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Richard Desmond is understood to be on the verge of signing a deal with Endemol to bring Big Brother to Channel 5.

It is understood that the commercial terms have been agreed leaving just the official final sign-off by both parties, which is expected within days barring any 11th hour hiccups, to seal the deal. Big Brother came to an end after 10 years on Channel 4 in September.


The Channel 5 owner resumed negotiations with the show's producer, Endemol UK, after they ground to an acrimonious halt last autumn.

Final details relating to the fine tuning of how the format will return to the screen are currently being hammered out. According to one source the new version will be on a smaller scale than the Channel 4 hit, but will have a longer run. On Channel 4 the series ran for up to 13 weeks each year.


"Endemol need the money, which is why they've done the deal, having broken it off before," said one source. "Executives are now down to final details but broadly they are there." Channel 5 and Endemol declined to comment.


There has been speculation that Davina McCall, the show's Channel 4 host, will return to the Channel 5 version.


Big Brother saw its popularity fade in recent years from its peak in 2002, when it was watched by an average of 5.3 million viewers and a record 9.2 million for the final, won by Kate Lawler. The final of last year's edition of the show, won by Josie Gibson, was watched by 4 million.


On Channel 4 the show's image never really recovered from the damage done by the Shilpa Shetty race row, which engulfed Celebrity Big Brother in January 2007, and declining audience numbers sealed its fate on the network.

However, the franchise could get a new lease of life on Channel 5.


The amount of programming airtime that Big Brother delivers, with spin-offs including Celebrity Big Brother, and the viewing numbers – even at the reduced level of its final years on Channel 4 – would boost Channel 5's viewing share.


"Channel 5's ratings are not great and Big Brother will really help them deliver, particularly given there is nothing on the schedule or seemingly in the works to produce such numbers," said a second source.


News of the agreement comes ahead of a relaunch of the channel on Monday that will include new on-air branding, a fresh look for 5 News, presented by new signing Emma Crosby, and celebrity magazine spin-off show OK! TV fronted by former Big Breakfast presenter Denise Van Outen replacing Live at Studio Five.


Big Brother can expect to receive blanket coverage in Desmond's newspaper and magazine empire, but it remains to be seen how much attention it will get elsewhere in the tabloid press, which has gone cold on the show in recent years.

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I don't much care which terrestrial channel has it, I would watch if they would make the format and the hms more in line with the first few series - more of an interesting sociological event than the media stepping stone it rapidly became.
We need more interesting hms, access to view them 24/7 with very little editing and it doesn't need to run for so long or with so many different hms.
10 weeks and a maximum of 14 hms is enough imo
FM
Reference:
But thats why most of us is here isn't it Issy? we are BB fans and want it back, not getting at you but that's why it's called a BB forum surely

Oh yes thats true Aimee but it did finish officially in the summer and yet most of us are still here so I think it evolved from being just a BB forum.

There is room for viewers and non viewers and if folk want it back then good luck to them.
I may get sucked in again anyway...
FM

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