Celebrity Big Brother (British TV series)

Celebrity Big Brother is a British reality television show adapted from the Dutch format *Big Brother*, which was devised by producer John de Mol Jr. in 1997. The series originally ran from 9 March 2001 until 10 September 2018, then returned on 4 March 2024. In each edition, celebrity contestants—referred to as housemates—live in a specially constructed house, cut off from the outside world. Viewers vote each week to evict one housemate, and the last remaining contestant is declared the winner. The programme’s title comes from the fictional figure in George Orwell’s 1949 novel *Nineteen Eighty-Four*.

The show began as a one-off spin-off of the original *Big Brother UK*, premiering on Channel 4 on 9 March 2001. Its first series was successful, leading to a second series the following year. After a two-year gap, it returned in 2005 and 2006. The fifth series in 2007 sparked major controversy, and the show did not air in 2008. It came back in 2009, but Channel 4 cancelled both *Celebrity Big Brother* and the main series after the seventh series in 2010. Channel 5 then picked up the programme, and it returned in 2011. From 2012 to 2018, two editions aired each year—one in January and one in August, after the civilian series ended. Davina McCall MBE hosted from the start until Channel 4 dropped the show. When it moved to Channel 5, McCall declined the role, and Brian Dowling—winner of *Big Brother 2* and *Ultimate Big Brother*—took over for series eight through eleven. Emma Willis then hosted from the twelfth series until Channel 5 cancelled the show after the twenty-second series. For the relaunch on ITV in March 2024, AJ Odudu and Will Best became hosts from the twenty-third series onward. Marcus Bentley has narrated every series since 2001.

Like its parent show, *Celebrity Big Brother* achieved commercial success and attracted heavy media coverage. It featured in spin-off programmes such as *Big Brother’s Big Mouth* and *Big Brother’s Bit on the Side*, which also covered the main series. The show has generated controversy and criticism, most notably during the 2007 series. In response, a spin-off called *Big Brother: Celebrity Hijack* aired in 2008 in place of the celebrity edition. Many celebrities who appeared on the series gained greater media prominence afterward.