BBLB returning to E4, new spinoff announced

BBLB has been ditched from Channel 4 to E4 for this summer's series, it has been confirmed.

The show - first aired on E4 for BB2 before switching to C4 for BB4 - was ousted from its traditional teatime slot on C4 earlier this year following the success of Deal Or No Deal and The Paul O'Grady Show.

Instead it was moved to a breakfast slot, where it drew around 200,000 viewers - a far cry from the 1.8 million it had averaged in its previous home.

Now the show will air weekdays on E4, live at 7.30pm, although the Sunday lunchtime outing on C4 will remain.

Meanwhile, the long-standing psychology aspect of BB has been consigned to its own show. The new spinoff, called Big Brother?s Big Brain, will air live on Channel 4 on Monday nights. Dermot has been confirmed as host of the series, which will feature discussions and pre-recorded footage taken from the previous week?s happenings, backed by psyche evaluations.

"Channel 4 viewers have always loved the insight that a psychological perspective gives," said Angela Jain, C4's commissioning editor for factual entertainment. "It's fantastic to be able to give Dermot O'Leary the opportunity to get stuck into the minutiae of the housemates' behaviour in a live, dynamic and discursive way."

As previously reported, Big Brother's Big Mouth will retain its daily live slot on E4 immediately following the C4 show. Diary Room Uncut is also returning for the summer.