Duchess of York ‘will not be appearing’ on Celebrity Big Brother reboot

Media reports on Christmas Eve claimed ITV bosses were considering offering the duchess a large sum of money in a bid to sign her.
Sarah, Duchess of York (Kirsty O’Connor/PA)
PA Wire
Naomi Clarke24 December 2023
The Weekender

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Sarah, Duchess of York will not appear on the upcoming Celebrity Big Brother revival, her representatives have confirmed.

Media reports on Christmas Eve claimed ITV bosses were considering offering the duchess hundreds of thousands of pounds in a bid to sign her up for the new series in 2024.

The broadcaster announced in November that the Big Brother spin-off would be returning to screens next year following the reboot of the standard format in October, which saw lawyer Jordan crowned the winner.

A spokesman for the duchess, 64, has shut down the speculation, saying: “This story is complete nonsense.

“The duchess will not be appearing on this show.

“As is widely known, she does not consider reality TV formats.”

A Big Brother spokesperson also confirmed that any names rumoured for Celebrity Big Brother are “purely speculation”.

The reboot of the ITV show in 2024 will see a cast of famous faces take up residence in the Big Brother house.

During the series they will take part in weekly nominations and challenges as cameras capture their every move.

The celebrity and “civilian” version of the reality show last aired on Channel 5 in 2018 before it was axed amid a ratings slump.

The duchess has appeared on a number of ITV chat shows of recent including joining This Morning presenters Alison Hammond and Dermot O’Leary as co-host last month.

The former member of the royal family also guest edited the ITV1 show and revealed during the episode she had been approached to appear on ITV reality show, I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!, “every single year”.

She also featured as a panellist on Loose Women in November to help launch its Don’t Skip Your Screening breast cancer campaign.

Earlier this year, the late Queen’s former daughter-in-law underwent an eight-hour single mastectomy operation and reconstruction after discovering she had an early form of breast cancer during a routine mammogram, which she almost missed.

It was the duchess’s first time on television since revealing her diagnosis and she spoke openly to presenters Christine Lampard, Coleen Nolan and Brenda Edwards about her initial fears that she would not see her grandchildren grow up.

“I really want to shout about this. Don’t skip your screening appointment, because I would not be sitting here if I hadn’t have gone,” she said during the segment.

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