‘I’m a Celebrity and Big Brother Has a Common Problem – Fans Will Agree’ | Television and Radio | Show business and TV

I recently watched two of ITV’s most popular reality shows for the first time in years, and it seems like they may have a common problem.

Looking at the list of past winners of Big Brother and I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here, it’s probably been almost a decade since I last watched either program.

I may have turned on I’m a Celebrity from time to time, mainly because of Ant and Dec, but my interest has waned. Controversial members such as Matt Hancock and Nigel Farage only put me off further.

As for Big Brother, I completely missed it on Channel 5 and, like many people I’ve spoken to this year, I simply didn’t notice when the new series was starting.

However, in my new role as a TV and film reporter, I couldn’t ignore these shows this year. I found myself watching Big Brother every night (even when I’m not working) and now the same thing is happening with I’m a Celebrity.

Of course, it helps that both shows chose their contestants wisely this year. The Big Brother housemates were varied, with no obvious troublemaker.

At first glance, it was easy for anyone to pick a favorite. The same can be said for this year’s jungle, reports the Mirror.

However, the main issue where most fans are calling for change is the companion show of each series. These shows are a great concept, giving fans a platform to discuss what they just watched. The popularity of such platforms is evidenced by the numerous YouTube channels dedicated to analyzing football matches every weekend.

Examples of this are Big Brother’s Little Brother, Big Brother on the Side and now Big Brother Late and Live, which airs directly after the main show on ITV2. The latter even has the same hosts as the main show, Will Best and AJ Odudu.

This poses a problem. Regardless of their performance in the main show, the companion series should offer something different. This becomes especially apparent on eviction nights, when there isn’t much difference between the two shows.

ITV’s companion show I’m a Celeb has also gone through several iterations. Originally known as Get Me Out of Here Now, it was followed by Extra Camp and then an online version called Daily Drop.

It has now been transformed into Unpacked, hosted by Joel Dommett, Sam Thompson and Kemi Rogers. While it’s still early days, this trio is already giving him an edge over his Big Brother counterpart.

Dynamic duo Ant and Dec are known for their charming cameos in the opening sequence, where they dive into the main events of the show before quickly leaving. Late and Live could easily take a similar approach.

Will Best, who has previously graced this Unpacked episode, has a knack for bouncing off his co-hosts.

One of the key benefits of both shows is the inclusion of extras and exclusive clips. Given that each series crams an entire day into one hour of TV viewing, a lot inevitably goes unnoticed.

However, companion shows offer viewers these additional pieces. Late and Live excel in this area, while Unpacked tends to recycle too many old clips.

Fans took to social media to voice their opinions on the matter. One fan expressed enjoyment of the exclusive content on Unpacked and praised Sam Thompson for his insightful contributions: “I have to say I love these exclusive clips on Unpacked and I also support Sam Thompson, I’m really starting to appreciate him so much on this show. he really understands what people go through and speaks such truths.”

Another fan suggested that instead of rehashing already aired scenes, they should focus on new material. They noted, “I wish they would stop playing the clips we saw on Unpacked. I know they do this to talk about certain points, but Late and Live don’t do that. Both L and L at least give more exclusives, but both After the Show have disadvantages in different ways.”

Both programs have their drawbacks. The dialogue in “Unpacked” often falters as it tries to keep the audience engaged. Audience members are encouraged to send voice notes via Whatsapp, but unfortunately many of them tend to ramble without getting the point across or are hard to hear over the TV blaring in the background.

Late and Live always has a live audience participating in the discussion. It’s understandably difficult for Australia’s I’m A Celebrity compared to the London location of Big Brother, but perhaps input from guests and former contestants will be enough?

It looks like both reality shows still have some mileage to go. Although the success of I’m a Celebrity seems to be largely down to Ant and December’s involvement. However, if both series are to continue for years to come and keep fans engaged, the key to success may lie in improving the companion show.

I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here continues tonight at 9pm on ITV1 and ITVX, with Big Brother returning to ITV2 in 2025.