Lexi Webster
Big Brother Australia is a reality TV show based on the international Big Brother format. The show features a group of contestants, known as housemates, who live together in a specially constructed house isolated from the outside world. The housemates are continuously monitored during their stay in the house by live television cameras and personal audio microphones. At the end of the competition, the last remaining housemate wins a cash prize. The show first aired in 2001 and has since gone through several iterations, with the latest season set to air in late 2025. The show has also featured a number of notable contestants, such as Reggie Bird, Chrissie Swan, and Farmer Dave, who have gone on to have successful careers after their appearances on the show.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| First aired | 2001 |
| Number of seasons | 16 |
| Celebrity editions | 2 |
| Producers | Endemol Australia, Endemol Southern Star, Endemol Shine Australia |
| Networks | Network Ten, Nine Network, Seven Network |
| Location | Dreamworld, a theme park in Coomera, Gold Coast in Queensland |
| Number of housemates | 14 or more |
| Duration of each series | Around three months |
| Prize | Cash |
| Evictions | Housemates are evicted weekly |
| Voting process | Secret voting |
| Number of nominations | 2 or more |
| Number of nomination points | 3, 4 or 5 |
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What You'll Learn
Big Brother Australia house
The Big Brother Australia house has had several iterations over the years, with the original house located within the Dreamworld compound, a theme park on the Gold Coast, Queensland. This house was used from Season 1 to Season 11 and featured a large backyard area and interior space that was renovated with different layouts each season. An adjacent Friday Night Live Arena was built for housemates to compete in mini-games, and a special suite was added for immunity winners. In 2012, the swimming pool was enlarged and moved to the centre of the backyard, and the kitchen was separated from the main house.
In 2014, a second floor was added to the original house to accommodate the Diary Room. However, this house was unexpectedly burned down, and Channel 7 decided to find a new location for the show. The second house was located in Manly, New South Wales, inside an old WW2 Warehouse in North Head Sanctuary. This house was used from 2020 to 2021 and was much smaller than the original. New rooms were added, such as the Eviction Room and the Green Room, and an exterior entryway was built.
The second house also included an adjacent gymnasium that was transformed into a challenge arena called The Basement. Unfortunately, due to concerns over the impact on local wildlife, the production team was served an eviction notice, and a third house had to be built. The third house was located in Sydney Olympic Park and featured a crystal-clear pool, a garden area, and a treehouse for private conversations. The new location also had an arena for nomination challenges and a dining table.
The Big Brother Australia house is a specially constructed and isolated location where housemates live together and are continuously monitored by live television cameras and personal audio microphones. The house typically includes areas for challenges and nominations, as well as private spaces for strategy and conversation. The exact layout and design of the house have evolved over the different seasons and locations, but it always serves as a central hub for the housemates' interactions and competitions.
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Housemates and contestants
Big Brother Australia, based on the international Big Brother format, is a reality TV show that first aired in 2001. The show features a group of contestants, known as "housemates", who live together in a specially constructed house isolated from the outside world. Contestants are continuously monitored during their stay in the house by live television cameras and personal audio microphones.
Throughout the competition, housemates nominate and evict each other from the house. The last remaining housemate wins the competition and is awarded a cash prize. As of 2023, 15 seasons and 2 spin-off seasons have been broadcast, with 14 winners—ten men and three women (with one woman winning twice).
Some memorable housemates from the show include Farmer Dave, who appeared on the 2006 season and was remembered for coming out as gay in an emotional live episode, making him one of the first openly gay contestants on the show. Another memorable housemate is Chrissie Swan, who came in second place in the third season of Big Brother Australia. She has since become a high-profile media personality, hosting her own radio show and appearing on various TV shows.
Season 10's Tully caused controversy when she fell for fellow housemate Drew, resulting in one of the show's most memorable cheating scandals. Tully has since become an influencer, blogger, and writer, while Drew has pursued a successful modelling career.
Other notable housemates include Reggie Bird, who won the third season of the show in 2003, and Sara-Marie Fedele, who became famous for her bum dance and bunny ears and later went on to win Celebrity Big Brother.
The 2023 season of Big Brother Australia featured 14 housemates, including sisters Tay and Ari, who are social media influencers, and Jake, who planned to flirt his way through the competition.
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Nominations and evictions
In the early seasons of Big Brother Australia, the nomination process involved housemates secretly voting for two other housemates they wanted to nominate for eviction. Each housemate had a set number of nomination points, which they could allocate to their chosen nominees. The housemates with the most nominations would then be up for eviction, and the Australian public would vote on which of these nominees to evict.
In later seasons, the format changed to resemble the American and Canadian editions, allowing housemates to strategise, politic, and collude about nominations and evictions. The nomination process typically begins with a "`Nomination Challenge,"` where the winner is safe from eviction and gains the power to nominate other housemates for eviction. The winner of the challenge names their nominees and provides reasons for their choices in the Diary Room.
During eviction nights, all housemates, except the nominating housemate, vote to evict one of the nominees. The eviction vote is conducted through a secret ballot, with housemates casting their votes orally in the Diary Room and providing reasons for their choices. The nominee with the most votes is then evicted from the house.
In some seasons, twists and variations have been introduced to the nomination and eviction processes. For example, in Season 13, also known as Big Brother 2021, "Intruders" entered the game and competed in challenges to determine who would stay in the house. Additionally, there were instances of "Fake Evictions," where the evicted housemate would become the Head of House instead of leaving the show.
The upcoming sixteenth season of Big Brother Australia, set to air in 2025, is expected to return to a live format with live nominations, live evictions, and a 24/7 live stream. The show will be hosted by Mel Tracina, and the iconic pink Big Brother house will be located at Dreamworld on the Gold Coast.
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Show hosts
Big Brother Australia has had several hosts since its premiere in 2001. The show's first host was Gretel Killeen, who hosted the show from 2001 to 2007. Killeen was replaced by Kyle Sandilands and Jackie O in 2008 for the show's eighth season. After the show was cancelled in 2008, it was revived by the Nine Network in 2012, with Sonia Kruger as the host. Kruger hosted the show until 2014, after which she moved to the Seven Network.
In 2020, Kruger returned to host the show's revival, which was then in its twelfth season. Midway through the season, the show was renewed for a thirteenth season, which Kruger also hosted. The fourteenth season of the show, which aired in 2022, celebrated the twenty-first anniversary of Big Brother Australia.
In 2024, it was announced that Mel Tracina would be the new host of Big Brother Australia as it returned to Channel 10. Tracina, who is a radio host and TV personality, previously worked as the resident cultural correspondent on The Cheap Seats. The fifteenth season of the show, hosted by Tracina, is set to air in 2025.
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Celebrity edition
Big Brother Australia is a reality show based on the international Big Brother format. The show features contestants, known as "housemates", who live together in a specially constructed house isolated from the outside world. The housemates are continuously monitored by live television cameras and personal audio microphones. Throughout the competition, housemates are evicted from the house, and the last remaining housemate wins a cash prize.
The show first aired in 2001 and ran for eight civilian seasons and one celebrity edition on Network Ten. The celebrity edition, titled Celebrity Big Brother, aired in 2002 and was won by Dylan Lewis. No further celebrity editions were commissioned before the entire franchise was cancelled by Network Ten in 2008.
In 2012, the show was revived by the Nine Network, and rumours circulated about a potential celebrity edition. However, this did not materialise until 2019 when the rival network, Channel 7, acquired the rights to the show. Channel 7 announced that a celebrity season, rebranded as Big Brother VIP, would air in late 2021.
Big Brother VIP followed a new game format, and the celebrity housemates included Australian and foreign actors, reality TV personalities, athletes, politicians, and influencers. The emphasis was on competition and gameplay, with housemates competing in challenges and strategising to survive the eviction process. The Australian public voted for the winner, who received a grand prize for their chosen charity.
The filming location for Big Brother VIP was changed to Sydney Olympic Park due to environmental concerns and the previous location's potential impact on local wildlife. The new house had a retro-glam feel with shades of red, blue, and green as the dominant colours.
A second season of Big Brother VIP was announced in 2022 but was later cancelled. The show is set to return to Network Ten in 2025, reverting to a live format with live nominations and evictions.
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Frequently asked questions
Big Brother Australia is a reality TV show based on the international Big Brother format. Contestants, known as housemates, live together in a house that is isolated from the outside world. Housemates are continuously monitored by live television cameras and personal audio microphones. Housemates are evicted from the house and eliminated from the competition. The last housemate remaining wins a cash prize.
Big Brother Australia first aired in 2001 and ran for eight seasons and one celebrity edition on Network Ten. The show was cancelled in 2008 due to audience erosion and controversy.
Big Brother Australia will return to Channel 10 in November 2025. The sixteenth season will revert to its original format, with live nominations and evictions.
The Big Brother Australia house is located at Dreamworld on the Gold Coast in Queensland.
