Big Brother is back and so is one familiar voice.
Big Brother is officially back for a new season, following five years off the air.
The ITV reboot got underway on Sunday 8th October and we’ve already seen the first housemate get evicted from the Big Brother house, as Farida, 50, from Wolverhampton exited the show.
The Big Brother 2023 cast will spend up to six weeks in the house and be tested in one of TV’s biggest social experiments.
While the house, contestants and hosts AJ Odudu and Will Best are new, one thing has remained the same – the show’s narrator Marcus Bentley.
When the news of the Big Brother reboot was confirmed, ITV’s programming chief Kevin Lygo told the Broadcasting Press Guild he wanted Bentley back (as per The Mirror), and fans breathed a sigh of relief.
Bentley then confirmed the news of his return in June this year. In a post to X, formerly known as Twitter, he wrote: “Just a little bit of news over on TikTok… @bbuk fans are the best and most loyal possible. Thanks for all the support and I can’t wait for the shenanigans to begin x.”
Here’s everything you need to know about Marcus Bentley.
Who is the Big Brother 2023 narrator?
The Big Brother narrator is Marcus Bentley, who has voiced over the show since 2000. His Teeside accent has become a staple of the show ever since he started.
Prior to the news of his return to the series, Bentley previously told RadioTimes.com in an exclusive interview that he was “quietly confident” he would be asked back to narrate the show.
He said: “It’s very early days. I think it sounds like I am. I’m getting calls from [producers] and they’re going to keep me updated. But they haven’t chosen anything.”
Read more:
- Where is the Big Brother house? Location for 2023 reboot
- How to get audience tickets for Big Brother UK 2023
Who is Marcus Bentley?
Marcus Bentley is a British actor, broadcaster and voice-over artist. He narrated Big Brother when it began in 2000 on Channel 4 and continued to narrate the show when it moved to Channel 5 in 2011.
Before his Big Brother gig, Bentley starred in various TV shows including several adaptations of Catherine Cookson’s novels. He has also appeared in several TV adverts, including Mad Dogs and Englishmen.
Big Brother Diary Room voice: Does Marcus provide this?
While Marcus narrates the show, he has actually never been the voice of the Diary Room.
Fans were left confused during the launch episode as the voice that introduced and spoke to the housemates didn’t appear to be him.
The narrator took to X to clear this up, saying: “Listen guys I’ve had a lot of this tonight – but just to reiterate, for some who think I wasn’t on the show this evening – I am not the voice of the diary room Big Brother – never have been. I’m the narrator of the show and I was narrating the show when all the housemates had entered.”
When does Big Brother 2023 start?
Marcus Bentley will be back narrating Big Brother on Sunday 8th October. The launch show will air across ITV1, ITV2 and ITVX before it airs daily on ITV2 and ITVX (apart from Saturdays).
Big Brother airs on Weekdays and Sundays at 9pm on ITV2, and ITVX.
Check out more of our Entertainment coverage or visit our TV Guide to see what’s on tonight.
Try Radio Times magazine today and get 10 issues for only £10 – subscribe now and celebrate the 60th anniversary of Doctor Who with a special issue of Radio Times. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast