Celebrity Big Brother is back with viewing figures suggesting it's a bit of nostalgia fans are after

The reboot comes after the show was cancelled back in 2018 due to a ratings slump over on Channel 5 - the last few series achieved just 2 million or less. So it was perhaps a brave move for ITV to buy up the rights to the show and give it another chance at a return to its heyday.

Have they achieved that? Well, no. Back when it was shiny and new, it was watched by in excess of 5 million people, keen to know exactly what famous people get up to 24 hours a day. And the subsequent four series also boasted ratings of more than 4 million.

But all good things must come to an end and CBB began to struggle to draw a crowd - at least one big enough to pay for celebs demanding huge fees (Sharon is reportedly cashing a £500,000 cheque for just five days in the house) - so after a decent run from 2001 to 2018, the doors closed on the house for good. Or so we thought.

For many, the return of the voyeuristic programme is a welcome return. I for one had not watched it for many years but have to admit to becoming fully committed to seeing it through to the bitter end having watched the 2024 series debut.

The reason for this newly ignited interest in the social experiment show is, I think, nostalgia. I was a much younger version of myself when I last watched a bunch of famous strangers thrown into a house together and filmed 24/7 and watching it again after so long reminded me of a time when that was pretty much all I had to think about.

Now, as a ‘proper’ grown up with the responsibility of running a home, looking after children and negotiating a cost of living crisis, I think my brain yearns for a simpler existence where my deepest concern was if Jack Dee really was a grumpy git and most pressing thought was what Mark Owen likes for breakfast.

And looking at the viewing figures breakdown, I’m perhaps not alone as, although ITV boasted the launch had "secured the highest 16-34 audience of the night" with 463,000 people tuning in across various devices, that still leaves more than 2.3 million viewers falling into the, ahem, 'older age bracket'.

So I shall continue to watch the series develop with interest and I will do so in the knowledge that lots of people just like me will be doing the same - perhaps looking for a walk down memory lane and the chance to dial down the brain activity for just a little while.

Also, I just can’t wait to see it all kick off between Sharon and Ibiza Weekender star, David Potts. Because there is no way that is not happening. We can only hope, in the words of Mrs O, David’s “fruit and veg” are not “hanging down in the front” when the sparks do begin to fly.