ITV closes channel to shift reality shows to ITV2
ITV has announced that ITVBe will close later this year as the channel's reality shows including The Only Way Is Essex (Towie) move to ITV2.
The broadcaster also said the channel slot will be replaced with a new channel called ITV Quiz, which will focus on its quiz and game shows.
The Real Housewives Of Cheshire and Real Housewives franchises will move from ITVBe to ITV2 in June 2025, along with Towie.
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The ITVBe brand will 'retire', following ITV analysing the watching habits of ITVX's personalised channels that are themed around programmes such as Hell's Kitchen US and The Chase, as well as genres such as true crime.
ITV said the 'reality genre provides some of the most highly consumed programming on ITV2 and ITVX', including dating series Love Island, and the spin-off Big Brother chat show, which are popular with younger viewers.
New commissions for ITV2 include a reunion series for siblings and former Towie stars Sam Faiers and Billie Shepherd in Sam & Billie: Sister Act.
Faiers previously fronted the ITVBe series Sam & Billie: The Mummy Diaries, before departing in 2021, while Shepherd fronted the show Billie & Greg: The Family Diaries from 2021 to 2024.
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ITV2's 'supercharged offering' also includes the sitcoms G'Wed and Transaction and factual entertainment programme Olivia Attwood's Price Of Perfection.
Love Island and Big Brother will return in the summer and autumn months respectively, ITV said.
Towie celebrates its 15th anniversary year in 2025, with an Autumn series.
Its original debut was on ITV2, before moving to ITVBe.
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