LEGENDARY Big Brother housemates are set for an epic return when the series relaunches on ITV in a bid to "recapture the magic".
Show producers are reportedly pulling out all the stops to bring back some of the most well-known characters for an explosive opening.
"Nasty Nick" Bateman, Chanelle Hayes and Nadia Almada are amongst names thought to be making a wild return to Big Brother.
Bosses are thought to recasting former show stars in a bid to build buzz around the reality TV show's epic comeback later this year.
A source said: "They have really fired the imaginations of show bosses because they are keen to recapture the magic that made the programme such a hit when it launched 23 years ago."
"It won’t be a reboot full of old faces, it’s likely to be a smattering rather than a deluge of BB veterans," the insider told The Sun.
"They know that they need the random mix of people that featured in the original C4 version, so this is a way to help achieve that.
"The one thing they don’t want to do is deliver a show which is essentially a Love Island-style contest full of beautiful people.
"They actually want the quirky, often controversial characters that are going to stir things up and make things interesting…
"…and many of the names in the frame have proven track records in that respect."
Big Brother first started in 2000 on Channel 4 and Channel 5 took over in 2011. However, it was axed by the broadcaster in 2018 amid a ratings slump.
Its production company said at the time that there were "future possibilities" for more series on UK TV, prompting speculation another broadcaster or streaming service could pick up the show.
After announcing the new series on ITV, Natalka Znak, chief executive of Initial, Remarkable Entertainment and Znak TV, revealed: "Big Brother is the original and best reality format and one that I have never made before.
"So it's a huge privilege to be making an all new version with ITV2 and ITVX. This is going to be epic."
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