LOVE Island’s Maura Higgins has emerged as the surprise frontrunner to host the rebooted Big Brother.

ITV bosses think the Irish model, who made the dating show’s final in 2019 with Curtis Pritchard, has the personality and profile the highly sought-after role commands.

Since the dating show, Maura, 31, has starred on Dancing on Ice and been cast as host of beauty transformation show, Glow Up Ireland, while also grabbing headlines when she dated Strictly’s Giovanni Pernice.

An insider said: “Producers are determined to distance themselves from former Big Brother names but the former favourite, Mo Gilligan, is now busy in the States.

“Now bosses are looking at female stars who have the strength to hold the show together, while also the warmth to gently quiz contestants in the way that Davina McCall and Emma Willis did so well.

“Maura is a homegrown ITV talent who has all that – plus of course looks great on screen.”

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The reboot will be one of the shortest series in the history of Big Brother, with the whole process lasting just six weeks.

Previously, most series have been at least seven weeks long, with some stretching to 13 weeks.

Big Brother started in the Netherlands in 1999 but was quickly brought over to Britain.

The show went on to be sold to 64 countries from Mongolia to Brazil.

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