Big Brother looks to be heading to Channel 5. The channel's new owner Richard Desmond is apparently on the verge of signing a deal Endemol UK who make the show, which ended after 10 years on Channel 4 last September. It's thought that the commercial terms have been agreed with both parties expected to seal the deal within a matter of days, according to reports in the Guardian. Desmond resumed negotiations with Endemol after they came to a halt last autumn. Details of the show's format are still being hammered out - but one source reckons that the new version will be on a smaller scale to the Channel 4 hit but with a longer run. The Channel 4 series ran for up to 13 weeks each year. There has also been speculation that Davina McCall will return to host the Channel 5 version. "Endemol need the money, which is why they've done the deal, having broken it off before," said a source. "Executives are now down to final details but broadly they are there." Big Brother saw its popularity fade in recent years. In 2002, a record 9.2 million tuned in for the show's final, won by Kate Lawler, while last year's final, won by Josie Gibson, was watched by just four million. News of the agreement comes ahead of the channel's relaunch on Monday. Big Brother can expect to receive blanket coverage in Desmond's newspaper and magazine empire. Channel 5 and Endemol declined to comment on the deal.
