The reality competition show returned to British television for the first time in five years, and more than 2.5 million viewers watched as 16 participants entered the Big Brother house.
The housemates immediately participated in a “housewarming party” with games that had surprising results once the series shifted to ITV.
Jenkin, 25, lost hot water for a day after his bag blew up.
The Times claimed the launch felt “like a Noughties fossil,” while the Telegraph dubbed it “fun.”
The new hosts, AJ Odudu and Will Best, have drawn criticism from some viewers for being unfairly compared to Davina McCall and Emma Willis in the past.
On Sunday’s first episode, Davina wrote on X, “How’s it going? I am extremely afraid of missing out.
Big Brother revolutionized British television when it debuted on Channel 4 in 2000, then moved to Channel 5, and finally was cancelled in 2018.
The inaugural broadcast received 2 million viewers on ITV1 and another 527,000 viewers on ITV2, which will serve as the program’s primary home in the coming weeks.