C4 secures Big Brother until 2010

Big Brother is a global TV hit

Channel 4 has secured the rights to Big Brother until 2010 in a deal worth up to £180m, according to some estimates.

The company moved to reach an agreement with makers Endemol UK after ITV expressed interest in show's format.

There have been seven series of the globally popular format in the UK, with the finale of the last series being watched by up to 8.2m viewers.

Channel Four had the hit US desert island drama Lost poached by Sky in a £20m deal in October.

'Ultimate format'

The extended Big Brother commission includes spin-off programming Celebrity Big Brother, Big Brother's Little Brother, Big Brother's Big Mouth and E4 streaming.

Angela Jain, Channel 4 commissioning editor, said: "Channel 4 is the spiritual home of Big Brother.

"It remains the ultimate reality format and continues to deliver dramatic, innovative viewing as one of the UK's most talked about television programmes."

While being derided by some critics as low-brow TV, it has been a consistent ratings performer.

Big Brother 7 attracted an average audience of 4.7m viewers, up on the previous series which delivered an average 4.5m.