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Big Brother’s Late & Live spin-off has been axed by ITV two years after its launch after failing to win over audiences.
Hosted by AJ Odudu and Will Best, the show has not been able to attract enough viewers, despite featuring the likes of JoJo Siwa and other popular housemates as guests.
It’s also been suggested that the show’s live format has been part of the issue after so many fans switched to watching the show on ITVX.
An insider told The Sun: ‘Big Brother in general has struggled this year due to fierce competition from the likes of Celebrity Traitors.
‘Late & Live has really struggled due to the main show not doing as well as hoped.
‘Over the past few weeks whispers have been rife that the show would be axed and then during the final week it was an open topic on the studio floor.’
Big Brother’s Late & Live spin-off has been axed by Channel 4 two years after its launch after failing to win over audiences
It’s been suggested that the show’s live format has been part of the issue after so many fans switched to watching the show on ITVX
The insider revealed that those who worked on the show were ‘quietly’ informed of its demise.
They said: ‘Bosses have quietly told staff, many of whom are freelancers, not to expect the show to return.’
The insider admitted that while the axing was ‘a shame’, every show must eventually come to an end.
Big Brother first hit British TV screens way back in 2000, and the reality TV show based on George Orwell’s surveillance novel 1984 initially went down a storm with viewers.
At its peak in 2002, the finale attracted a whopping 10 million viewers.
According to the insider, ITV is still committed to the main show and believes that it has the perfect presenters in AJ and Will.
Big Brother has arguably found a new audience thanks to the rise of streaming platforms and has a whopping 150 million streams on ITVX.
Late & Live’s lack of popularity was arguably reflected by its IMBd page, where it was given an average rating of 5.5 out of 10 from just 54 reviewers.
Hosted by AJ Odudu and Will Best, the show has not been able to attract enough viewers, despite featuring the likes of JoJo Siwa and other popular housemates as guests
According to the insider, ITV is still committed to the main show and believes that it has the perfect presenters in AJ and Will
Viewers of the show took to The Big Brother UK Group on Facebook to express their lack of interest in the main, civilian edition of the show.
They wrote: ‘Really disappointed with Big Brother, thought when it was brought back it was going to return to its original roots, looks like they have returned it to before it got cancelled.
‘Real shame got a feeling this might be last again, lots of people I know are switching off or have already done so [sic].’;
‘It’s rubbish now.’;
‘Its getting to PC now, its ruined, im glad i watched the original series back in the day [sic].’
The axing comes after an audience member on Late & Live shocked the studio after making a ‘completely unacceptable’ remark about controversial housemate Caroline Monk.
In the episode, Caroline, 56, had emotional after her mum warned her about her fellow housemate Teja in a call from home.
When asked if they had any sympathy for the PR executive, an audience member in the front row said: ‘Her parents are going to die next week so she needs to see them before that.’
In response to the comment, the audience immediately gasped and an outraged AJ said: ‘No, no, no – I’m not putting that out there.’
Big Brother itself is set to return at an unconfirmed date in 2026 on ITV and ITVX.
