Big Brother is back, and the premiere was a huge success for the ITV relaunch, with a tremendous crowd seeing the brand new housemates make their debuts.
Last night’s episode saw 16 aspiring competitors entering the famed home to begin their travels on the reality competition.
On the first show, hosts AJ Odudu and Will Best presided over the proceedings, with tension building, tears streaming, and excitement building.
The viewing stats for the show’s comeback after a five-year hiatus have already been announced, and fans’ enthusiasm for the show hasn’t wavered.
According to the BBC, more than 2.5 million viewers tuned in to see what was going on in the Big Brother House.
This was a significant increase when compared to another ITV show, Love Island, which only drew 1.3 million viewers on TV this summer, with an extra 400,000 on streaming.
Meanwhile, the last season of the dating programme, which aired in January, averaged just 1.2 million viewers.
The watching ratings for Big Brother 2023 were the highest in more than a decade, with the show apparently attracting 2.7 million people in 2012 and 2.6 million the previous year.
Only 0.9 million people watched the first episode of the season in 2018, the final year the reality programme aired before it was cancelled.
Big Brother began aired on Channel 4 in 2000 and continued until 2010.
From 2011 until 2018, it aired on Channel 5, when it was announced that it will be cancelled, much to the chagrin of fans.
A 5 spokesperson for the broadcaster said at the time: ‘The forthcoming series of Big Brother will be the last – of either celebrity or civilian versions – on Channel 5.
‘We’d like to thank Endemol and all of the production team who have worked tirelessly to make the show a success.’
However, many viewers were elated by Big Brother’s return last night, hailing it as a huge return to form for the show.
‘Someone’s crying and another has had their suit case blown Big Brother is back babyyyyyyy #BBUK,’ one person wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
‘That was everything. That five year break did #bbuk the world of good and and the casting was so spot on that we’ve already had drama, tears and some good LOLs. As a lifelong fan I don’t think I could ask for more,’ another said.
Big Brother returns tonight at 9pm on ITV2 and ITVX.
