Celebrity Big Brother fans were given news they’ve been waiting for since the show was cancelled on Sunday, with reports Channel 4 is in talks to revive it. 

However, it seems their excitement could be a little premature, as the channel has flatly denied speculation it is about to bring the show back. 

Reports first surfaced in the Daily Star Sunday, claiming the show’s former broadcaster was planning to revive the celebrity edition of the reality show, after it was axed by Channel 5 in 2018. 

The story claimed Celebrity Big Brother could be back on air as early as January 2021, with the tagline “Reborn” because it would feature a line-up of controversial stars hoping to change their public image.

Their unnamed source also claimed Channel 4 bosses were exploring the option of reviving the show with production company Endemol, as the network has been experiencing a run of low ratings.

The rumours obviously delighted hordes of Big Brother fans online…

While former contestant and Bit On The Side presenter Rylan Clark-Neal and the show’s narrator Marcus Bentley also shared their excitement…

Since then, however, a Channel 4 spokesperson has insisted the network has “no plans” to bring back either the celebrity or civilian edition of Big Brother. 

They said in a statement: “We have no plans to bring back Celebrity Big Brother or Big Brother to Channel 4.”

Big Brother first aired on Channel 4 in 2000, with Celebrity Big Brother following a year later.

The celebrity series was originally dreamed up as a charity special for Comic Relief, but went on to spawn seven series before Channel 4 axed Big Brother altogether in 2010.

CBB and its civilian equivalent were brought back by Channel 5 in 2011, before being cancelled again in September 2018.