In a bid to tackle competition from ITV this summer Channel 4 will be making changes to Big Brother 2006′s airing time and length this year.

By extending the run of the Big Brother show to 13 weeks and moving it from 10pm to a more primetime slot, Channel 4 hopes to see off competition from ITV shows such as Celebrity Love Island, Soccer Idol and Celebrity Pop Idol.

“ITV went for us last year with Celebrity Love Island but I don’t know that they thought it was a marvellous success,” Kevin Lygo, C4′s director of television, told Broadcast. “This year they’ll throw Coronation Street all over the place too.”