Channel 5 can today announce that they have signed a new two-year deal with Initial, an Endemol company, for exclusive rights to broadcast Big Brother until the end of 2014.

The series has proven to be a huge ratings hit for the channel and a firm favourite with reality TV fans. Since Big Brother’s launch on Channel 5 in 2011, five million new viewers have come to the Channel 5 family.

The launch show of Celebrity Big Brother in August 2011 was the most popular commissioned show in the channel’s 15-year history. Celebrity Big Brother has averaged three million viewers during its two runs.

While Celebrity Big Brother was on air (2011 & 2012 series), Channel 5 was the most popular commercial channel amongst young people across the 9.00pm – 11.00pm slot. .

The first ‘classic’ series of public Big Brother (September 2011) averaged 1.7m over its 10-week run, with viewing to the 9-11pm slot increasing by 54% amongst 16-34 year olds.

In addition, during the traditional summer run of Big Brother this year, Channel 5 will also be airing a second celebrity series of 2012 following the ‘classic’ series. Brian Dowling will be returning to present the main live show.

Big Brother’s spin-off show ‘Bit On the Side’ will also be returning with host Emma Willis. TV’s most iconic voiceover artist Marcus Bentley will also be returning to report on the housemates’ antics!

Internationally 25 series of Big Brother were broadcast in 87 countries in 2011 and the format continues to be a breakout hit in the major markets including the USA, France, Italy, Spain, Germany, Latin America and in Central and Eastern Europe.

Jeff Ford, Director of Programmes, Channel 5 said: “We’re hugely excited to have secured the return of Big Brother for Channel 5 which will continue to form a key part our programming schedule. The show so far has captivated the energy and vibrancy of the channel and we are looking forward to continuing this successful relationship.”

Nick Samwell-Smith, Creative Director of Initial comments: “We are delighted with the success of Big Brother on Channel 5. The show continues to thrive and I’m thrilled to be renewing our partnership with the channel for another two years.”

Channel 5’s Head of Factual Entertainment, Steve Gowans, will oversee the new series of Big Brother.

The series will continue to be filmed in its original home of Elstree Film Studios, produced by Endemol UK production arm Initial.

The Gadget Show rebooted for 2012

Channel 5 today announced that The Gadget Show will return to our screens this Spring in a new, revamped format. The brand new series will take the show on the road, as presenters Jason Bradbury and Pollyanna Woodward travel the globe to test the latest in consumer gadgetry.

Each week The Gadget Show : World Tour will see Jason and Pollyanna undertake an international gadget road trip. From Abu Dhabi to Silicon Valley, from New York to Monaco, our pair of gadget experts will give their verdict on the very latest high-street tech, as well as stopping off to showcase more cutting-edge technology.

Ian Dunkley, Factual Entertainment Commissioner says, “After 16 successful series it felt time for the show to go global and have some more fun. Our love of gadgets remains undimmed, and now the testing will be bigger, better, and in more exotic locations.”

On its travels, the show will be visiting Japan, the USA, the Mediterranean, and the UAE to test the best smartphones, laptops, TV’s, gaming consoles and cameras on the market. In the first episode, the show lands in Tokyo in search of parts to build a winning robot for a robot fighting tournament.

NOTES TO EDITORS:

• Channel 5’s Commissioning Editor – Ian Dunkley
• Production Company – North One
• TX – April
• 16 Episodes
• Each episode is x1 hour duration

We’ve targeted the bad builders – now it’s time to round up the rest of the cowboys…

Today Channel 5 announced a brand new commission Cowboy Traders presented by consumer champions Dom Littlewood and Melinda Messenger.

For the past three years Channel 5 has exposed some of Britain ’s worst, most unscrupulous and incompetent Cowboy Builders, bringing them to the attention of the authorities and rebuilding the homes of the victims whose lives they’ve ruined. However, the building trade isn’t the only industry that needs cleaning up. From dodgy car dealers to unscrupulous bridal shop owners to fly-by-night property landlords, Britain is awash with dishonest tradesmen all too happy to take your money and run.

Dom Littlewood and Melinda Messenger join forces again to clean up Britain one rogue at a time. And this time, they’ll also be making sure the authorities are doing enough to protect the public.

Ian Dunkley, Channel 5 Commissioning Editor for Factual Entertainment said: ‘The series will expose some of the worst business practices in Britain, show the devastating effect these can have on ordinary families, and help put things right for the victims.’

In each episode Dom will focus his efforts on one new consumer area – from retirement homes to property rentals to personal transport. Dom’s mission is to investigate the tradesmen and women in question and meet the victims of their scams. He’ll use his trademark blend of detective work, investigative journalism and undercover filming before finally coming face to face with the cowboy for a personal confrontation.

While investigating the rogues, Dom will build up a body of evidence to hand over to the relevant authorities. He’ll also take a broader look at how badly regulated some industries are and look at what regulatory bodies like Trading Standards and other government organizations can do about the problem.

While Dom’s dishing out just desserts to the rogues, Melinda takes on the task of helping the victims who’ve been left heartbroken and out of pocket. She’ll devise, organise and deliver them some way of getting back what they paid for.

The series is produced by Ricochet and the Executive Producer for the series is Rob Butterfield. Cowboy Traders will air on Channel 5 in March 2012.

~End~

Note to Editors:

Channel 5 Commissioner: Ian Dunkley

Produced by: Ricochet

Executive Producer: Rob Butterfield

TX: March 2012

Format: 6 x 60 minute series

Last weekend saw the auditions for Big Brother 2012 kick off, the chance for the great British public to star on TV’s greatest reality show.  If you fancy trying out, here’s the details:

Got something about you that people love or love to hate? Feel like your personality is wasting away in the shadows? Got the goods that we want? Then you better get yourself to one of the following UK audition dates and prove it.
The excitement will be kicking off around the UK as follows:

Manchester: Saturday 11th and Sunday 12th February 2012
Manchester Central,
Petersfield,
Manchester,
M2 3GX

London: Saturday 18th, Sunday the 19th AND Monday 20th February 2012Wembley Stadium, 
Wembley,
London,
HA9 0WS
**Doors on Monday 20th will close at 2pm**

Glasgow: Saturday 25th February and Sunday 26th February 2012
Glasgow SECC,
Exhibition Way,
Glasgow,
G3 8YW.

All dates except for Monday 20th (as stated above) will operate with the following opening and closing times: Doors open at 8:30am and close at 5pm.

Everyone is welcome to audition, as long as you are 18 or over by 19th March 2012 and a resident or citizen of the UK and Ireland. Please bring photo ID to prove that you are eligible to audition.

Celebrity Big Brother presenter and Channel 5 talent Emma Willis, graces the Sun’s prestigious Fabulous magazine cover this week.  Shot just 6 weeks after giving birth, Emma insisted on leaving the images as they were, with minimal post production to show the real her.  She is currently fronting Big Brother’s A Bit On the Side show, every night on Channel 5.

“No one other than my husband would normally see this.” – Emma Willis

Soon to be cooking up a storm on Channel 5…..

Channel 5 today announced its first in-house produced series, Marco Pierre White’s Kitchen Wars.

The series will air this summer where the enfant terrible chef will use his exceptional culinary eye to sort through hundreds of couples in one of the country’s biggest ever cooking competitions. Starting on the streets of Britain with the Kitchen Wars’ mobile kitchen and building to an intense studio finale, it’s not just the famous Michelin starred chef who needs impressing; Marco will also ask members of the public to exercise their taste buds to help him find the victorious couple. That victor will be chosen from couples who run restaurants from across the breadth of the UK; from cafes to curry houses, from gastro pubs to greasy spoons. They’re competing for a place in a specially designed studio restaurant, where three kitchens will feed three sets of diners – all at the same time!  It’s not just about being a good chef; it’s about having the skills to run the best restaurant. Only one couple will triumph – So who will be crowned champion of Marco Pierre White’s Kitchen Wars?

Marco Pierre White says, “This is a very exciting new programme for me to be involved with because although I’ve been a chef, run restaurants and taught all manner of people how to cook, this is the first time I’ll be judging professional restaurateurs.  Really good restaurants balance great food with brilliant service and that’s all about the partnership between the chef and front of house.  That’s why a lot of restaurants are run by couples so I’m off on the road to find them.  The best will then compete in a specially designed space where they’ll run their restaurants, side by side, cooking meals and delivering service to real diners.  Only one couple can win – who has the talent, the strategy and the skills to impress me and the Great British public.”

Andrew O’Connell, Head of Factual, News and Current Affairs at Channel 5 says, “We are delighted to be working with a personality like Marco Pierre White who is one of Britain’s leading chefs. This show will feature the best of British competing at something that really captures the public’s imagination.”

Louise Rainbow, the show’s Executive Producer at Channel 5, is equally galvanized by the production, “The show concept will create a nail-biting series, and we just couldn’t resist it. It’s an ideal first step into creating the content that we want on the channel, and something we want to explore much more moving forward.”

~End~

Note to Editors:

Episodes 1 & 2 – Auditions And Heats – The series begins with a bang as Marco takes the show on the road in his mobile ‘battle kitchen’. He travels the UK to audition hundreds of hopefuls desperate for a place on the show and then whittles them down to the very best from each region.

Episodes 3 –6 – Semi Finals – The top twelve couples take turns to compete in the show’s unique signature studio set that throws three kitchens and three restaurants, packed with seventy-five diners, into a single space for the toughest service of the contestants’ lives.

Episode 7 – Grand Final – The series builds to the grand final where the competition gets tougher again; Four couples must cook a marathon service for the British public, as well as a spectacular meal for some special celebrity guests.

-7 x 60 minute programmes in series.

-Commissioner for Channel 5 – Andrew O’Connell, Head of Factual, News and Current Affairs.

Executive Producer for Channel 5 – Louise Rainbow.

Channel 5 has commissioned IWC Media and GroupM Entertainment to make Big Body Squad, a brand new 6 part series that will follow the men and women tasked with looking after the ever growing needs of our ever expanding nation.

Today there are almost a million morbidly obese people in England alone, more than double the number since the year 2000, and by the end of this decade it’s predicted that more than a third of us will be obese.

Big Body Squad joins the supersized ambulance teams, fire crews, equipment specialists, builders and carers across the UK as they service Britain’s ‘Big Society’ and deal with all the associated complications  and risks that come with mobilising an obese nation.

As the number of obese people increases so does the demand not only for equipment such as hoists and lifts, and heavy duty medical equipment; but also the training necessary to ensure bariatric patients are safely transported without injury. With limited budgets, for the NHS and local councils it’s often a case of having to weigh up manpower versus equipment.

Big Body Squad gives a thorough insight into all aspects of the specialist training and the risks associated with dealing with these patients.

During this series we’ll follow the specialist ambulance teams who take to the road in their £90,000 adapted ambulances designed to transport plus size people, meet the crews and their patients, and learn about life on both sides of the stretcher.

The show explores what it’s like to be so large you can’t tackle even the simplest of life tasks alone, and follows those responsible for some of the more awkward and sensitive jobs – such as bed bathing a person who weighs 50 or 60 stone. Jobs like these need to be carried out every day; it’s a lifeline service and not just physically; the programme also meets the carers who can be a supersize person’s only link with the outside world.

Greg Barnett, Commissioning Editor, Entertainment, Daytime & Soaps said: “This is a very thought provoking series that presents hard facts and unearths some interesting findings. Obesity is on the increase in Britain and somebody has got to take the strain. Physically and financially.”

Elspeth O’Hare, Executive Producer, IWC Media, said: “We have been given amazing access to what is mainly a hidden world.  It has allowed us to see the shocking reality of what it’s like to live at these extremes of bodyweight.”

Notes to Editors:

-Commissioner for Channel 5 – Greg Barnett

-An IWC Media/GroupM Entertainment –Production.

-Executive Producer  – Melanie Darlaston – GroupM Entertainment

- Executive Producer  – Elspeth O’Hare – IWC Media

- Series Producer – Jo Scott – IWC Media

- IWC Media is a Zodiak Media Company.

-X6 1hr Episodes

Stories include:

• London Ambulance Service calls out the supersize specialists on a 999 job with a difference. Elizabeth needs to get to hospital, fast, but London Ambulance can’t get her out of her house without extra help. Can our team solve the problem and get her there in time?

• At almost 60 stone, Keith hasn’t left his house for 10 years except to go to hospital. With 8 men and an extra large stretcher needed to get him back into his house, it’s a job only a specialist team can tackle. But Keith is getting bigger, heavier, and wider and the doorways in the house are getting tighter. Getting stuck is painful and distressing, but increasingly it’s the reality for a man of his size. We meet the specialised supersize ambulance team working to minimize the distress moving means for Keith.

• Moving house is stressful for anyone, but 48 stone Brenda hasn’t been out of her house for three years so this is an extreme house move. It’s going to take a massive team to pack up her old house and get her into a new home more suited to her size. The biggest problem might be getting her out the door, as her fears of life outside threaten to overcome her. We follow her journey as a team of professionals work to get her out of one house and into another.

• Being supersize has a massive impact on fertility. We meet new mum Ceri as she finally takes her baby home after a long, traumatic and ultimately life threatening battle to become a mother.

• As more and more of us require the services of extra large ambulances, new teams are being trained and sent out on the road. We follow these rookies through their training to the first job on the road – meeting Rookie Rob who’s first supersized job turns out to be a dramatic dash to hospital with a plus size patient in severe pain. How will Rob cope as he’s forced to monitor and medicate his patient, as he and his driver navigate the worst London’s treacherous rush hour traffic can throw at them.

~End ~

Channel 5 today announces a brand new travel show for a new generation. Holiday Heaven on Earth will take viewers across the globe from the comfort of their own homes, showing them how to access the world’s best travel experiences without breaking the bank.

The ten part series, which will air on Channel 5 in February, will see presenters Emma Wilson (Angela & Friends, The Oprah Winfrey Show) and Darren Kennedy (This Morning, Project Parent, Operation Transformation) joined by a host of celebrity co-presenters including Rav Wilding, Emma Crosby, Jeff Brazier, Lisa Butcher, Joe Swash and Jenny Frost.

From luxuriating on idyllic beaches and polar bear watching in the Arctic to camel riding in exotic Oman to the lantern festival in Taiwan, Holiday Heaven on Earth will leave no stone unturned in its quest to deliver the perfect holiday experience and get a slice of luxury with value for money in mind. In each 30-minute episode, the presenters will explore three different locations seeking out something to suit everyone; from thrill-seeking adventures and exhilarating city breaks to family holidays relaxing in the lap of luxury.

Emma Wilson will jet to far afield locations such as St Vincent and The Grenadines whilst Darren Kennedy will take on trips to Hong Kong, Macau, San Diego and The Hague. Guest presenter Rav Wilding will showcase Switzerland, Emma Crosby will be exploring the cities of Jordan, Joe Swash will be visiting Malta, Jenny Frost will going to see the Northern Lights in Canada, Jeff Brazier will be skiing in Tremblant in Canada and Lisa Butcher is heading to Chicago. Personally road testing everything the location has to offer, the presenters will uncover a hidden side to places you thought you knew and will advise on everything from recommended hotels, restaurants and any hidden gems.

Michelle Chappell, Commissioning Editor for News, Current Affairs & Documentaries at Channel 5 comments, “With Brits now travelling more than ever before and budgets getting tighter and tighter, Holiday Heaven on Earth will endeavour to showcase the best of what the world has to offer without breaking the bank. Channel 5 is thrilled to be working with the Heaven on Earth travel guides and Blink Films on this exciting new series.”

Dan Chambers, Executive Producer for Blink Films comments, “What I didn’t realise when we started on this series is just how many amazing holiday destinations there are out there. We’re setting out to show you how you can get to the most special places on earth without having to take out a mortgage.”

~ENDS~

Notes to Editors:

Holiday Heaven on Earth is a Blink Films production.

The Executive Producer is Dan Chambers and the Series Producer is Caroline Blackadder.

For all Channel 5 news, please follow www.twitter.com/channel5press

A day usually organised by a blushing Bride and Groom to-be is now about to fall into the hands of some very inexperienced Wedding Planners… for better and for worse.

Celebrity Wedding Planner is a new must-see commission, coming exclusively to Channel 5 in January. Everything that’s vital to ensure the big day goes with a bang will be the responsibility of somebody famous. And we mean everything. From choosing the all-important dress, to the venue, the food and the flowers. This series will see some of our best-loved celebrities pushed to their absolute limits and the nerves of the impending newlyweds frayed beyond belief. You see, there’s just one catch – the brides and grooms, to be on this show have to hand total control of what should be the happiest day of their lives to their new wedding planner. So are the bells going to chime, or will the bride be bawling her eyes out?

Taking on the role of wedding planners in this series will be Celebrity Big Brother & X Factor twins Jedward, former Atomic Kitten Kerry Katona, Apprentice stars Raef Bjayou & Stuart “the brand” Baggs and Big Brother 2010 winner Josie Gibson.

The cameras will follow the famous planners as they attempt to pull together that dream wedding for our celebrity obsessed brides and grooms and hope to sprinkle some celebrity stardust on their special day. In each show the wedding planner has a limited time-frame to get a celebrity style wedding organised coupled with a limited budget – and what’s more, the celebrity’s identity is kept secret for the majority of the episode!  There can be no going back.

Will it end in tears of joy or tears of despair? Can our celebs be the toast of the wedding or will the big day be ruined? Only time will tell…

Greg Barnett, Channel 5’s Commissioning Editor for Entertainment, Daytime & Soaps comments, “A wedding day is arguably the most special day of a person’s life – our four couples are incredibly brave to trust their celebrity wedding planners with every element of such a momentous occasion.

Richard Foster, Managing Director of GroupM Entertainment comments, “Planning a wedding is supposed to be one of life’s great stresses. Letting a celebrity plan it on your behalf is either inspired thinking, or borderline crazy. Either way it should make for compelling viewing.”

Celebrity Wedding Planner (4 x 60 min) is a Renegade and GroupM Entertainment co-production and will TX on Channel 5 from Friday 6^th January 2012 at 10pm.

Notes to Editors:

For all the latest about Channel 5, follow us at twitter.com/channel5press

Channel 5 today announces a new commission; Britain vs The Big Freeze. As a nation, we’re becoming increasingly accustomed to Arctic-style Winters and this year Britain is preparing for the worst.

Britain vs The Big Freeze will focus on how the great British public are affected by extreme weather conditions – how our cars, homes and transport links suffer, and how, as temperatures drop below zero, services we take for granted tend to fall apart.

This series follows the teams of dedicated people working around the clock to keep Britain safe, warm and moving.  Last Winter road recovery companies, plumbers, gritters and snow plough drivers were stretched to breaking point – working 24/7 to get to the thousands of calls coming in for help – and 2011 is unlikely to prove any different.

The series will follow snow ploughs in the North, road recovery patrols nationwide, and plumbers in the South. We’ll meet the men and women who go about their work to keep Britain working through the snow, ice and finger-numbing cold.

The programme has gained access to the RAC’s 2,000 patrolmen, who last year received over 1.35 million calls and attended more than 750,000 breakdowns. On their busiest day, the 4th of January, they dealt with nearly 15,000 breakdowns alone.

In addition, the series has access to Britain’s largest independent plumbing company, Pimlico Plumbers. Last Winter their 160 plumbers were receiving 4,000 calls a day from desperate householders with burst pipes, frozen tanks, and no water or central heating.

The programme will also be on the road with the largest snow plough and gritting fleet in the country, run by the highland Council in Scotland.

~End~

Notes to Editors:

- Channel 5 Commissioner  – Steve Gowans
- Produced by Special Edition Films
- Executive Producer – Mira king
-Production Manger – Chris Wiseman
-3 x 60’ Series for Channel 5
-TX – January 2012