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Big Brother Australia is returning to its original home, Channel 10, in late 2025! 🥳
The new run will be hosted by Mel Tracina, and will feature live evictions, live nominations, and a live 24/7 internet feed!
I am...so fucking excited.
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TV Tonight interview reveals even more details about the BBAU reboot
Aussie-based telly website TV Tonight sat in on four hopeful BBAU Housemates’ final interviews recently – and they had the chance to put questions to new host Mel Tracina, and new executive producer Sarah Thornton.
Sarah was the former “head of unscripted” at Paramount Australia, where she worked on shows including MasterChef, Dessert Masters, and Deal or No Deal.
The Housemates
One Housemate is described by Sarah as “an incredibly risky choice”, which, after three years of BBUK on ITV, instantly struck fear into my heart. Surely Channel 10 isn’t going down the “right-wing stunt casting” route, too?
Well… maybe. Peep this:
There’s a young man who’s in his mid 20s, who believes that we should live like it’s the 70s, and women should be home makers, and men should come home with fish and chips.
Luckily, the rest of Sarah’s answer sounds pretty solid:
It’s like if you hopped on a bus and you looked around, it’s a group of people that you would never see in a house together under any other circumstances. I think there’s four decades in between the youngest and the oldest Housemate. We’ve got someone with grandchildren. We’ve got a pretty good gender split. We’ve got really big characters. Some of the people in there are totally larger than life. We’ve got a 23-year-old virgin. We’ve got a bachelor in his 30s who’s never had a relationship and showers five times a day. Everyone’s got something to them. There’s a real cross section of characters who are, I think, all lovable in their own way. But also, there’s some firecrackers.
Mel also reveals a pro surfer and an MMA fighter are going into the House, before Sarah gets excited and gushes about her beloved Housemates again (which is really nice to see):
This is one of the best casts I’ve ever delivered on a show. I’m so excited. The thing about the OG Big Brother at its heart is, it really is all about the Housemates. The people we are sending into this house are watchable, lovable, and are gonna bring some brilliant entertainment.
The House
EP Sarah Thornton describes the new Big Brother House as “chef’s kiss beautiful” – before adding that, although the House and live stage are very close to other Dreamworld attractions this time around, she isn’t bothered by the likely noise pollution:
We’re kind of OK with that. I mean, we’re definitely taking a raw approach with the show this year, and it should feel real. We don’t want it to feel interfered with. It’s in the heart of Dreamworld and people who come to Dreamworld can see, touch, and feel Big Brother. I think that that’s a really exciting part of it. People are going to be able to get closer to the Housemates than ever before, that’s for sure.
The live stream
Sarah confirms that “the live stream will commence following the linear premiere”, which is probably the most TV-producery sentence I’ve ever read. She then reaffirms her desire for the show not to feel over-produced, saying the live stream will give “superfans” the chance to “get to know the cast in a more intimate way, and watch some really riveting content overnight.”
That said – and this shouldn’t come as a surprise – it sounds like we should expect quite a lot of BBUK-style sound dips:
We’re really being careful about what the offering is. We want it to add value for fans, but at the same time, we can’t offend fans. We need to protect the Housemates as well. Obviously, there’s huge defamation implications. So it’s a very refined process. There’s no Uncut. The live stream is reflective of the values of the main show. There’ll be flashes of people hopping into showers and stuff. But that’s not the focus of the live stream, by any means.
Compared to ITV, who routinely cut off the BBUK Live Stream so they can save tasks, twists, and even juicy conversations for the main show, Sarah has a refreshingly open attitude:
Do you think it’s a problem [that journalists will be able to report on what happens on the live stream, in advance of the main show], though? I sort of wonder if, in the era of streaming, and the world being so flat internationally, and social media, whether it matters so much. I don’t know. I feel like maybe it doesn’t. I know it doesn’t matter to me as much. I often like to bank my streaming shows. I wait till they’re all there, and I often get spoilers, but I still want to watch it.
The kid-friendly stuff
Asked about Big Brother: Friday Night Live (a nigh-unwatchable spinoff from the OG Channel 10 era, where Housemates competed in low-budget, Total Wipeout-style games), Sarah says the show won’t be returning.
“But”, she says, “we do have some excitement in store for Friday night that I think will appeal to the viewers who love Friday Night Games.” Uh-oh.
The live shows
There’s a really awkward part where a Channel 10 spokesperson jumps in to answer a question about the launch show being pre-recorded, which I'm only including because it tickled me:
Lucky audiences can be the first to capture a glimpse of the Big Brother action during a recording at Dreamworld on Saturday, 8th November. Register to be part of history and join this season’s live evictions and nominations.
EP Sarah does, however, reiterate that evictions and nominations will be happening totally live. Speaking of live shows, Mel also made me laugh – by describing herself as a Big Brother superfan and then, in the same breath, saying, “I also saw a lot of Sonia Kruger’s seasons as well.” 🤭
The weirdly short runtime
Sarah reveals that the length of the series isn’t set in stone just yet and, again, manages to trigger my BBUK-related PTSD:
Obviously you can see we’re heading to Christmas. We will up the pace as we get to the final, definitely. But we’re sort of hoping to get to the final with enough people that the House is still entertaining, and that viewers still feel like they’re getting to decide on their favourite for the winner.
Please, please, please – no six-Housemates-in-the-final nonsense. It’s never not terrible.
Big Brother Australia returns on Sunday, 9th November, at 7:00pm AEDT (8:00am GMT / 12:00am PST / 3:00am EST) on Channel 10.
Watch the TV promos Follow the #BBAU Bluesky Feed
Here, help yourself to six – six!! – new BBAU promos. I think that makes 21 that I’ve posted so far, and honestly, I’m not even sure that’s all of them.
The first three trailers give us glimpses of the bedroom, pantry, and outdoor gym. And there are some silly ones where Mel searches for a secret room (is it the mystery room from the other day?!), tries to hide from Big Brother, and practises her new catchphrase. Just like she’s been doing in real life!
Huge thanks to BBBA members marquisite, cowmoomoo, and matts bb, who are leading the capturing effort for us whinging poms.
Watch the rest of the promos Follow the #BBAU Bluesky Feed
New BBAU Housemates include a grandmother, a single mum, and a bogan – and their ages span five decades
Speaking to the Herald Sun today, new Big Brother Australia host Mel Tracina revealed:
She’s been practising the iconic “It’s time to go…” catchphrase in the mirror, ever since learning she was the new host. “I’ve absolutely been practising; I’ve said it too many times. My family are getting annoyed. I’m trying it with different inflections to see which one works best.”
More than 20,000 people applied to be on the new series, and – although the final lineup of 12 Housemates is subject to change – “At the moment, the span of ages is across five decades. It’s ranging from a grandmother to a single mum to a barber to a self-confessed bogan. We have blue-collar workers and white-collar workers. We have a diverse range.”
The adult-orientated Big Brother Uncut spinoff won’t be returning, and there’ll be strict behavioural guidelines for the Housemates. “Anything where the housemates step out of line, there are protocols in place, because we need to keep all the housemates safe.”
And she plans to channel Gretel Killeen, the show’s original host, in the event of any left-field moments – like Merlin Luck’s eviction silent protest in 2004.
You can more of Mel’s (sadly paywalled) comments on the Herald Sun website. Big Brother Australia returns in just over a week – Sunday, 9th November at 7pm AEDT (8am UK time / 12am PT / 3am ET) on Channel 10.
Watch the TV promos Follow the #BBAU Bluesky Feed
Even more BBAU promos – this time showcasing another sofa in a “cosy little spot” (maybe a BBUK-style snug?) and the new shower area.
Registration for live show tickets has also started, giving us a few extra tantalising details:
The launch show will be prerecorded the night before it airs, in typical BBAU fashion.
All tickets are free, but there are two kinds. “Live Stage” tickets get you a direct line of sight to the stage, with some tickets reserved for Dreamworld Passholders. “Fan Pit” tickets are for a new area between the House and the stage, where you can watch the show on big screens with fellow fans.
The Fan Pit does at least promise an “opportunity to get close to the Housemates”, so presumably evictees will be passing by on their way to the main stage.
The shows are described as “standing-only experiences with no seating available”, and will be taking place outside, so fans are warned to expect changeable weather conditions.
As well as the launch recording on Saturday, 8th November, there's a live special on Monday, 10th November; the first Live Nominations are on Wednesday, 12th November – and the first eviction will likely happen on Sunday, 16th November.
Watch the rest of the promos Book tickets on the Dreamworld website Follow the #BBAU Bluesky Feed
More promos, showing off the pool area and… part of a room? Is it a secret room? Task room? Punishment room? Rewards room? Eviction room? Nominations room? All of those would be very on-brand for BBAU, so it’s anybody’s guess tbh.
Watch the rest of the promos Follow the #BBAU Bluesky Feed
Get a first glimpse of the finished BBAU House in these three new promos
The promos showcase an ITV-inspired entry hallway, a comfy-looking woolly sofa, and the new Diary Room’s backdrop – but not the chair!
We’re also given a preview of the show’s new on-air visual style, which feature the original, realistic-looking BBAU eye peering out from behind a more modern, softly-glowing, stylised eye. Not at all what I expected, after seeing the deep-blue scanlines look for more than a year, but it’s already growing on me.
Interestingly, the Diary Room promo features the voice of Pete Cunningham – one of the “deputy Big Brother” voices from the Channel 9 era (known affectionately as “gay Big Brother” by some fans, including me). It’s nice to know that, unlike the Channel 7 era and ITV’s BBUK reboot, they’re not going to be precious about viewers only ever hearing one Big Brother voice.
Big Brother Australia returns Sunday, 9th November at 7pm AEDT (8am UK time / 12am PT / 3am ET) on Channel 10.
Watch the rest of the promos Follow the #BBAU Bluesky Feed
Three new, short BBAU promos have aired. I still can't quite believe it's less than a month away... 😍
Find out when it's back on TV Follow the #BBAU Bluesky Feed
