Celebrity Big Brother Fans' Excitement At Those Revival Rumours May Be A Little Premature

Reports claimed the reality show is about to be revived on its original network.
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Celebrity Big Brother fans were given news they’ve been waiting for since the show was cancelled on Sunday, with reports Channel 4 is in talks to revive it. 

However, it seems their excitement could be a little premature, as the channel has flatly denied speculation it is about to bring the show back. 

Reports first surfaced in the Daily Star Sunday, claiming the show’s former broadcaster was planning to revive the celebrity edition of the reality show, after it was axed by Channel 5 in 2018

The story claimed Celebrity Big Brother could be back on air as early as January 2021, with the tagline “Reborn” because it would feature a line-up of controversial stars hoping to change their public image.

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Davina McCall hosted Celebrity Big Brother from 2001 to 2010
Ian Gavan via Getty Images

Their unnamed source also claimed Channel 4 bosses were exploring the option of reviving the show with production company Endemol, as the network has been experiencing a run of low ratings.

The rumours obviously delighted hordes of Big Brother fans online...

While former contestant and Bit On The Side presenter Rylan Clark-Neal and the show’s narrator Marcus Bentley also shared their excitement...

Since then, however, a Channel 4 spokesperson has insisted the network has “no plans” to bring back either the celebrity or civilian edition of Big Brother. 

They said in a statement: “We have no plans to bring back Celebrity Big Brother or Big Brother to Channel 4.”

Big Brother first aired on Channel 4 in 2000, with Celebrity Big Brother following a year later.

The celebrity series was originally dreamed up as a charity special for Comic Relief, but went on to spawn seven series before Channel 4 axed Big Brother altogether in 2010.

CBB and its civilian equivalent were brought back by Channel 5 in 2011, before being cancelled again in September 2018. 

14 Most Underappreciated 'Celebrity Big Brother' Housemates
Stephanie Beacham(01 of14)
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Stephanie participated in the last Channel 4 series of 'CBB' in 2010, and was undoubtedly our favourite housemate for being low-key iconic. Whether it was taking a bath in her sunglasses, wrapping herself in faux-fur for the majority of her stay or her unlikely bond with the equally camp Ivana Trump, Stephanie deserved much more than to come fifth. (credit:Rex/Shutterstock/Channel 4)
Gareth Thomas(02 of14)
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Has there ever been a nicer person to grace the 'CBB' house than former rugby player Gareth? He was a rock for the majority of his housemates in 2012, and provided some calmness against a backdrop of the antics of Denise Welch, Michael Madsen and Frankie Cocozza. (credit:Rex/Shutterstock/Channel 5)
Ivana Trump(03 of14)
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The kooky former Mrs Donald Trump was a real character when she was incarcerated in the Borehamwood bungalow, and was up for anything, as this picture of her taking part in a life drawing class proves. Her constant mum dancing around the house had us in stitches, and her friendship with Ms Beacham was ultimate womance-goals. (credit:Rex/Shutterstock/Channel 4)
Leo Sayer(04 of14)
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Leo spent most of his 10 days in the 2007 'CBB' house being utterly miserable and flipping the bird at every camera that dared to film him. Eventually, it all became too much for him after a row with Big Brother over clean underwear and he broke out of the fire exit. An expletive-filled scuffle with security ensued, and while it was undoubtedly once of the most memorable back-door exits ever, we can only imagine what he would have gotten up to had he been talked into staying. (credit:Rex/Shutterstock/Channel 4)
Maggie Oliver(05 of14)
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Maggie never quite got the coverage she deserved when she appeared in the January 2018 series, and given her love of a white wine with Amanda Barrie and Wayne Sleep, we can't help but feel like producers robbed us of some classic scenes. Although, we will always be thankful for the moment Maggie got down to fellow housemate Ginuwine's song 'Pony'. (credit:Rex/Shutterstock/Channel 5)
Lionel Blair(06 of14)
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From his 'AM I YOUR BOSS?' rant at Luisa Zissman to his overzealous antics in the Over 18s room, Lionel caused quite a stir during his 15 days in the house, but failed to resonate with viewers becoming second to be evicted. (credit:Rex/Shutterstock/Channel 5)
Natalie Cassidy(07 of14)
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Part in thanks to Morgana Robinson, Natalie Cassidy has become a bit of a cult figure, but seemingly 'CBB' viewers didn't tap into her brilliance, as she was evicted mid-series in 2012. (credit:Rex/Shutterstock/Channel 5)
Lauren Goodger(08 of14)
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Can you name any other 'CBB' contestant who has been told off by Big Brother for drunkenly weeing in the pool? No? Thought not, hence why Lauren Goodger will always be among the most ridiculous housemates of all time. (credit:Rex/Shutterstock/Channel 5)
Liz Jones(09 of14)
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Given all of the things she's written in her Daily Mail column over the years, we expected to dislike Liz Jones when she took part in the 2013 series. And while on the whole, she was a bit of a nondescript character in the house, her secret task where she threatened to drown herself in the bath was a moment of sheer brilliance. (credit:Rex/Shutterstock/Channel 5)
Saira Khan(10 of14)
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Saira had a lot of BS to deal with during her time in the 'CBB' house back in 2016, mainly from Stephen Bear and Marnie Simpson. While we can understand the 'Loose Women' star didn't always express her point in the best way, she had a lot of valid things to say. (credit:Rex/Shutterstock/Channel 5)
Carol McGiffin(11 of14)
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Ah McGiff. Carol was one of the most memorable characters of the 2013 summer series thanks to her drunken antics. However, she failed to finish as highly as fellow 'Loose Women' star Denise Welch, which in our humble opinion was a complete travesty, especially when the person she lost out to was 'Geordie Shore' star Charlotte Crosby. (credit:Rex/Shutterstock/Channel 5)
Stacy Francis(12 of14)
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e always admired how former 'X Factor USA' contestant Stacy stood up for herself and others in the house, particularly against the acid-tongued Kim Woodburn. (credit:Rex/Shutterstock/Channel 5)
Jasmine Lennard(13 of14)
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Every series of 'CBB' needs a baddie, and 2013's came in the form of model and Simon Cowell's ex Jasmine. She was not afraid to stir things up in the house, but that didn't seem to win her many fans in there, as she found herself nominated and evicted first. Luckily, producers saw her brilliance and invited her back as a guest for the 'Timebomb' series in 2015. (credit:Rex/Shutterstock/Channel 5)
Casey Batchelor's mum(14 of14)
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OK, so Kim Batchelor may not *technically* have been a housemate, but in the short few minutes she was in the house, Kim delivered one of the moments of the series when she warned her daughter to stay away from troublesome Blue singer Lee Ryan ("He says one thing to your face... then he goes to the Diary Room and says you get on his tits"). Producers, if you are reading this, sign her up for a full series immediately. (credit:Channel 5)