Rylan Clark-Neal has admitted that he is still not over Channel 5's decision to get rid of Big Brother in 2018.
The seminal reality show bowed out after almost 19 years on the air in November 2018 - and this week C5 head Ben Frow insisted that he has no regrets about swinging the axe.
Clark-Neal, who presented companion show Bit On The Side, is a vocal critic of Frow's decision but remains hopeful that another broadcaster may revive the series in 2021.
"To me, Big Brother was the original reality show. Civilian Big Brother we loved because we got to know people and Celebrity, we got to see the real person behind the persona. There's no other show that does that," he told the Radio Times.
"You've got brilliant reality shows, like I'm A Celebrity, Strictly, Love Island, which are fantastic, but Big Brother was really the only reality show where you never saw anyone else, producers didn't get involved. They wouldn't ask you to retake anything. It's just brilliant and will forever be my favourite show.
"I wish I could be Mr Humble and say it's the right time to rest it. Bollocks. It should never have gone in the first place, I was so f**king annoyed.
"I get it, of course I get it because I'm not stupid, I know what happens. But it's been gone two years now and next year's a big birthday for it (21).
"I would go back in a heartbeat, of course I would. It started my career really. I would love nothing more than to see it back on air. I miss it, I really do."
Clark-Neal is now host of the revived Supermarket Sweep, which begins a new series on ITV this Tuesday at 3pm.
Neil Wilkes
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