‘Celebrity Big Brother’ will return to screens on August 16.
Channel 5 bosses made the decision earlier this year to delay the start date of the summer all-star series in order to avoid a ratings war with fan-favourite ‘Love Island’ on ITV2 but, now that the dating show is done and dusted for another year, producers have confirmed a new batch of celebrities will return to the house in two weeks’ time.
A teaser video, shared on the show’s official social networking sites, warned that a "storm is coming" followed by the tweet: "SEVERE WEATHER WARNING! We know it usually rains on Launch Night, but you’ll need more than a brolly for this storm! CBB kicks off on 16th August, 9pm on @channel5-tv. (sic)"
Details on who will be entering the infamous abode are being kept tightly under wraps for the time being but Channel 5 previously teased that it will be dramatic.
The statement released a few weeks ago said: "All of the celebrity names entering the house will have been caught up in their own media storm."
The forthcoming series – which has the Eye of the Storm theme this year – will once again be hosted by Emma Willis, while Rylan Clark-Neal will present the spin off.
Producers are determined to pull out all the stops this summer by getting a good line up and making new games following a drop in ratings over the past few years.
But if the show – which has ran for 17 years – doesn’t manage to up its game this time around, there may be no other option than to pull the plug on it for good.
A source said recently: "There have been conversations between the execs about not renewing the contract for both ‘Big Brother’ and ‘Celebrity Big Brother’. It would be the end of an era but they feel the time is right to end. There is still time for the bosses at Channel 5 to change their mind but it is not looking likely. Even if they drop it, another channel or a streaming service may decide to pick it up in the future."
Celebrity Big Brother to return on August 16
