Channel 5 has unveiled the eye logo for the new series of ‘Celebrity Big Brother’, which has had a radical makeover.
The motif has been completely changed, marking the first time a different template has been used since the show’s move from Channel 4 in 2011.
The new eye is more realistic than ones of previous years, and is based on a real human eye this time around.
Given Big Brother’s decline in ratings in recent years, this huge overhaul could indicate other big changes for ‘CBB’ when it returns to our screens in January.
We already know it will launch with an all-female line-up (how very ‘BB8’), but we’ve looked deep into the new eye to see what else it suggests to expect from the new series...
A back-to-basics approach
Not since the very first series has the ‘Big Brother’ eye been based on a human one, and its return to this format could point to the show’s return to its roots - meaning none of the theme-heavy aspects and ridiculous twists and turns that have dominated the Channel 5 years.
A real social experiment
As part of a back-to-basics approach, we could also see the show become a true social experiment once again.
Since inheriting ‘Big Brother’ in 2011, Channel 5 has made no secret of the fact they viewed it as an entertainment format, rather than the surveillance show it began as.
But after Endemol boss Peter Salmon admitted it had to change in order to survive, it looks likely they could look to the past for influence.
Introducing a line-up of all-female housemates to see how they interact is certainly a good starting point, but we wonder whether it will also herald the return of the physiologists, who featured in first few years on Channel 4.
A broader mix of housemates
Interestingly, the logo does not feature the traditional star that usually sets apart the celebrity series from the main one. This could indicate we won’t just be seeing the usual mix of reality stars and singers from yesteryear, with housemates coming from a more diverse background.
A press release bosses sent out ahead of the eye’s release also hinted at this with the inclusion of anyone from “politicians to performing artists”.
A slicker and more simplistic house
The theme and colour of the ‘BB’ eye usually give us a good indicator of what the interior of the house will look like.
Last year’s January house was as much of a headache as the logo. If we work off the same basis, the new series should see the Borehamwood bungalow boasting a futuristic and minimal look, with sleek, clean lines - a big departure from the sets of more recent years.
The females will be the boss
While we know the series will initially see an all-female house to celebrate 100 years of women’s suffrage, male celebrities will still enter as the series goes on.
However, the logo strongly hints it will be the women who hold the power in the house, but how will this affect the dynamic of the group?