Big Brother will be back this weekend, and ITV’s second round could consider making a few changes to up the ante.
Last year, the OG reality show made its triumphant return with a brand new broadcaster, after five long years off UK screens.
There were many things that the reboot managed to get right on the first swing, leading to 70 million streams on ITVX and a revival which well and truly satisfied the fiercely loyal fandom.
What always made Big Brother so entertaining was its ability to cast normal people, and not stereotypical reality stars. Jordan Sangha – a sarcastic 26-year-old lawyer from Scunthorpe – clinched the victory so we’d say they nailed that one.
The selection of housemates was the best it had been since the early days on Channel 4 and there were dynamics – good and bad – we lived for.
Kerry Riches and Farida Khalifa rubbing each other up the wrong wayin a matter of days was reality TV perfection, while Jordan and Henry Southan’s friends-to-lovers storyline could have been lifted straight out of a rom-com.
And then hosts AJ Odudu, 36, and Will Best, 39, did an excellent job continuing the impeccable work of Davina McCall, Brian Dowling, and Emma Willis.
But of course, there is always room for improvement, and these are the changes that could help the series continue on an upward trajectory…
Make the launch show live
The chaos of opening night was really what made it beautiful. When the launch episode was live on Channel 4, and then Channel 5, there were often mishaps, missed autocues, and housemates hogging the microphone.
In ITV’s first Big Brother, they decided to play it safe with a pre-recorded episode.
We’re pleased to report they have since paid attention to viewers’ requests and are already committed to making it live – something they previously roadtested on Celebrity Big Brother.
The decision feels nostalgic for the iconic series of years gone by, which will be an extra treat for their long-term fans. Plus, the live element makes it feel even more like appointment viewing and is likely to encourage more people to tune in when it airs rather than catch up.
Include more age diversity
Out of the 16 housemates cast in last year’s series, only four were older than 30 – Trish Balusa, 33, Dylan Tennant, 39, Kerry, 40, and Farida, 50.
It would be nice to see a few more contestants who aren’t in their twenties wreaking havoc in the house. It’s not just us, Will has also shared his desire to see more housemates in their thirties. We say, why stop there? Let’s make things more interesting, and chuck in the forties, fifties, sixties and beyond.
Not only do they bring more life experience, but they are often more sure of who they are. In addition, it’s interesting to see how different generations interact.
Perhaps most importantly, more viewers will feel like they see people who resemble themselves represented.
Give the shopping tasks a glow-up
To determine how much money they have to spend on groceries each week, the housemates have to complete the shopping tasks. If they pass, they are given a luxury budget, but if it is a failure, then they are stuck with a basic allowance.
Over the years, the themes have been extremely memorable and made the episodes sing. Davina, 56, previously called the team behind them ‘the heart of Big Brother’.
A standout task was Big Brother series three’s rich and poor week, which saw the house divided by bars, and the two sets having to live in completely different conditions. The tension escalated, and housemates staged jailbreaks.
In some cases, it is the simplest ideas that have the most legs, and making housemates live inside cardboard boxes for as long as possible certainly reached iconic status.
Who can forget when housemates were told to remain perfectly still, and not react to any distractions sent in during the celebrity version of 2014.
Casey Batchelor struggled to follow the rules when her mum told her: ‘He’s mugging you off, darling.’ She was referring to Lee Ryan, who was in a love triangle with Casey and Jasmine Waltz.
There was an attempt to reach the levels of yesteryear – special shout-out to Yinrun Huang in a big wig for a business-themed task – but there is definitely more that can be done.
The tasks would often last just one or two episodes, and it didn’t feel as if the housemates were having to work that hard. Increasing the toughness and length, while making the house whole-heartedly embrace a theme and suffer a little more, would only increase the drama.
Will has teased that producers could be ticking this box as they build on what was created.
‘I’ve been speaking to the members of the team and I think they’ve kind of raised the bar even further. I think this series, I think it’s been taken up a notch,’ he told the Daily Mail.
Get more past contestants on Late and Live
Big Brother has only been able to become such a phenomenon thanks to the personalities who temporarily give up their normal life to live with strangers in a house rigged with cameras.
In honour of their service, and so we can get greater insights into the behaviour of the new batch, it would be nice to see a few more of their familiar faces on the spin-off, Late & Live.
In the programme that airs directly after the main show, AJ and Will invite celebrity panellists to comment on the series. Rarely, have those asked to participate been alumni.
During ITV’s first series of Late & Live, only two of the guests were former stars, Kate Lawler (twice) and Megan Mckenna. Instead the likes of Rizzle Kicks’ Jordan Stephens, Dancing on Ice judge Oti Mabuse, and radio presenter Jordan North were regularly on the guest list.
We’d like to see people like Chantelle Houghton, Alison Hammond, Nadia Almada, Aisleyne Horgan-Wallace, and Brian Belo giving their two cents.
Big Brother returns to ITV2 and ITVX at 9pm on October 6.
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