UK TV Ratings: ‘Celebrity Big Brother’ Lands With 2.7M After Sharon Osbourne & Kate Middleton’s Uncle Enter The House

Max Goldbart

12 March 2024 at 5:28 pm·2-min read

Celebrity Big Brother returned for the first time in six years to 2.7M viewers last night, as Sharon Osbourne and Kate Middleton’s uncle entered the house.

The show was just ahead of the launch of the civilian Big Brother UK in October, which secured 2.5M viewers, according to Barb data supplied by overnights.tv.

More from Deadline

Celebrity Big Brother, which peaked with 3M, will now have the benefit of airing nightly on ITV main channel for the next three weeks in the primetime 9 p.m. GMT (1 p.m. PT) slot and be given a big push on streamer ITVX. The civilian Big Brother kicked off in the same slot in October but was then moved to ITV 2 and ratings naturally declined from there – averaging around 1M per night.

Revealed yesterday by hosts AJ Odudu and Will Best, Celebrity Big Brother contestants include Sharon Osbourne, Kate Middleton’s uncle Gary Goldsmith and former X Factor host Louis Walsh. Other celebrity housemates include Love Island UK Season 8 and contestant of The Traitors US Season 2 Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu, Coronation Street actor Colson Smith, Broadway star Marisha Wallace, The Real Housewives of Cheshire alum Lauren Simon, Netflix’s Heartstopper actor Bradley Riches and former This Morning co-host Fern Britton.

Last night’s show comfortably won the 9 p.m. slot, quadrupling BBC One drama The Way, but it was some way off being the top-watched broadcast of the day.

The Initial-produced Celebrity Big Brother is into its 23rd season in the UK and tends to run just after the civilian version.

Last night’s launch comes as British broadcasters reboot numerous shows with varying success. Survivor came back towards the end of last year on the BBC roughly in line with Big Brother and question marks remain over whether it will be handed a second series, but the BBC has had far more success with Gladiators, which has been landing millions of viewers per night on Saturday’s.

Best of Deadline

Yahoo Movies UK
What is going on with the Lord of the Rings film and TV rights?
Two new live-action films from Warner Bros., Prime Video's TV series, and an animated film based on J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle Earth are all in the works.
Yahoo Celebrity UK
What time does Doctor Who series 14 start on TV?
A brand new series of Doctor Who is set to materialise in May 2024 with Ncuti Gatwa’s new Doctor and Millie Gibson’s new companion Ruby Sunday.
Yahoo Movies UK
There's 'a lot of story to tell' in the Apes franchise before Charlton Heston original
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes director Wes Ball says the franchise has 'a long road ahead' of it, and plans are already in place for more sequels.
PA Media: Movies
Andy Serkis to direct new Lord Of The Rings film about Gollum
Sir Peter Jackson will serve on the film as producer.
Yahoo Movies UK
Owen Teague spent weeks walking like an ape after Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes director Wes Ball speaks to Yahoo UK about the blockbuster, and the lessons Andy Serkis taught him and the cast.
Yahoo Movies UK
How to watch Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
The apes reign supreme in new sequel Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes. Here's everything we know about it so far including its plot, trailer, cast and more.
PA Media: Movies
Ex-partners of Elizabeth Hurley support her son’s directorial debut at screening
Elizabeth shares son Damian with ex-partner Steve Bing, an American businessman.
PA Media: Movies
Kevin Spacey could face civil trial over sexual abuse allegation
‘The interests of justice require that those allegations go forward to trial,’ Judge David Cook said on Tuesday.
PA Media: Movies
The Idea Of You’s Nicholas Galitzine: I feel like a cut of beef at a meat market
The Cinderella actor said that it is important for him to be ‘taken seriously as a performer’.
Yahoo Movies UK
Ticketless fan not ‘ashamed’ of forcing his way into Euro 2020 final
Netflix documentary The Final: Attack on Wembley examines how chaos erupted in July 2021 before the Euro 2020 final between England and Italy.
Yahoo Movies UK
Why 1984 was one of the most fascinating years for blockbusters
From Gremlins and Indiana Jones to Prince and PG13, 1984 was the year that changed blockbuster cinema.
The Hollywood Reporter
South by Southwest Heading to London in 2025
South by Southwest is heading to London. The event, which bills itself as “the world’s leading festival celebrating the convergence of creativity, culture and technology,” is expanding with SXSW London in June 2025. The move gives SXSW, which was founded in 1987 in Austin, a presence in Europe. SXSW previously expanded into the Asia Pacific …
PA Media: Movies
Filmmaker Sir Ridley Scott to be honoured at Windsor Castle
Former England goalkeeper Peter Shilton and current Lionesses keeper Mary Earps will also be honoured.
PA Media: Movies
Phoebe Waller-Bridge connected with IF character who is ‘quite a panicker’
The film is from The Office star John Krasinski.
PA Media: Movies
Susan Buckner, who starred as Patty Simcox in Grease, dies age 72
The US actress is best known for playing the effervescent cheerleader opposite the late Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta.
Yahoo Movies UK
What happened at Wembley at the Euro 2020 final?
New Netflix documentary The Final: Attack on Wembley chronicles the chaos of the Euro 2020 final. But what actually happened during the event?
Evening Standard
The 30 best films to watch on BFI Player right now, from La Haine to Persona
Netflix and Prime aren’t quite hitting the spot? BFI Player has you covered
PA Media: Movies
Kevin Spacey wins bid to set aside High Court ruling in sexual abuse claim
The actor did not attend the hearing in London on Tuesday.
Yahoo Movies UK
Everything you need to know before watching Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
With Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes incoming, brush up on the whole ape-scapade so far, from Rise to Kingdom.
Yahoo Movies UK
When are all 8 Spider-Man films returning to UK cinemas?
Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield and Tom Holland's Spider-Man movies are returning to cinemas, and details of the their release in the UK has now been confirmed.

Latest stories