The new series of Celebrity Big Brother will kick off on August 16, Channel 5 has confirmed.

A post from the reality programme’s Twitter account read: “SEVERE WEATHER WARNING!

“We know it usually rains on Launch Night, but you’ll need more than a brolly for this storm! #CBB kicks off on 16th August, 9pm on @channel5_tv.”

The series, hosted by Emma Willis, was previously revealed to have an Eye of the Storm theme.

In a statement announcing the show’s theme, Channel 5 previously explained: “All of the celebrity names entering the house will have been caught up in their own media storm.”

Former X-Factor contestant and the winner of Celebrity Big Brother 2011 Rylan Clark-Neal will return to front the show’s spin-off Bit On The Side this year.

Clark-Neal retweeted the show’s start date moments after it was announced writing: “HERE WE GO!” He added: “Bring on the storm!”

The programme’s narrator Marcus Bentley, whose voice has appeared in every episode of the UK version of Big Brother since it was first broadcast in 2000, also reacted to the news.

Bentley wrote on Twitter: “See you in just over two weeks! Can’t wait.”

In July the programme’s host network confirmed the programme was contracted until the end of the year, following reports the upcoming series would be the last for the broadcaster.

A Channel 5 spokesman said: “The situation remains unchanged, Big Brother is currently contracted until the end of the year, there’s no update on future series beyond 2018.”

The last series of the celebrity version of the reality TV show was won by Australian drag queen Courtney Act, real name Shane Jenek.