There is set to be a new war of the reality TV titans, as it has been confirmed the launches of ‘Big Brother’ and ‘Love Island’ will go head-to-head in the schedules.
TV bosses have today (24 May) announced that both shows will return to our screens on Monday 5 June.
‘Love Island’ will air from 9pm on ITV2, but Channel 5 chiefs have been sneaky and scheduled ‘Big Brother’ at 8.30pm, giving it a half-hour head start over its rival.
The move from C5 chiefs comes after the last series of ‘Love Island’ began to overtake ‘Big Brother’ in the ratings towards the end of its run.
The 2016 series of ‘Love Island’ attracted an average of 1.47m viewers a night - up 900,000 on the previous series, which was the first of the revived version of the show.
Meanwhile, it has been reported ‘Big Brother’ has decided to drop its planned ‘pairs’ twist, which would have seen sets of housemates enter the famous compound together.
Instead, bosses are said to have opted to throw their weight behind the ‘Best Of British’ theme, which was revealed earlier this month.
Upon the unveiling of the Union Jack-themed eye logo, a spokesperson hinted the show would be returning to its social experiment roots with “a selection of people, from a range of backgrounds” entering the house.
“This summer, ‘Big Brother’ presents a must-watch culture clash of modern Britain,” they said.
“At a time of political upheaval and tough questions about unity in the UK, ‘Big Brother’ brings you an alternative look at Britain.”