ITV to bid for BB.

[Alterate]

Reports suggest that ITV plans to snatch Big Brother from Channel 4 in a bid to arrest its ratings decline.

Simon Shaps, the ITV director of television, is understood to have begun courting Endemol, before formal negotiations for a new Big Brother contract begin later this year. Channel 4 has owned the rights to Big Brother since it began in the UK seven years ago, but it does not have a rolling contract with Endemol and negotiations for the next deal are expected to begin from the autumn.

The move by Simon Shaps is thought to be an admission that ITV's latest attack on Big Brother has failed, with the main flop being Love Island. A source said: "Big Brother is with Channel 4 at the moment and Endemol is quite happy with them but technically it has no home after next year. When it comes to pure financial muscle, ITV could probably beat Channel 4."

Channel 4 will not let its most commercially successful show go without a fight and is understood to have a clause in its contract that allows it to match any offer a rival might make.

Channel 4 currently has the rights for one more series, but the show is expected to continue past its eighth series. But on which channel?

Stick with BBUK for the latest.

Your veiws?

[the wombats]

I'd prefer it on ITV as channel4 is crap.

[ross]

i don't want it to go. itv is too strict, and i dnt like itv. plus davina is meant to be with channel 4!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Alterate]

If they do. I wounder who will present it.. Ant and Dec most probly. Lol..

[ross]

If they do. I wounder who will present it.. Ant and Dec most probly. Lol..

i think Cat Deeley - put it this way, i will not watch it if it goes to ITV.

X-Factor is bad enough ://

[the wombats]

If they do. I wounder who will present it.. Ant and Dec most probly. Lol..

1 will do BBLB, 1 will do main thing and someone like erm I dunno on The Mint or Quizmania will do BBBM.

[Allan_banvict0m]

I wouldn't watch it if it changed. ITV is utter rubbish...

crap crap crapity crap!

ant and dec wouldn't be as good as davina.

[Tash.]

No way should they move it. Its perfect the way it is. Go movin it and they lose viewers, simple as.

[Victimized]

And there is no way you would see Russel Brand on ITV

[JoeComins]

I woudlnt watch if they changed it, and if someone else whose come BACK in wins this year, I think we should all protest, and not watch ever again