Big Brother is returning to our screens after five years with the new series to start on ITV this weekend
ITV has announced its rebooted version of Big Brother will involve huge changes for all contestants, including special training and a big ban for their families and friends. All housemates will undergo psychological and medical assessments, background checks and a social media review.
Each of the contestants taking part will also have an individual support plan that includes sessions with the show's mental health professionals prior to, during and after their time in the house. The measures are part of ITV's duty of care protocols, developed with the show's producers Banijay UK, which have been announced ahead of the reality series' much-anticipated return to screens on October 8.READ MORE: Coronation Street's Colson Smith supported as he gives two weeks' notice The show will air every night on ITV following its revival by the broadcaster five years after it was axed by Channel 5. As well as medical assessments, housemates will be required to disclose in confidence any medical history or other relevant information. Similar to recent series' of Love Island, contestants will also have to disable their social media accounts ahead of entering the house. Housemates and their families and friends will be banned from posting any content on their individual social media pages for the duration of their time on the show. ITV said that during the show's run, the welfare of the contestants will be monitored "24 hours a day" with daily meetings scheduled to discuss and work out a solution if any issues arise. Mental health professionals will also be available to the housemates and a session will be mandatory after they leave the house. Training on dealing with social media and press will also be giving after they depart, and further support will be provided based on individual needs. The show's new hosts, AJ Odudu and Will Best, will also be offered this support and will receive the respect and inclusion training. The Big Brother launch show will see a new cast of "carefully selected housemates from all walks of life" arrive at the brand-new house in front of a live studio audience. ITV said the famous house featuring a "contemporary new look" will see the return of tasks, nominations and live evictions - with the voting public playing a "crucial role" through the series, before voting for the winner of the show. The social experiment programme, which sees housemates live together in a custom-built home for weeks without access to the outside world in a bid to win a cash prize, started in 2000 on Channel 4 before Channel 5 took over in 2011. ITV has said the show's welfare protocols have "evolved" over its more than 20-year history and that the 2023 plan has been "evaluated and reviewed" with ITV's compliance and duty of care team, the mental health professionals engaged for the series and Big Brother's welfare team, including Banijay UK's head of welfare.Receive newsletters with the biggest and breaking TV and showbiz news by signing up here
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