ITV bosses swoop to sign Rebekah Vardy, Sarah Ferguson and Louis Walsh for new Celeb Big Brother with £2m war chest
ITV bosses have amassed a £2million “war chest” to secure a sensational line-up of stars for the reboot of Celebrity Big Brother.
Execs want high-profile names for the show — previously on Channel 4 and Channel 5 — which will now air in a prime-time spot on ITV1 in March.
Among possibilities already touted are controversial Wag Rebekah Vardy and Prince Andrew’s ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York.
Another celebrity now said to be in talks to take part is former X Factor judge Louis Walsh.
Bosses hope he could make revelations about his days on the smash-hit talent show.
A TV insider said: “The team behind the programme are being clever about the kind of celebs they’re considering.
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“They don’t just want big names in there — they want stars who will bring something truly intriguing.
“Louis is just the kind of figure they want in the house — someone with serious life experience who not only has something to say, but isn’t afraid to say it.
“These characters have delivered some of the most outstanding moments of Celebrity Big Brother in the past and they’ll want to produce those again. That means they may need to splash some cash to secure the people they have their eye on — but it’s a worthwhile investment.
“They want this to be on a par with I’m A Celebrity, which has a similarly claustrophobic environment involving celebrities completing strange challenges under the glare of the public eye.”
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ITV bosses have put £2million into their casting pots before.
In 2022, I’m A Celeb… splashed just over £2million securing its line up, to include controversial former Health secretary Matt Hancock and singer Boy George.
Last year they coughed up a reported £1.5million just to land former Ukip leader Nigel Farage.
The 2023 reboot of Big Brother, hosted by AJ Odudu and Will Best, was considered a hit despite relatively small overnight viewing figures on ITV2.
However, the six-week series was streamed 38 million times, putting it in ITVX’s top five most streamed shows.
CBB’s comeback, which will also be fronted by AJ and Will, is expected to rack up even more streams and get higher viewing figures on the night it airs.
No housemates have been confirmed yet.
A CBB spokeswoman declined to comment.
