Big Brother had its biggest launch night in 13 years for the reboot series on ITV, according to newly released viewing figures.
Consolidated figures – the amount of people who watched the show within seven days of the original broadcast on catch-up or as the programme aired on television – show the first episode pulled in an impressive 3.6million viewers across ITV1 and ITV2 on all devices.
This means the launch of the ITV series on Sunday 8 October was the biggest launch since Big Brother aired on Channel 4 back in 2010.
Viewing figures were up on the last civilian version of Big Brother on Channel 5 in 2018 by 2.3m.
The launch episode of Big Brother: Late & Live had consolidated figures of 592,000 viewers across all devices, making it ITV2’s sixth biggest programme title this year based on best episode.
Success! Big Brother had its biggest launch night in 13 years for the reboot series on ITV, pulling in a consolidated audience of 3.6million across ITV1 and ITV2 on all devices
At the helm: New hosts AJ Odudu and Will Best kicked off the launch show on ITV, after the reality show was axed in 2018 by Channel 5, introducing a new batch of 16 contestants
Big Brother peaked in 2002 when its average audience hit 5.3 million, with a peak of 10 million viewers and a 51 percent share tuning in to see Kate Lawler win the series.
While the reality TV juggernaut remained a fan favourite, ratings tailed off every year from 2006 onwards.
Big Brother returned to British television following a five-year hiatus.
The influential social experiment, in which housemates live together in a custom-built home for weeks without access to the outside world, in a bid to win a cash prize, has re-opened its doors.
New hosts AJ Odudu and Will Best kicked off the launch show on ITV, after the reality show was axed in 2018 by Channel 5, introducing a new batch of 16 contestants in front of a studio audience.
Make-up artist Farida was the first housemate to be evicted from the house on Friday after she went up for eviction against NHS manager Kerry.
As she left the house, an excited Farida said: ‘I had the most amazing time. Thank you everybody for making the effort and coming tonight.’
Speaking to hosts AJ and Will immediately after her eviction, Farida said: ‘I’m fabulous! How many of you lot would like a week in that house? Well, I’ve been there. It’s priceless!
Gone! Big Brother’s Farida was the first housemate to be evicted from the ITV revival series of the show on Friday
Tense: Farida was up for eviction against NHS manager Kerry (pictured) who was in tears as she waited in suspense for the news to be announced
‘Kerry really, really wanted to be in there. She was in floods of tears, desperate to stay in there. I was quite happy to be out.’
Upon learning that Hallie, Jenkin, Paul, Tom, Henry, Kerry and Olivia had all nominated for her eviction for various reasons based around her opinions and behaviour in the house, she remarked that their views did not matter to her.
She insisted she’s not ‘fake’ as some suggested. She said: ‘That’s fine, they’ve known me for five or six days. Their opinion doesn’t matter. I’m very very true to myself.
‘I would never be fake. People who know me would say that.’
Big Brother viewers were quick to slam the housemates after they broke down in tears during Sunday’s show.
The reality stars were emotional wrecks after being presented with photos of their loved ones, despite only being away from them for seven days.
Fan savaged the ‘dramatics’ with former show legend Glyn Wise even getting in on the act and branding the latest contestants ‘weak’.
The Welsh priest, 35, who appeared on the show back in 2006, wrote: ‘Is this a joke #bbuk People getting emotional about seeing pictures of their family members after a week of being in the house?’
‘I stayed there for 3 months with no contact from the outside world. I think we were tougher housemates back then!’.
Upset: Big Brother viewers were quick to slam housemates after they broke down in tears during Sunday’s show (Hallie pictured)
Tears: The reality stars were emotional wrecks after being presented with photos of their loved ones, despite only being away from them for seven days (Kerry pictured)
Another took a swipe at beauty queen Noky after her emotional outburst saying: ‘Crying over the last day of being Miss Universe after being in the BB house for only a few days, Sweet Jesus wept.’
While a third wrote: ‘As if they’re crying over family photos after being in there a WEEK?! I’ve been on trips to Spain longer.’
And: ‘I could be in Big Brother for a year and I still couldn’t see myself crying at a family photo I don’t get it.’
Someone else commented: ‘Why are these housemates crying as if they’ve been away at war for 3 years? they’ve been in the Big brother house for a week.’
And a sixth said: ‘These housemates crying as if they’ve been away in Afghanistan for the past 2 years when they’ve been in the Big Brother house for 7 days.’
While a seventh added: ‘Ok after today I don’t want crying Big brother please.’
Elsewhere in the episode Matty divided viewer opinion as he told fellow housemate Olivia she needed to change her perspective on open relationships.
The doctor, 24, spoke positively about sexually non-monogamous marriages or relationships in which both parties are happy with their partner sleeping with other people.
Get a grip: Fan savaged the ‘dramatics’ with some saying they’d ‘been on holiday’s longer’
Grow up: The emotional housmates took it in turns to speak about the photos and their loved ones
Fuming: Former show legend Glyn Wise (L, pictured in 2022) even getting in on the act and branding the latest contestants ‘weak’ (R, pictured on the show in 2006)
Throwback: The Welsh priest, 35, who appeared on the show back in 2006 (pictured) wrote: ‘Is this a joke #bbuk People getting emotional about seeing pictures of their family members after a week of being in the house?
Matty, who described himself as a ‘hippy’ who likes to ‘live free’ before entering the house last week, suggested Olivia should open her mind towards open relationships despite her not being able to imagine herself in such a situation.
Matty told Olivia: ‘The way that you’re looking at it is as if an open relationship is to prevent cheating so that no one gets hurt but if you switch your perspective, an open relationship gives you the freedom to pursue other people instead of the preventative of cheating.’
When Olivia asked how he learned his approach to open relationships, Matty responded: ‘Oh, Olivia, it’s not easy to learn! It’s rewiring your brain and rewiring everything you’ve been taught as a child’.
Olivia said: ‘It’s baffling me! How do you learn that?’
She continued: ‘Do you know what else I find crazy? Is how openly and how freely you can talk about it. It’s amazing to me.’
Grow up! Fans quickly took to social media to make their feelings known
Matty told her: ‘For me, because it’s so normal, there’s no taboo. But maybe for people who have never heard of it before there can be a taboo around that subject.’
When asked by Olivia if his mother knew about his open relationships, Matty said of his mum and his partner’s parents: ‘Yeah, my mum knows, his parents know. They just say “do whatever you want that makes you happy”.’
Olivia said: ‘That is so forward thinking,’ to which Matty replied: ‘Yeah, it is. I’m very lucky. I’ve got a very progressive family.’
Speaking about his relationship, he said: ‘At the core of our relationship we just want each other to be happy.’
The moment divided viewer opinion, with many show fans taking to Twitter to express their thoughts on the conversation.
One person wrote: ‘No more open relationship propaganda please.’
Someone else asked: ‘Why is it that people in open relationships feel the need to always mention it like it is a personality trait.’
While someone else posted: ‘So what ITV thinks we find entertaining is learning that 2 of them are in open relationships? Erm no thanks.’
Another viewer wrote: ‘Matty is in an open relationship? I’ve never understood this idea each to their own but it’s not for me! If you are in the right relationship the idea of cheating is not in a thing!’
Big Brother continues on Monday at 9pm on ITV2 and ITVX.