Celebrity Big Brother producers are being “held to ransom” by showbiz agents The Daily Star has revealed.

The producers have been surprised by the amount of last minute dropouts for the show which is due to kick off on the 3rd of January. They are now scouring for celebrities to fill in and showbiz agents are said to be taking advantage of their desperation by charging up to £100,000 for celebrities who would normally only receive £25,000.

A show source told the Daily Star: “We have needed something better. Producers know exactly who else they want but they are going to have to give them a hefty pay packet to get them to sign – we’re talking obscene amounts of cash.

“Agents are playing hard ball with producers because they know they need to fill the house before the show kicks off next week.”