to be crowned Big Brother champ."
Why did Big Brother return?
In a world where TV cuts are being made across the board, it is the reality formats that continue on an upward trend with the shows being rolled out to the masses.
This week it was revealed Married At First Sight UK gave Channel 4 its biggest ever streaming month as hordes of viewers tuned in to watch how the TV marriages play out.
Also in demand are celebrity docu-series and feature films that are taking streaming services by storm.
In recent weeks, we've seen Netflix’s Beckham, Sly with Sylvester Stallone, plus Robbie Williams, Disney+’s Coleen Rooney: The Real Wagatha Christie and more.
As reality TV is on the rise and clearly in demand, the PR guru lifted the lid on why ITV made the decision to revive Big Brother now.
Ms Carratt said: "With the recent success of reality shows like Race Across the World and Traitors - it made sense for ITV to reboot Big Brother, and it seems whilst critics might have been cynical about its return.
"The show appears to have found a whole new audience on ITV2 ITV, and now ITV have announced a Celebrity version for 2024."
Big Brother’s 2023 controversial moments
A show that has been known for its controversies, Big Brother has returned with plenty of drama from the housemates this year.
Big Brother has faced more than 1,000 complaints over behaviour and bullying allegations that emerged in the house.
Plus, there was an outcry from the public when NHS manager Kerry moaned about being in a higher tax bracket after Jenkin said he struggled living on £250-a-month.
There was outrage too when Dylan accused Noky and Trish of "Black on Black crime" for secretly voting for him but he later apologised.
Also Big Brother producers faced a scandal over historic tweets.
They launched an investigating into how Trish's historic offensive social media posts were not flagged before she joined the show.
After the tweets resurfaced, Trish apologised saying she was "deeply disappointed, embarrassed and ashamed" in a statement on X - formerly known as Twitter.
Celebrity Big Brother returns
However, overall the show has been a success.
On the back of Big Brother's reboot, TV bosses have already hatched plans for the return of Celebrity Big Brother in 2024.
PR mastermind Ms Carratt hailed Celebrity Big Brother promises to be "TV gold" as the stars will leave behind their luxuries for the fly-on-the-wall reality series.
If the stars prove popular in the house, it can give them a boost to their career in the limelight.
She said: "Celebrity Big Brother is often a runaway success; the likes of George Galloway, Vanessa Feltz, Gemma Collins, and Kim Woodburn have brought us truly iconic and outrageous moments over the years.
"And the new series is reportedly set to be no different; with casting already underway, the planned line-up is supposed to be TV gold.
"CBB is the perfect place for stars who are riding off the wave of a scandal or have something big happening in their lives. So it wouldn't surprise me if they have approached the likes of Phillip Schofield - who could be looking for a career resurrection."
TV bosses revealed Big Brother's success was behind the return of the celebrity version.
With the news of its return, Director of Reality Commissioning & Acquisitions and Controller Paul Mortimer said: "The reception from our viewers to Big Brother's return has been fantastic.
"We're therefore thrilled to announce that we'll be bringing our very own celebrity edition to ITV1 and ITVX next year. Casting is underway to find a new batch of famous faces who are sure to provide more iconic and unmissable BB moments."
CEO of Initial, Remarkable Entertainment and Znak TV, Natalka Znak added: “The launch series on ITV2 has been so much fun to make and we’re glad Big Brother has found a whole new audience on ITV2. It’s been a joy working with ITV and we’re excited to do it all over again and this time with celebrities and on ITV1.”
Big Brother's live final airs on Friday on ITV at 9pm
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