NEW BIG BROTHER IS FACING THE AXE
Bulldoze fear over iconic reality house
BIG Brother bosses are worried they will have to demolish their iconic TV house after two planning applications for the site were thrown out.
Channel 5 bigwigs had hoped to keep the structure and surrounding set-up at Elstree Studios until September 2019.
But planning officers at Hertsmere Borough Council threw out the proposal, calling it unsuitable.
And producers are now having to rewrite their plans for future shows before they are forced to dismantle the set. A council spokesman explained: “The plans have been returned to the applicant. They have been rejected. It wasn’t suitable.”
The first submitted application was to allow for the Big Brother building with acoustic and visual screening to remain in place until September 2019.
And a second plan allowed for an additional production set and studio to also be kept at the Hertfordshire site until the same time.
A spokesman for the show did not respond to a request for comment last night.
Courtney Act, real name Shane Jenek, won the latest celebrity series of the show in January, beating politician Ann Widdecombe in the final. But the show’s conclusion was watched by a paltry 1.5million viewers. And last summer’s show, won by Girls Aloud member Sarah Harding, was only slightly higher at 1.6million.
This summer’s series, feared to be the last ever if ratings slump further, has been delayed until the end of August so it does not clash with ITV2’s Love Island. An insider explained: “They have revamped the casting team behind the scenes in a bid to shake things up in terms of casting new housemates. The show won’t start until the end of August at the very earliest.”
This summer’s series, hosted by Emma Willis, left, could also be the longest in the show’s history, with potential housemates being told to leave at least 12 weeks free.
The current longest run was in 2007 when it stretched to 13. But this year’s could be as many as 14.
Producers fear it could be the last and want it to go out with a bang. A source said: “They are saying it could be the longest series and they are making people aware that a 14-week stretch in the house is possible.”