BIG BROTHER: ITV REVEAL TWO SERIES COMMITMENT AND REASON BEHIND SCHEDULE MOVE

The Big Brother house has a brand new home, as the global television phenomenon makes its much anticipated return to UK television and moves to ITV2 and ITVX from this October.

Responding to questions by TV Zone at the Edinburgh TV Festival, ITV's head of Entertainment Paul Mortimer revealed: "Yes, we are committed to two series. It will be a hit. We are already in pre-production. It will be — honestly, it's looking fantastic. We've pretty much signed off on casting, they're building the house as we speak, it looks amazing...

"So we've got a six-week run coming up, that is our first for ray into it. It will be our first foray into it. The second question was about live streaming. I'm not sure how much. Someone else in the room might be answer this, but we have a ten o'clock show every night after the nine o'clock show, so two hours of Big Brother in the evening."

He continued: "A lot of us at ITV are Big Brother fans and a lot of us worked at Channel 4 when Big Brother was conceived and it was there for ten years, and all of that. I can't imagine that we are in it just to do two six-week runs across 23 and 24."

"The reason it moved, by the way, is a wholly legitimate commercial one. It was about a downturn in ad revenue in the first half. ITV1 is a responsible commercial broadcaster and plc. We have to make money out of our programming. The great thing about programming that is aimed at younger people, is they choose when to watch it."

A new cast of carefully selected housemates, from all walks of life, will take up residence in the world’s most famous reality TV home for up to six weeks, with cameras capturing their every move, and the nation following every twist and turn.

Produced by Initial (part of Banijay UK) BigBrother first launched on UK screens in 2000. The action will all play out under the roof of the iconic Big Brother house, located at The Garden studios in London, which will be given its own contemporary new look ready for this reimagining of the show.

Big Brother launches this Autumn on ITV2 and ITVX.