Updated: September 11, 2026, 8:30pm BST
ITV has opened the doors to the redesigned Big Brother house, revealing a dramatic red-and-green living room, a hotel-style bedroom, a gold-trimmed bathroom and a garden dominated by the show’s watchful eye.
The first-look photographs arrive just before a landmark preview of the house. For the first time in Big Brother UK history, viewers will be allowed to watch the normally private pre-series “dry run” as it happens.
Big Brother returns on Sunday, September 13, at 9pm on ITV2 and ITVX. AJ Odudu and Will Best are back as hosts, with a new group of civilian housemates due to enter for an eight-week run — the longest series since ITV revived the format in 2023.
Inside the new Big Brother 2026 house
The main living area uses a rich, almost theatrical colour scheme. Six curved green sofas form a conversation circle around a gold table, while burgundy cushions and a deep-red carpet give the room a more formal appearance. A huge eye fills the screen where housemates are expected to receive task instructions, nomination results and eviction news.
The adjoining kitchen continues the dark-green palette, broken up by gold fittings, an island with four orange stools and a monochrome tiled floor. An eye-shaped gold dining table sits nearby with terracotta chairs, making the open-plan room one of the house’s strongest visual statements.
In the bedroom, orange double beds line both sides of a long room finished with blue walls and a sweeping multicoloured carpet. Four smaller mirrors and stools create a shared vanity space, while one double bed appears built into a feature wall — a detail likely to prompt immediate competition among the new arrivals.
The bathroom is dominated by red and gold. Steps rise towards a large bathtub set beneath an eye-shaped mirror, while twin gold shower enclosures offer housemates limited privacy. A seating area positioned inside the room appears designed to ensure that even routine moments can turn into group conversations.
Outside, the garden combines artificial grass, curved landscaping, deckchairs and a sunken hot tub. The biggest feature is an enormous eye built into a plant-covered wall, leaving housemates with a constant reminder that they are being watched.
ITV has described the property as a “house of surprises”, promising ambitious tasks, high-stakes nominations, live evictions and game-changing moments. The public will again decide who stays and who ultimately wins the life-changing cash prize.
24-hour dry run and The Group Chat explained
Before the housemates arrive, content collective The Bov Boys will test the property during a 24-hour live takeover beginning at noon on Saturday, September 12. Angry Ginge will be joined by Tays, Jakey Davies and Chazza, with Adeola Patronne, Mariam Musa, Shauna Games, Scouse Mali and former Big Brother housemate Pieface also expected to appear.
The stream will run on the group members’ Twitch accounts and the official Big Brother UK and ITV Reality YouTube channels. ITV said the broadcast will show producers testing the cameras, tasks and wider production setup — an exercise that has traditionally taken place away from the public.
A second major change is Big Brother: The Group Chat, a new companion programme hosted by 2002 winner Kate Lawler and podcaster GK Barry. It will air Sunday to Thursday immediately after Big Brother on ITV2, ITVX and YouTube, with audio editions available on major podcast platforms.
The programme will feature evicted housemates, celebrity fans and special guests, replacing the previous Late & Live format with a more podcast-led discussion. For viewers planning their autumn television schedule, the Big Brother launch follows another major UK reality return, with the Great British Bake Off 2026 cast also drawing attention ahead of the new season.
ITV says the Big Brother brand has now generated more than 157 million streams on ITVX. The 2026 series is produced by Initial, part of Banijay UK.
Sources: ITV Press Centre and The Independent.
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