Since first airing in 2000, Big Brother has been hosted by various different channels with ITV2 taking over broadcasting duties from Channel 5 – much to the relief of narrator Marcus Bentley.
Bentley, who is best known as the voice of Big Brother, has criticised Channel 5’s treatment of the reality franchise, saying that the broadcaster was “appalling” with press prior to the show’s demise in 2018.
While Big Brother originally aired on Channel 4, it moved to Channel 5 in 2011 with Emma Willis presenting before the show was cancelled seven years later.
![""]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2022/08/Marcus-Bentley-9e18425.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413" "\"\"")
Speaking to RadioTimes.com in an exclusive interview about the reboot, Bentley said that he was pleased that ITV2 was bringing Big Brother back and that Channel 5 “just didn’t give a monkey’s” about the show after a few years of airing it.
“I’m just absolutely delighted and ITV2 is a perfect home for Big Brother and it’ll get the attention it needs,” he said. “Even this morning [Tuesday 2nd August] there’s been articles and I’ve been doing some voiceovers as well for Good Morning Britain and This Morning and Lorraine. That’s the weight ITV brings.”
He later went on to say Channel 5 was “appalling” when it came to press for the show in comparison with Channel 4.
“It was like, as if the show didn’t exist,” he said of the publicity the Channel 5 team got the show. “They never brought me up for anything.”
Bentley also said that “after a couple of years they [Channel 5] just didn’t give a monkey’s” about Big Brother.
RadioTimes.com has reached out to Channel 5 for comment.
ITV2 will be the third channel to host the reality series, with ITV announcing last week that it would be rebooting the show with a cast of “carefully selected housemates from all walks of life”.
While Bentley has not yet been confirmed to return as the show’s narrator, he is “quietly confident” that ITV will ask him back, however it could be a different story for Big Brother’s 24-hour live feed.
Read more: Big Brother fans divided over who should host comeback series
Check out more of our Entertainment coverage or visit our TV Guide to see what’s on tonight.
The latest issue of Radio Times magazine is on sale now – subscribe now and get the next 12 issues for only £1. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to the Radio Times podcast with Jane Garvey.