'Big Brother' will run for 13 weeks and could feature up to 16 contestants from the beginning. The new house, which is nearing completion, will also have a 30-foot swimming pool and a bar, in an attempt to make it the raciest and most outrageous series to date.
The last series of the show, won by 70s dancer Anthony Hutton, had only a jacuzzi.
It is believed that 'Big Brother' brought forward the launch date of the seventh series, which will be hosted by its regular presenters Davina McCall and Dermot O'Leary, to a Thursday from its traditional Friday opening slot in order to take on rivals.
The schedule change for the opening night highlights Channel 4's fears about the success of its money-spinner in the face of reality TV competition from ITV with 'Celebrity Love Island' and 'Celebrity X Factor'. Channel 4 knows that failure to win a big audience on the opening night could spell trouble for the show.
The revamped 'Big Brother' is part of Channel 4's wider plans to overhaul its evening schedule, which will feature drama series 'Lost' on Tuesday nights and a four-part series beginning in June called 'Ricky Gervais Meets...'.
'Celebrity Big Brother', which was won by Paris Hilton look-alike Chantelle Houghton, pulled in an average audience of 4.5m an episode, garnering an average 19% audience share -- up 11% on last year's figures.
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