Celebrity Big Brother bosses ‘plan to offer huge royal £500,000 to star in upcoming series in a bid to boost the hit show’s audience’
Celebrity Big Brother bosses are reportedly planning to offer Sarah Ferguson £500,000 to take part in the upcoming series of the show.
Reality TV juggernaut Big Brother returned to screens on ITV2 in October this year after being axed from Channel 5 five years earlier in 2018.
And ITV executives are said to be keen to sign the Duchess of York, 64, in a bid to attract a large audience.
An ITV source told the newspaper Mirror: ‘Sarah would be a brilliant addition to Celebrity Big Brother. She is very smart, engaging and funny. Not to mention the millions of viewers she would attract when she started talking to housemates about the royal family and Prince Andrew.
‘Sarah has never considered reality formats in the past, but ITV bosses hope their offer can change that.
Celebrity Big Brother bosses are reportedly planning to offer Sarah Ferguson £500,000 to take part in the upcoming series of the show
‘Signing her would be a huge coup. That’s why they dig deep for the offer they want to make to her.’
A Big Brother spokesperson told MailOnline: ‘All names for Celebrity Big Brother are purely speculation.’
The royal is understood to have been impressed after she co-presented and guest edited an episode of This Morning last month.
Fergie said of the role: ‘I’ve appeared on This Morning before, but this time I’m returning in a very different role.
‘I love live TV and am a big fan of the show, and the whole team are always a pleasure to be around.
‘I’m looking forward to being there all morning and am thrilled to be guest editing the show, which means I get to explore some of the topics I’m passionate about.’
Sarah wouldn’t be the first person with royal connections to make a reality TV appearance after Mike Tindall took part in I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! last year.
The move could be a wise one for Sarah as she signs up for Celebrity Big Brother after rugby royal Mike saw his wealth soar to almost £1million following his appearance on I’m A Celebrity.
It’s understood the royals were impressed after she co-hosted and guest edited an episode of This Morning last month (L-R: This Morning’s Dermot O’Leary, guest presenter Sarah and regular presenter Alison Hammond pictured on the show last month )
Figures from his company Kimble Trading Limited show that the company’s reserves more than doubled from £440,000 to £930,000 in the time covered by the exchange.
The return is the best performance for the company in years and follows his successful stint on the ITV celebrity show, where he finished fourth and impressed fans with his down-to-earth character and hilarious royal anecdotes.
Kimble Trading had assets of £1.3m but owed creditors £439,000, including £101,000 to HMRC, but still had a very healthy balance.
The figures cover the 12 months to the end of March this year and cover the time of his appearance on the ITV show last year.
Mike, 45, married to Princess Anne’s daughter Zara Phillips, 42, was praised for his down-to-earth nature and calmness, as well as his stories about the royal family.
Sarah wouldn’t be the first person with royal connections to make a reality TV appearance after Mike Tindall took part in I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! last year (Mike pictured on the ITV show last November)
In one, he recalled ripping his pants while performing a “slut drop” dance move for Princess Anne to reveal his underpants and saying, “nibble my nuts.”
He said Princess Anne took one look and said, “I’d rather not.”
In another, he revealed that he and Zara bonded over an alcohol-fueled lunch on their first real date.
He said: ‘It ended up being quite drunk. Then we discovered that we both enjoy being spanked. It was a good start.’
Mike saw his wealth rise to almost £1 million after his appearance on I’m A Celebrity (Mike and his wife, Princess Anne’s daughter Zara Phillips, pictured in June 2023)