Celebrity Big Brother gets the boot

Next year's series of Celebrity Big Brother has been given the boot, Channel 4 has announced.Channel 4 has denied the decision is linked to a race row involving the treatment of Bollywood star Shilpa Shetty at the hands of Jade Goody, Danielle Lloyd and Jo O'Meara, that overshadowed the last series and caused an international outcry.A record 54,000 viewers complained about the show and Channel 4 received a further blow when Carphone Warehouse terminated its £3 million sponsorship deal.But the broadcaster has cited "creative renewal" as the reason for the change despite rumours that the star-studded edition of the show had been cancelled because celebrities were put off by the controversy.The programmers insist the decision is unrelated and is part of a policy to clear most returning series to make way for new and adventurous programming.It had been reported that Paris Hilton was being lined up to star in the next series of the show, after apparently being offered more than £300,000 to take part.The station will now decide next year whether the celebrity version will return in 2009.© Independent Television News Limited 2007. All rights reserved.

ITN | August 24, 2007