The upcoming summer series of Big Brother UK 2018 is allegedly going back to basics to prevent the show from being axed, it has been claimed.
According to the Daily Star, show bosses are going to be returning the show back to its social experiment days and move it from its typical reality show format.
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“The problem is they’ve had the same producers since the beginning and they have just found themselves in a rut,” a source told the tabloid. “They have let the desire for drama take away from the science experiment aspect people loved.”
Ever since Channel 5 took over the show, there has been an outcry from diehard fans that the format had died due to lack of live feed and producers choosing the ‘scripted reality show’ route over the true elements of Big Brother.
Well, it looks like show bosses are finally listening.
“Execs plan to restrict producers from ‘overproducing’ and want to let the characters unfold naturally rather than forcing them to do so with manipulative tasks,” the source added.
“There will be far fewer tasks this time around. They want it to be a true social experiment because they realise they have lost that element along the way.”
When the show first launched back in 2002, housemates did not have the luxury of washer and dryer and had to look after their own chickens in the backyard. Host Emma Willis said recently she would love to see the show return to its roots.
“I would go back to basics. I’d strip it all out and make it like series one and make them bake their own bread, use a mangle and look after chickens in the garden to get their eggs,” she said.
The news comes amid ongoing contract negotiations between Channel 5 and Endemol Shine to renew the current contract which will expire at the end of the year. The most recent report was C5 was looking to axe the ‘civilian’ version of the show and just keep the celebrity version.
Big Brother returns to Channel 5 for its 19th civilian series and a celebrity series to follow that this summer.
