Big Brother VIP Albania is the celebrity edition of the Big Brother reality format, produced and aired by Top Channel in Tirana, in which well-known Albanian singers, actors, presenters and athletes live together under cameras for about four months while viewers vote on who stays. Five seasons have aired since October 2021, and the most recent one ended in April 2026 with dancer Selin Bollati as the winner, according to Top Channel.
This guide is written for viewers in the United States who want to follow the show from abroad. It explains where the format comes from, who has hosted and won each season, how the separate Kosovo edition fits in, and which official, legal ways to watch are named by the broadcaster and its distributors on their own pages. Everything here was checked against Top Channel, Klan Kosova and distributor pages in October 2026.
Fakte të shpejta
- Broadcaster and producer: Top Channel, a national commercial TV network based in Tirana. The show is based on the Big Brother format created by Endemol Shine Nederland and distributed by Banijay Rights, as credited on the show’s official site.
- Big Brother started in Albania on Top Channel in 2008 with ordinary contestants. The VIP (celebrity) version began in October 2021.
- Five VIP seasons have aired. Winners: Ilir Shaqiri, Luiz Ejlli, Egla Ceno, Gjesti and Selin Bollati.
- Hosts: Arbana Osmani presented the first two VIP seasons and Ledion Liço has presented seasons three, four and five.
- The winner’s prize announced by Top Channel has been 100,000 euros in the VIP era.
- Official ways to watch named by Top Channel: its TV signal, two 24-hour Big Brother VIP channels on DigitAlb, and Top Channel’s official YouTube channel for the live shows.
Në këtë faqe
- What Big Brother VIP Albania Is
- From Big Brother Albania in 2008 to the VIP Format
- Seasons, Hosts and Winners
- The Most Recent Season and What Is Known About the Next One
- Big Brother VIP Kosova Is a Separate Show
- How to Watch Legally From the United States
- Why the Show Matters to the Diaspora
- Pyetje të shpeshta
What Big Brother VIP Albania Is
The idea is the same one used by Big Brother around the world. A group of housemates moves into a purpose-built house, cut off from phones and news, and is filmed around the clock. Each week some housemates are nominated and the public votes. The last person left wins the prize. In the VIP version every housemate is already a public figure, which is why the show is a weekly talking point in Albania, Kosovo and the diaspora.
Top Channel’s official show site credits the program as based on the Big Brother format created by Endemol Shine Nederland and distributed by Banijay Rights, with Top Channel as the producer. The site also carries the voting pages, the housemate list and clips. Top Channel has described the production as monitored by 100 cameras and two independent control rooms, feeding two dedicated 24-hour channels on the DigitAlb pay TV platform in addition to the prime time live shows on Top Channel itself.
Many of the housemates come from music. If you want background on the artists who tend to appear, see our guides to këngëtarë të famshëm shqiptarë, Reperët shqiptarë dhe Muzikë shqipe.
From Big Brother Albania in 2008 to the VIP Format
Big Brother arrived in Albania in 2008 on Top Channel as a show with members of the public. A Top Channel photo gallery of past winners names Arbër Çepani as the winner of Big Brother 1. A history published by Gazeta Blic counts nine regular editions over about 13 years, with breaks between them, and says Arbana Osmani presented eight of the nine while Ledion Liço presented one. The same history says the prize grew from 50,000 euros in 2008 to 100,000 euros by the 2017 edition, which used a couples format.
The celebrity version followed. In an interview published by Top Channel on August 18, 2021, Arbana Osmani confirmed that she would present the new Big Brother VIP starting that October, that the winner’s prize would be 100,000 euros, and that the house would be shown live for 24 hours a day on two DigitAlb channels with daily summaries on Top Channel. Gazeta Blic dates the launch to October 5 and counts it as the tenth Albanian edition of the format overall.
That structure (big live shows on Top Channel, plus a paid 24-hour feed) has stayed the same in every VIP season since.
Seasons, Hosts and Winners
The table lists only rows that could be confirmed on Top Channel’s own pages. Dates in the last column are the dates Top Channel published the result.
| Sezoni | Years | Host | Winner | Result reported by Top Channel |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Big Brother VIP 1 | 2021 to 2022 | Arbana Osmani | Ilir Shaqiri (dancer). Runner-up: actor Donald Veshaj | February 19, 2022 |
| Big Brother VIP 2 | 2022 deri në 2023 | Arbana Osmani | Luiz Ejlli (singer), after 133 days in the house | May 7, 2023 |
| Big Brother VIP 3 | 2024 | Ledion Liço | Egla Ceno, after 133 days | May 2024 (after-party report dated May 29, 2024) |
| Big Brother VIP 4 | 2024 to 2025 | Ledion Liço | Gjesti (singer from Kosovo), after 120 days. Runner-up: Rozana Radi | Final on April 19, 2025, result reported April 20, 2025 |
| Big Brother VIP 5 | 2025 to 2026 | Ledion Liço | Selin Bollati (dancer), after 120 days. Runner-up: Miri | Final on April 18, 2026, result announced after midnight on April 19, 2026 |
A few details behind the table
- Season 1: Top Channel reported that Ilir Shaqiri won 100,000 euros after more than three months, and that the other finalists were Donald Veshaj, Einxhel Shkira and Beniada Nishani.
- Season 2: Top Channel reported that Luiz Ejlli was named the winner of the second edition after 133 days in the house.
- Season 3: Top Channel’s report from the after-party quotes Top Media’s Lori Hoxha, who called Big Brother the most expensive production in Albania. That is the broadcaster’s own description.
- Season 4: Top Channel said the final ran for more than five hours and claimed record audiences, including 400,000 simultaneous viewers on a single digital platform. That is the broadcaster’s own figure, not an independent rating.
- Season 5: Top Channel reported that Selin Bollati won the 100,000 euro prize through the public vote, ahead of Miri. Kosovo’s Telegrafi reported the same result in its live coverage of the final, which it said came after 120 days in the house.
The Most Recent Season and What Is Known About the Next One
Big Brother VIP 5 opened on Saturday, December 20, 2025, at 9 PM Tirana time, presented by Ledion Liço, according to Top Channel’s launch-day article. The broadcaster said the two DigitAlb channels (Big Brother VIP 1 and Big Brother VIP 2) would carry the house live around the clock. The final aired on the evening of Saturday, April 18, 2026, and Selin Bollati was announced as the winner shortly after midnight Tirana time on April 19, 2026, after 120 days in the house, according to Telegrafi’s live coverage and Top Channel’s report.
As of mid October 2026, we could not find an official Top Channel announcement of a start date or host for a sixth season, and the official show site’s latest posts were still about the season 5 final. Top Channel’s own entertainment pages were already referring to “Big Brother VIP 6” in September 2026, in interviews where celebrities were asked whether they would take part, which suggests a new season is expected, but that is not the same as a confirmed schedule. Season 3 premiered on January 13, 2024, season 4 on December 21, 2024 and season 5 on December 20, 2025, so check the official show site and Top Channel’s YouTube channel as winter approaches. Note that 9 PM in Tirana is mid afternoon on the US East Coast, so the live shows air during the American workday.
Big Brother VIP Kosova Is a Separate Show
Searches for “Big Brother Albania live” often land on clips from a different program. Big Brother VIP Kosova is produced and aired by Klan Kosova in Pristina, with its own house, its own cast and its own presenters. It is not a spin-off of the Top Channel show, although both use the same international format and both casts speak Albanian. Our explainer on Shqiptar kundër Kosovarit covers the wider relationship between the two countries.
Klan Kosova’s own coverage shows that the third edition began on October 18, 2024, and ended on January 24, 2025, with Drilon Rama named the winner and a grand prize that Klan Kosova put at 160,000 euros. The fourth edition ended on February 27, 2026, in a final presented by Alaudin Hamiti from the Klan Arena studio, with the housemate known as Londrimi taking the prize. Klan Kosova said the third final was also carried on ArtMotion and YouTube.
For US viewers the practical point is that the two shows have different rights holders, so an official way to watch one does not automatically include the other.
How to Watch Legally From the United States
Only options that the broadcaster or a distributor describes on its own pages are listed here. We do not list unofficial streams. Packages and availability change, so confirm the details on the provider’s own site before you pay for anything. We do not quote prices because they change.
1. Top Channel’s official YouTube channel
When Top Channel tells viewers where to watch a live show, it names three places: the Top Channel broadcast, the two dedicated DigitAlb channels, and “the official Top Channel channel on YouTube.” It said so for the season 3 premiere on January 13, 2024, for a season 3 live show later that month and for the season 4 final in April 2025. The channel handle shown on Top Channel’s site is @TopChannelAlbania. Top Channel also posts clips and full segments there after each show. If a stream is not on that channel or on the official show site, it is not Top Channel’s.
2. Top Channel’s own websites
The official show site (bigbrothervip.top-channel.tv) carries news, video clips, the housemate list and the voting pages, and top-channel.tv publishes recaps in Albanian within minutes of each live show. These are free to read from the United States.
3. DigitAlb’s online (OTT) service
DigitAlb is the pay TV platform that carries the two 24-hour Big Brother VIP channels. Its official site says subscribers can watch over the internet on smart TVs, phones and tablets, and its app is published in the US App Store by Digit-Alb Sh.a; the developer says registration unlocks a short trial package before you choose a subscription. In a January 2024 article, Top Channel said DigitAlb distributes the show by terrestrial signal, satellite and its OTT application, reaching Albanians in Europe, the United States, Canada, Australia and elsewhere. We could not confirm on DigitAlb’s own pages which online package includes the Big Brother VIP channels or which packages are sold to US addresses, so check before subscribing.
4. TVALB (United States and Canada)
TVALB describes itself on its own site as the licensed Albanian TV service legally broadcasting DigitAlb and other Albanian media providers in the US and Canada. Its FAQ states that it holds the rights to broadcast Big Brother VIP Albania for the diaspora in the USA and Canada, and exclusive rights to Big Brother VIP Kosova for the same two countries. These are the company’s own statements. We did not find a Top Channel page that names its North American partners, so if rights matter to you, ask the provider directly.
What to avoid
Re-streams on social media and unlicensed boxes are not authorized by Top Channel, tend to disappear mid show, and give nothing back to the people who make the program. The official YouTube stream costs nothing. For a wider look at Albanian-language TV, radio and news available to Americans, see our Albanian media in America udhëzues.
Why the Show Matters to the Diaspora
About 228,504 people in the United States report Albanian ancestry (US Census Bureau, ACS 5-year estimates, 2020 to 2024), and for many families a nightly show in Albanian is one of the easiest ways to keep the language in the house. Reality TV is not a language course, but it is everyday spoken Albanian, with dialects from Tirana, Shkodër, Kosovo and beyond. If you are raising children here, our guides on how to teach kids Albanian dhe Gjuhë shqipe have more structured ideas.
The show also works as a map of Albanian pop culture. Season 4 was won by a singer from Kosovo and season 5 by a dancer, and every cast mixes performers from Albania and Kosovo, which is one reason the audience stretches across borders.
Pyetje të shpeshta
Where can I watch Big Brother VIP Albania live in the USA?
Top Channel names three official places for its live shows: the Top Channel broadcast, the two 24-hour Big Brother VIP channels on DigitAlb, and Top Channel’s official YouTube channel. From the US, that means the YouTube channel, DigitAlb’s online app, or TVALB, which says on its own site that it is licensed to carry DigitAlb in the US and Canada.
Who won Big Brother VIP Albania 5?
Dancer Selin Bollati won the fifth season. The final aired on April 18, 2026, and Top Channel reported the result on April 19, 2026, and said she took the 100,000 euro prize through the public vote, with the housemate known as Miri in second place. The season had started on December 20, 2025, and was presented by Ledion Liço.
Who hosts Big Brother VIP Albania?
Ledion Liço has presented the show since the third season in 2024, according to Top Channel. Arbana Osmani, who had presented most editions of the original Big Brother Albania, hosted the first two VIP seasons. As of mid October 2026 we found no official announcement of the host for a sixth season.
When does Big Brother VIP Albania 6 start?
As of mid October 2026, we could not find a confirmed start date on Top Channel’s pages. Top Channel’s entertainment coverage was already mentioning Big Brother VIP 6 in September 2026. The last two seasons both premiered in December (December 21, 2024, and December 20, 2025), so watch the official show site and Top Channel’s YouTube channel for the announcement.
Is Big Brother VIP Kosova the same as Big Brother VIP Albania?
No. Big Brother VIP Albania is produced by Top Channel in Tirana. Big Brother VIP Kosova is a separate production on Klan Kosova in Pristina, with different presenters and casts. Klan Kosova reported that its fourth edition ended on February 27, 2026. Both use the same international format and both are in Albanian.
How many seasons of Big Brother VIP Albania are there?
Five celebrity seasons have aired on Top Channel, starting in October 2021. The winners were Ilir Shaqiri, Luiz Ejlli, Egla Ceno, Gjesti and Selin Bollati. Before that, Top Channel aired the original Big Brother Albania with non-celebrity housemates, which began in 2008 and ran for nine editions according to Gazeta Blic.
Burimet
- Top Channel: Big Brother VIP official show site
- Top Channel: Arbana Osmani reveals details of Big Brother VIP (August 18, 2021)
- Top Channel: Ilir wins the first edition of Big Brother VIP (February 19, 2022)
- Top Channel: Arbana Osmani on Big Brother VIP 2 (November 6, 2022)
- Top Channel: Luiz Ejlli named winner of the second edition (May 7, 2023)
- Top Channel: BBVIP 3 after party (May 29, 2024)
- Top Channel: Gjesti wins the BBV4 final (April 20, 2025)
- Top Channel: BBV Albania 5 starts today (December 20, 2025)
- Top Channel: Selin named winner of the fifth edition (April 19, 2026)
- Telegrafi: live coverage of the Big Brother VIP Albania 5 final (April 18 to 19, 2026)
- Telegrafi: start date of Big Brother VIP Albania 4 (December 21, 2024)
- Top Channel: Big Brother VIP 3 starts tonight on Top Channel, DigitAlb and YouTube (January 13, 2024)
- Top Channel: entertainment item mentioning Big Brother VIP 6 (September 19, 2026)
- Top Channel: where to follow the Big Brother VIP final (April 19, 2025)
- Top Channel: where to follow tonight’s Big Brother VIP 3 show (January 30, 2024)
- Top Channel: Big Brother VIP channels on DigitAlb (January 15, 2024)
- Top Channel: Winners of Big Brother Albania through the years (gallery)
- Gazeta Blic: The history of Big Brother in Albania
- DigitAlb: official site
- Apple App Store: DigitAlb app by Digit-Alb Sh.a
- TVALB: Frequently asked questions
- TVALB: home page (“Where is TVALB available?”)
- Klan Kosova: Driloni, winner of Big Brother VIP Kosova III
- Klan Kosova: Londrimi takes the grand prize of Big Brother VIP Kosova 4
- US Census Bureau: ACS 5-year estimates, 2020 to 2024, Table B04006
Lexime të Ngjashme
- Mediat Shqiptare në Amerikë
- Këngëtarë të famshëm shqiptarë
- Albanian Rappers
- Albanian Music
- Shqiptar kundër Kosovarit
- Albanian Culture and Traditions Guide
Autor: Dardanë Halimi
Dardanë Halimi është një shkrimtare dhe profesioniste e komunikimit me titull magjistër në Shkrim, Retorikë dhe Komunikim Teknik nga Universiteti James Madison. Puna e saj përqendrohet në tregimin e historive, përmbajtjen digjitale, arsimin e lartë dhe komunikimin strategjik, me përvojë në shkrimin për organizata akademike, jofitimprurëse dhe marketingu si në Shtetet e Bashkuara ashtu edhe në Kosovë.
