Bit On The Side reportedly axed by Channel 5 - but presenter Rylan will stay

Classic spin-off Big Brother’s Little Brother will reportedly return for Big Brother 2018 after Channel 5 axed Bit On The Side – although presenter Rylan Clark-Neal will stay with the show.

Bit On The Side – which typically airs each weekday in the late-night 11pm timeslot – was launched as a replacement for Channel 4 companion shows Little Brother and Big Mouth when the reality format moved to C5 in 2011.

However, after seven years, it appears BOTS is set to end as part of bosses’ efforts to take Big Brother ‘back to basics’.

The Daily Star claims it has been axed ahead of this summer’s series – with C5 now planning to resurrect Little Brother instead.

According to the newspaper, BBLB will return in its typical ‘early evening’ timeslot, with host Rylan transferring to the revived spin-off.

A ‘show source’ is quoted as saying: “Ratings for Bit On The Side have dropped in recent years. It is felt that it has had its time.

“Channel 5 now want Big Brother’s spin-off to be like it was years ago. So it makes sense to bring back Little Brother.”

The mole added: “BB’s spin-off show will now air before Big Brother each night. It will be a more relaxed affair without any swearing or the naughty games people often saw on Bit On The Side.”

The news is yet to be confirmed by C5.

It is unclear exactly where an early-evening spin-off would fit in C5’s schedule. The broadcaster airs news, Neighbours and Home and Away between 5pm and 7pm, meaning BBLB would either eat in to its primetime hours, or air earlier in the afternoon, an arguably less prominent slot than BOTS already has.

Another option would be to move it to digital channel 5STAR, although this may also have a negative impact on ratings.

C5 has previously experimented with afternoon spin-offs. In 2013, BOTS aired a Sunday afternoon edition named ‘Rylan’s Supersized Celebrity Sunday’, but it failed to attract much of an audience and was canned after one series.

Little Brother originally aired between 2001 and 2010 on C4 and E4, hosted by Dermot O’Leary, and later George Lamb and Emma Willis.