Agents take advantage of BB casting crisis

Celebrity Big Brother producers are being "held to ransom" by showbiz agents who are taking advantage of the show's reported casting crisis.

Executives are still said to be searching for stars to enter the house next week after being surprised by a number of last-minute drop-outs. Now agents are demanding fees of ?100,000 for celebs who would normally only expect to be paid around ?25,000 to ?40,000.

A Team actor Dirk Benedict, Starsky and Hutch star Paul Michael Glaser and singer Jermaine Jackson have already signed up for the show, according to recent reports.

A show source told the Daily Star: "We have needed something better. Producers know exactly who else they want but they are going to have to give them a hefty pay packet to get them to sign - we're talking obscene amounts of cash.

"Agents are playing hard ball with producers because they know they need to fill the house before the show kicks off next week."