Big Brother returns to Channel 5 with its lowest-rated launch show ever

1.4 million viewers tuned in on the night



Big Brother returned to Channel 5 last night to its lowest-rated launch ever, according to overnight data.

The reality show earned an audience of 1.4 million excluding +1 figures (via TellyMix), as 12 new housemates entered the compound.

Just next to the regular housemates are six Others - who are living in a separate house, and currently plotting to steal a place in the competition.

On a dramatic launch night, Laura Carter and Lateysha Grace were put up for eviction... but all may not be what it seems.

By comparison, last year's series - which saw a shocked Simon Gross evicted on launch night - opened with 1.7 million.

Power Trip in 2014 debuted to 2.03 million, while the 2013 series launched with an audience of 1.99 million.

Big Brother 13 (2012) snatched 2.63 million on day one, matching Big Brother 12 one year earlier, which began with 2.63 million.

Big Brother 11 - the last series on Channel 4 - pulled in 4.57 million on its premiere.

Deliberate ploy to keep the great unwashed from noticing the reality of what's going on around them. - Looks like it might not be too successful!

It should have been consigned to the dustbin years ago, even the so-called "celebrity" version fails to attract much attention these days.