List of The Big Reunion episodes

The Big Reunion is a British reality-documentary series that began airing on ITV2 on 31 January 2013. The show follows chart-topping groups that have reformed for the show and were big names in the UK pop music scene in the 1990s and early 2000s, and the show follows them through their two weeks of intensive rehearsals before they step back on stage for a comeback performance.

Episode list

Series 1 (2013)

No.	Title	Featured band(s)	Written by	Directed by	Original air date	UK viewers
1	"Five & Liberty X"	Five & Liberty X[1]	Shane Byrne Mark Drake	Shane Byrne Mark Drake	31 January 2013[1]	1,137,000[2]
2	"Atomic Kitten & 911"	Atomic Kitten & 911[3]	Shane Byrne Mark Drake	Shane Byrne Mark Drake	7 February 2013[3]	1,305,000[2]
3	"B*Witched & Honeyz"	B*Witched & Honeyz[4]	Shane Byrne Mark Drake	Shane Byrne Mark Drake	14 February 2013[4]	941,000[2]
4	"Five & Atomic Kitten"	Five & Atomic Kitten[5]	Shane Byrne Mark Drake	Shane Byrne Mark Drake	21 February 2013[5]	826,000[2]
5	"911 & B*Witched"	911 & B*Witched[6][7]	Shane Byrne Mark Drake	Shane Byrne Mark Drake	28 February 2013[7]	766,000[2]
6	"First Week Rehearsals"	All bands[8]	Shane Byrne Mark Drake	Shane Byrne Mark Drake	7 March 2013[8]	778,000[2]
7	"Blue & Second Week Rehearsals"	All bands[9]	Shane Byrne Mark Drake	Shane Byrne Mark Drake	14 March 2013[9]	911,000[2]
8	"Blue & Final Rehearsals"	All bands[10]	Shane Byrne Mark Drake	Shane Byrne Mark Drake	21 March 2013[10]	811,000[2]
9	"The Big Reunion Goes Live"	All bands[11]	Shane Byrne Mark Drake	Shane Byrne Mark Drake	28 March 2013[11]	1,152,000[2]

The Big Reunion: On Tour (2013)

No.	Title	Featured band(s)	Written by	Directed by	Original air date	UK viewers
1	"Final Rehearsals"	All bands	Shane Byrne Mark Drake	Shane Byrne Mark Drake	5 September 2013	197,000
Founding Five member Jason "J" Brown returns to hit back at accusations made by his bandmates. He acknowledges his behaviour could have been seen as loud and overbearing, but he denies bullying Sean Conlon. During a meet with Abz Love, Brown explains he has moved on and that he does not feel comfortable returning to Five.[12]
2	"Trouble Backstage"	All bands	Shane Byrne Mark Drake	Shane Byrne Mark Drake	12 September 2013	191,000
As The Big Reunion Arena tour kicks off in Sheffield, problems occur backstage, from missing costumes, missing music, arguments to onstage injuries. Even more problems occur while on their way up to Scotland, the tour bus breaks down. Will the bands make it on time to perform in Glasgow? Meanwhile Liberty X announce that they will no longer return to music after The Big Reunion tour ends and Atomic Kitten perform in their hometown, Liverpool.[13]
3	"Final Shows"	All bands	Shane Byrne Mark Drake	Shane Byrne Mark Drake	19 September 2013	231,000
It is almost the end of the line for the bands as they hit the half way mark on their 14-date UK tour, and they're enjoying every single night before it is over. Our cameras continue to follow Five, Blue, B*Witched, Liberty X, 911, Honeyz and Atomic Kitten as they burn the candle at both ends. This episode sees bedroom shenanigans, busking on the street, die-hard fans, and a couple of band members reveal a little more than they intended. As the tour reaches its final days, the bands reflect on what their reunions have meant for them, and what the future holds.[14]

The Big Christmas Reunion (2013)

No.	Title	Featured band(s)	Written by	Directed by	Original air date	UK viewers
1	"The Big Christmas Reunion"	All bands[15]	Shane Byrne Mark Drake	Shane Byrne Mark Drake	12 December 2013	N/A[2]
Ten years after their music dominated the airways, and after a phenomenal comeback year, the bands from ITV2's hit series The Big Reunion are back in the recording studio – producing a Christmas single in aid of Text Santa. The Big Christmas Reunion gives viewers an access-all-areas pass to witness what happens behind the scenes when – for the first time ever - Blue, Atomic Kitten, Five, The Honeyz, B*Witched, 911 and Liberty X join forces to record music together. They will be recording one of the best-loved tracks in Christmas history – "I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day" by Wizzard. With just two days to record a Christmas hit, the cameras will capture all the drama, excitement, rivalry and pressure as 26 pop stars come together to work with legendary music producer Cutfather – who has over seven UK number ones and 37 top 10 singles to his name. It may be one of the most recognisable Christmas singles, but Five are convinced a rap by their very own Abz Love should be included - but will the other bands agree? Only one star can be given the honour of singing the iconic final line – but who has the voice and nerve to take on such a vocal? And much has changed since they were last recording pop stars – Kerry Katona of Atomic Kitten and Michelle Heaton of Liberty X are both pregnant and Michelle has to take time out from the recording studio to go for a scan that will reveal the sex of her baby. Text Santa is ITV's annual charity fundraiser and this year is raising money for six UK based charities – Age UK, Barnardo's, BeatBullying, the British Heart Foundation, CLIC Sargent and Help the Hospices. Each band gets to see the incredible work undertaken by each of these charities – and in some cases are asked to help out. Five are forced to learn a totally different type of dance routine when they are guests of honour at an Age UK Tea Dance. While the girls from B*Witched and guys of 911 battle it out through the muddiest, wettest obstacle courses in support of the British Heart Foundation. In Wakefield, Atomic Kitten help Barnardo’s host a children’s Christmas party for young families who would otherwise struggle to afford any kind of festive cheer. A visitor to the studio is 21-year-old Ellie who is given a tour of the studio by the Honeyz after she tells them of her harrowing experiences of cyber bullying – and the support she received from BeatBullying. Blue make a surprise visit to Amanda – a fan who is a patient at Teesside Hospice, a member of Help the Hospices. Amanda is invited for a VIP visit to one of their arena concerts. In the studio, Michelle Heaton and Lee Brennan receive a very special visitor when 11-year-old Alayna arrives to tell them how invaluable CLIC Sargent were while she was undergoing treatment for cancer. This plucky girl has a profound effect on the two singers – reminding Lee of a similar experience as a child. For all the bands, the chance to see how Text Santa funding helps these charities puts the entire recording experience in perspective.[15]

Series 2 (2014)

All episode directed by: Mark Drake & Shane Byrne

No.	Title	Featured band(s)	Original air date	UK viewers
1	"Damage & Girl Thing"	Damage and Girl Thing[16]	6 February 2014[16]	560,000[2]
2	"Eternal & A1"	Eternal and A1[17]	13 February 2014[17]	440,000[2]
3	"5th Story"	5th Story[18]	20 February 2014[18]	759,000[2]
4	"3T"	3T	27 February 2014	[2]
5	"Rehearsals, Part 1"	All bands	6 March 2014	[2]
6	"Rehearsals, Part 2"	All bands	13 March 2014	569,000[2]
7	"Rehearsals, Part 3"	All bands	20 March 2014	[2]
8	"The Gig"	All bands	27 March 2014	[2]

Ratings

Series 1

The first episode was seen by an average of 957,000 UK viewers, though it peaked at 1.2 million, making it ITV2's highest rated new show since 2008.[19] The ratings increased for the second episode, which was watched by over 1.3 million, helping ITV2 finish third in the 9:00pm slot in front of BBC Two, Channel 4 and Channel 5.[20] The overnight audience fell sharply to 670,000 for the third episode (but official figures were 941,000), being beaten in its timeslot by Junior Doctors: Your Life in Their Hands on BBC Three.[21] Ratings continued to slide for episode 4, which overnight viewing figures showed was only watched by 630,000 viewers (less than half the audience of the episode of Celebrity Juice) that followed at 10:00pm,[22] although the official rating was 826,000. The sixth episode brought in 606,000 viewers when up against the series finale of Mayday on BBC One and UEFA Europa League coverage on ITV.[23] 638,000 watched episode 7[24] and 593,000 watched episode 8.[25] The ratings shot back up for the final episode, as an audience of 974,000 tuned in to watch the highlights and behind-the-scenes action of the Hammersmith Apollo concert.[26] Official ratings show that with the addition of ITV2+1, The Big Reunion averaged over 1 million viewers every week.

The Big Reunion: On Tour

The Big Reunion: On Tour was seen by a relatively low audience compared to its original series. Just 197,000 viewers watched the first episode,[27] whilst episode 2 saw figures dip to 191,000.[28] The third and final episode was seen by an audience of 231,000.[29]

The Big Christmas Reunion

Ratings for The Big Christmas Reunion are unknown.

Series 2

The first episode of the second series was seen by an audience of 463,000, less than half the audience of the series 1 premiere.[30]

References

1. "The Big Reunion Episode 1". itv.com. (ITV Plc). 15 January 2013. Retrieved 27 February 2013.
2. "Viewing data top 10s". Broadcasters' Audience Research Board. Retrieved 27 February 2013.
3. "The Big Reunion Episode 2". itv.com. (ITV Plc). 25 January 2013. Retrieved 27 February 2013.
4. "The Big Reunion Episode 3". itv.com. (ITV Plc). 30 January 2013. Retrieved 27 February 2013.
5. "The Big Reunion Episode 4". itv.com. (ITV Plc). 6 February 2013. Retrieved 27 February 2013.
6. Twitter / MrLeeBrennan: @911official will be on next week with @BWitchedreunion #BigReunion @itv2
7. "The Big Reunion Episode 5". itv.com. (ITV Plc). 20 February 2013. Retrieved 27 February 2013.
8. "The Big Reunion Episode 6". itv.com. (ITV Plc). 20 February 2013. Retrieved 27 February 2013.
9. "The Big Reunion Episode 7". itv.com. (ITV Plc). 6 March 2013. Retrieved 6 March 2013.
10. "The Big Reunion Episode 8". itv.com. (ITV Plc). 13 March 2013. Retrieved 16 March 2013.
11. "The Big Reunion Episode 8". itv.com. (ITV Plc). 13 March 2013. Retrieved 28 March 2013.
12. "The Big Reunion: On Tour Episode 1". itv.com. 21 August 2013. Retrieved 2 February 2014.
13. "The Big Reunion: On Tour Episode 2". itv.com. 27 August 2013. Retrieved 2 February 2014.
14. "The Big Reunion: On Tour Episode 3". itv.com. 4 September 2013. Retrieved 2 February 2014.
15. "The Big Christmas Reunion". itv.com. (ITV Plc). 18 November 2013. Retrieved 9 February 2013.
16. "The Big Reunion 2014 Episode 1". itv.com. 21 January 2014. Retrieved 14 February 2014.
17. "The Big Reunion 2014 Episode 2". itv.com. 21 January 2014. Retrieved 14 February 2014.
18. "The Big Reunion 2014 Episode 3". itv.com. 21 January 2014. Retrieved 14 February 2014.
19. Millar, Paul (1 February 2013). "ITV2's 1990s 'Big Reunion' attracts a million viewers". Digital Spy. Hearst Magazines UK. Retrieved 1 February 2013.
20. Millar, Paul (8 February 2013). "'The Big Reunion' ratings soar to 1.1 million for ITV2". Digital Spy. Hearst Magazines UK. Retrieved 8 February 2013.
21. Millar, Paul (17 February 2013). "BBC Three's 'Junior Doctors' beats ITV2's 'The Big Reunion'". Digital Spy. Hearst Magazines UK. Retrieved 18 February 2013.
22. "Twitter / LeighHolmwood: Great night for ITV2 in the ratings last night. Celeb Juice returned with a whopping 1.6 million while The Big Reunion pulled in 630k".
23. Fletcher, Alex (8 March 2013). "'Mayday' ratings climb for finale on BBC One". Digital Spy. Hearst Magazines UK. Retrieved 8 March 2013.
24. Fletcher, Alex (15 March 2013). "Comic Relief 'Hell and High Water' amuses 4.7 million viewers". Digital Spy. Hearst Magazines UK. Retrieved 16 March 2013.
25. Fletcher, Alex (22 March 2013). "Keith Lemon's 'Celebrity Juice' tickles over a million for ITV2". Digital Spy. Hearst Magazines UK. Retrieved 22 March 2013.
26. Fletcher, Alex (29 March 2013). "'Big Reunion' bows out with over 1 million viewers on ITV2". Digital Spy. Hearst Magazines UK. Retrieved 29 March 2013.
27. Eames, Tom (6 September 2013). "Tamsin Greig's 'The Guilty' launches with 3.6m on ITV". Digital Spy. Hearst Magazines UK. Retrieved 3 February 2014.
28. Eames, Tom (13 September 2013). "'Peaky Blinders' opens to 2.4 million on BBC Two". Digital Spy. Hearst Magazines UK. Retrieved 3 February 2014.
29. Eames, Tom (20 September 2013). "'Peaky Blinders' stays above 2 million on BBC Two". Digital Spy. Hearst Magazines UK. Retrieved 3 February 2014.
30. Eames, Tom (7 February 2014). "Pound Shop Wars top on Thursday night with 5.4m". Digital Spy. Hearst Magazines UK. Retrieved 10 February 2014.