Channel 4: No Celebrity Big Brother in 2008

Channel 4 announced that it has axed the Celebrity Big Brother for 2008.

Channel 4: No Celebrity Big Brother in 2008 Channel 4 has scraped the plans for the 2008 "Celebrity Big Brother" the network announced today. "Our ratings will almost certainly continue to fall, but the alternative is more of the same and that is not what the channel is about," Director of Television Kevin Lygo said.

Channel 4 was forced to apologize this year for the racial row, after thousands of viewers complained after Indian actress Shilpa Shetty was repeatedly abused by fellow housemates. Channel 4 is also often accused of dumbing down its content and rumours circulate that the government may sell it.

"If we wanted to take the easy path we'd re-commission all of these shows and we'd probably do two series of Celebrity Big Brother if ratings were all we were after. These are the decisions of a public service broadcaster in search of the new and the exciting," Channel 4 head of programmes Julian Bellamy said.

Meanwhile Big Brother 8 continues to sole ratings, compared to the previous edition of the show. Betting on BB*, however, continues to chase records, Britons could wager on the show at the UK licensed online website Bet 365.

Published on 08/24/2007