Channel 4 is to axe next celebrity Big Brother

CHANNEL 4 is axing next year’s series of Celebrity Big Brother, it announced yesterday.

The move, which comes after the race row that engulfed the previous series, is part of a programme of “creative renewal”, according to the British broadcaster.

The highly successful series, which attracts huge ratings, is expected to return in 2009.

The decision also comes after this year’s series of the standard non-celebrity Big Brother failed to make as big a splash as usual, even though it has still attracted healthy ratings.

The broadcaster said the decision is unrelated and is part of a policy to clear almost all returning series from the heart of its peak time schedule in the first half of 2008 in pursuit of new and adventurous programming.

Endemol is working on a Big Brother-style show for digital channel E4 to screen when Celebrity Big Brother would normally be broadcast.

The show sparked controversy this year when a record 54,000 viewers complained at the allegedly racist bullying.