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Taken from MediaGuardian
Reality TV fans mourning the end of I'm a Celebrity will not have long to wait for their next fix of Z-listers demeaning themselves for charity on front of millions of viewers - Celebrity Big Brother is back on Channel 4 in January.
The original hit celebrity reality show will return after an absence of more than two years on Thursday January 6, with a launch programme hosted by Davina McCall.
Channel 4 is upping the number of celebrities who will go into the Big Brother house from six in the previous two series to eight for the new run.
The names of the contestants for Celebrity Big Brother 3 have not yet been announced, but tabloid speculation has thrown up possible contenders including the models Victoria Silvstedt, Emma B and Alicia Duvall.
Other names linked to the new Celebrity Big Brother include Nancy Dell 'Olio, David Icke, Jim Bowen, Abi Titmuss and former Libertines front man Pete Doherty.
Celebrity Big Brother is coming back from the dead, after being axed last year by then Channel 4 chief executive Mark Thompson, who said he felt the show risked becoming too repetitive.
But now Mr Thompson is back at the BBC, Channel 4 director of programmes Kevin Lygo has decided to resurrect the reality format, after Big Brother enjoyed a ratings resurgence in the summer.
The first series of Celebrity Big Brother, won by Jack Dee in 2001, was a ratings hit but the second run in the autumn of 2002 - which was won by former Take That member Mark Owen - proved less successful.
For the new series in January, Channel 4 will broadcast an hour of highlights from the Celebrity Big Brother house each night at 9pm from January 6.
Dermot O'Leary will also be returning with fanzine show Celebrity Big Brother's Little Brother.
But O'Leary's daily show will move to a new 11pm slot, after being broadcast in the early evening during the last couple of Big Brother series.
Pay-TV channel E4 will once again be providing live, round-the-clock coverage from the Big Brother house.
Talk Talk is continuing its sponsorship of the show, which began with Big Brother 5 in the summer.
For every 50p Celebrity Big Brother phone vote made by members of the public, 16p will go to charities chosen by the eight contestants.
Reality TV fans mourning the end of I'm a Celebrity will not have long to wait for their next fix of Z-listers demeaning themselves for charity on front of millions of viewers - Celebrity Big Brother is back on Channel 4 in January.
The original hit celebrity reality show will return after an absence of more than two years on Thursday January 6, with a launch programme hosted by Davina McCall.
Channel 4 is upping the number of celebrities who will go into the Big Brother house from six in the previous two series to eight for the new run.
The names of the contestants for Celebrity Big Brother 3 have not yet been announced, but tabloid speculation has thrown up possible contenders including the models Victoria Silvstedt, Emma B and Alicia Duvall.
Other names linked to the new Celebrity Big Brother include Nancy Dell 'Olio, David Icke, Jim Bowen, Abi Titmuss and former Libertines front man Pete Doherty.
Celebrity Big Brother is coming back from the dead, after being axed last year by then Channel 4 chief executive Mark Thompson, who said he felt the show risked becoming too repetitive.
But now Mr Thompson is back at the BBC, Channel 4 director of programmes Kevin Lygo has decided to resurrect the reality format, after Big Brother enjoyed a ratings resurgence in the summer.
The first series of Celebrity Big Brother, won by Jack Dee in 2001, was a ratings hit but the second run in the autumn of 2002 - which was won by former Take That member Mark Owen - proved less successful.
For the new series in January, Channel 4 will broadcast an hour of highlights from the Celebrity Big Brother house each night at 9pm from January 6.
Dermot O'Leary will also be returning with fanzine show Celebrity Big Brother's Little Brother.
But O'Leary's daily show will move to a new 11pm slot, after being broadcast in the early evening during the last couple of Big Brother series.
Pay-TV channel E4 will once again be providing live, round-the-clock coverage from the Big Brother house.
Talk Talk is continuing its sponsorship of the show, which began with Big Brother 5 in the summer.
For every 50p Celebrity Big Brother phone vote made by members of the public, 16p will go to charities chosen by the eight contestants.
