Reality TV fans have a reason to celebrate: Big Brother Canada is officially making a comeback for a third time, with a brand-new season set to air on CTV and Crave.
Bell Media announced during its upfront presentation in Toronto this week that production on the popular reality competition series will begin next spring in Montreal. Details about the casting process are expected to be revealed at a later date.
In addition to reviving the Canadian edition, Bell Media will also broadcast the long-running U.S. version of Big Brother beginning in the summer of 2027.
A Reality TV Phenomenon Returns
Inspired by George Orwell’s classic novel Nineteen Eighty-Four, Big Brother places a group of contestants, known as houseguests, inside a specially designed house where they are monitored around the clock. Cut off from the outside world, participants must navigate alliances, rivalries, and strategic gameplay while competing for a cash prize.
As relationships evolve and tensions rise, contestants work to avoid eviction and stay in the game for as long as possible.
Andrea Bain to Host the Revival
Leading the new era of Big Brother Canada will be television personality Andrea Bain. Known for co-hosting CTV’s daytime talk show The Social and previously appearing on CBC’s The Goods, Bain will take over hosting duties for the revived series.
Sharing her excitement on social media, Bain wrote, “If you’ve watched me over the years, you know how much I love reality television, big personalities, unexpected twists and unforgettable moments. So to now be part of a franchise that has delivered all of that for decades is truly a dream come true.”
She added, “Excuse me while I scream into a pillow and happy dance around my condo.”
Fans Can Revisit Earlier Seasons
As part of the agreement, Bell Media has secured the rights to all 12 previous seasons of Big Brother Canada. Fans can stream the show’s extensive archive on Crave, alongside the French-language spin-off Big Brother Célébrités.
A Franchise with Global Appeal
Since first launching in the Netherlands in the late 1990s, Big Brother has become one of the world’s most successful reality TV formats, spawning adaptations across dozens of countries, including Brazil, the United Kingdom, India, and Australia.
The Canadian version originally premiered on Slice in 2013 before moving to Global in 2015. The show was hosted by broadcaster and entertainment journalist Arisa Cox, who had previously gained recognition through the reality series U8TV: The Lofters.
Over the years, Big Brother Canada has built a devoted fan base. When the show was temporarily placed on hiatus after its fifth season, strong viewer support helped secure its return for a sixth season. A similar wave of disappointment followed when Global announced the show’s cancellation in June 2024.
Looking ahead to the latest revival, Justin Stockman, Bell Media’s Vice-President of Global Content, expressed optimism about bringing the franchise back to viewers.
“We look forward to delivering Canadian audiences more of the eventful and unforgettable competitive social gameplay they love,” he said in a statement.
Harnaik Singh Rathor is the Founder, Publisher, and Editor-in-Chief of StudioX News Canada, Canada's multilingual digital news network serving diaspora communities across 44 languages. With a background in media production, public relations, and multicultural communications, he founded StudioX Film and TV Corporation to bridge the gap between mainstream Canadian media and the country's diverse immigrant communities. He is a member of the Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ), RTDNA Canada, CPRS Vancouver, Unifor, NEPMCC, and the Canada Freelance Union. Based in Surrey, British Columbia. | LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harnaiksinghrathor/ | Muck Rack: https://muckrack.com/harnaiksinghrathor | Email: editor@studioxnews.ca
