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''Big Brother Australia'' (also known simply as ''Big Brother'') is an Australian
reality show Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring ordinary people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early 1990s ...
based on the international '' Big Brother'' format created by John de Mol Jr.. Following the premise of other versions of the format, the show features a group of contestants, known as "housemates" who live together in a specially constructed house that is isolated from the outside world. The housemates are continuously monitored during their stay in the house by live television cameras as well as personal audio microphones. Throughout the course of the competition, housemates are evicted from the house – eliminated from the competition. The last remaining housemate wins the competition and is awarded a cash prize. ''Big Brother'' was produced from 2001 and ran for eight seasons and a Celebrity edition on
Network Ten Network 10 (commonly known as the 10 Network, Channel 10 or simply 10) is an Australian commercial television network. It is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Paramount Global's Paramount Networks UK & Australia, UK & Australia division and is o ...
before the network cancelled it in July 2008 after experiencing audience erosion and controversy. ''Big Brother'' returned in 2012 on the
Nine Network Nine Network (stylised 9Network, and commonly known as Channel Nine or simply Nine) is an Australian commercial free-to-air television network. It is owned by parent company Nine Entertainment and is one of the five main free-to-air television ...
. Nine's iteration of the series lasted 3 seasons and was not renewed beyond 2015. Each of the first eleven previous seasons were produced by
Endemol Australia Endemol Australia, formerly known as Southern Star Group, Southern Star Productions, Southern Star/Hanna-Barbera Australia and Taft-Hardie Group Pty Ltd, was a major Australian independent television production, distribution, and syndication com ...
and Endemol Southern Star. In 2019, the
Seven Network Seven Network (stylised 7Network, and commonly known as Channel Seven or simply Seven) is an Australian commercial free-to-air Television broadcasting in Australia, television network. It is owned by Seven West Media, Seven West Media Limited, ...
picked up the series, which was produced by Endemol Shine Australia. The series ran for four regular seasons (including a special edition featuring new and returning Housemates in commemoration of the show's 21st anniversary in 2022) as well a new celebrity edition titled '' Big Brother VIP''. As a result of a poor reception to the 15th season, a planned 16th season (and the fifth to be aired by Seven) that was announced for 2024 did not eventuate. On 16 September 2024, it was confirmed that ''Big Brother'' would be airing the planned sixteenth season after all, but instead of airing on Seven, it would be returning back home to Network 10 at some point in the second half of 2025, with live nominations, live evictions, and the 24/7 livestream returning.


Format

Housemates must remain in the house at all times, with the aim of avoiding eviction from the house to be the last Housemate remaining to win a substantial cash prize at the end of the series. Alternatively, housemates can also be removed from the house if Big Brother feels this is necessary and can voluntarily leave the show at any time. In order to support the housemates' well-being, all participants have access to psychologists and a doctor at all times. Housemates are filmed 24 hours per day with edited highlights broadcast during
prime time Prime time, or peak time, is the block of broadcast programming taking place during the middle of the evening for television shows. It is mostly targeted towards adults (and sometimes families). It is used by the major television networks to ...
slots every evening.


Big Brother

While in the house, the housemates are under the watchful eye of ''Big Brother'' - the embodiment of the Show's Producers, who will act as an authoritative all-seeing voice of God to the housemates. Housemates are at all times under the control of ''Big Brother'', a rule-enforcing
authority figure Authority is commonly understood as the legitimate power of a person or group of other people. In a civil state, ''authority'' may be practiced by legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government,''The New Fontana Dictionary of Mo ...
who monitors the housemates' behaviour, sets tasks and punishments and provides the mechanism for contestants to make external requests. Unlike other versions of ''Big Brother'', housemates would refer to ''Big Brother'' as if it was one person. Over the course of the series, Big Brother developed a dry wit in his interactions with the Housemates. He would also offer to counsel his housemates in need of ''His'' wisdom. Television executive
Kris Noble Kris Noble (born 12 October 1952) is an Australian retired television executive, best known for his extensive work in the Australian television industry and for his work on American co-productions ''Moby Dick'' and '' Farscape''. At the 50th P ...
provided the main voice of Big Brother for the 2004–2007 seasons. Leon Murray provided the voice in the 2008 and 2012–2014 seasons. Chris Coucouvinis voiced Big Brother in the 2020–2023 seasons.


Eviction format

Over the duration of the competition, the Housemates will face nominations and evictions to evict housemates from the house, elimianting them from the game. However, throughout the series, the format regarding evictions has changed.


Original format

For Ten's and Nine's iterations of the series, the format of the show resembled the original Dutch version of the show - a format adapted by most versions of the ''Big Brother'' format. In this format, the competitive aspects are minimised. The eviction decisions were determined by viewer voting, Housemates were not allowed to discuss nominations (at the risk of punishment) and most seasons did not feature any regular competitions for power or safety (except the ''Friday Night Games'' (seasons 5–8) and ''Showdowns'' (season 10)). The main elements of the original format are as follows: *Nominations: Every week, the Housemates would participate in nominations, a secret voting process to determine who would be nominated for eviction that week. Each Housemate nominated two other fellow housemates in the Diary Room, providing full reasons to Big Brother for their nominations. The three or more housemates with the most nominations were nominated and faced Australia's vote ** For Seasons 1-7 and the second half of Season 8; each housemate had 3 nomination points to vote for two housemates - one housemate for two points, and another with one. ** For the first half of season 8; The power over nominations was given the viewers, with viewers voting to save a housemate via
televoting Televoting (also telephone voting, phone voting, and call-in voting) is a method of decision making and opinion polling conducted by telephone. Televoting can also extend to voting by SMS text message via a mobile cell phone. Broadcast contest ...
and the 3 lowest vote receivers facing a House Eviction Vote. ** For Seasons 9–11; each housemate had 5 Nomination Points to allocate to two housemates - For a 3/2 or 4/1 point allocation. *Eviction: After the nominations are finalised, voting for viewers is open, the Australian public voting via
televoting Televoting (also telephone voting, phone voting, and call-in voting) is a method of decision making and opinion polling conducted by telephone. Televoting can also extend to voting by SMS text message via a mobile cell phone. Broadcast contest ...
(and in later seasons via
social media Social media are interactive technologies that facilitate the Content creation, creation, information exchange, sharing and news aggregator, aggregation of Content (media), content (such as ideas, interests, and other forms of expression) amongs ...
) to determine the evictee of that week. As the first four seasons aired in New Zealand on a one-day delay, New Zealand viewers could also participate in the eviction voting (and then vote for the eventual winner). Later seasons aired in New Zealand on an extended delay, with New Zealand viewers being unable to vote. ** For Seasons 1-5 and the second half of season 8; viewers voted to evict a nominee. The nominee with the most votes is evicted. ** For Seasons 6 and 7; viewers had the option to both save and evict. Both vote tallies would be combined and the nominee with the highest net-evict vote (or lowest net-save vote), is evicted. ** For the first half of season 8; the housemates voted between Australia's nominees in a similar style to the original nomination vote (3 Eviction Votes to be allocated in a 2/1 vote allocation). The housemate with the most votes is evicted. ** For Seasons 9–11; viewers voted to save a nominee. The nominee with the fewest votes is evicted. *Finale: The final housemates would face a Final Vote to determine the winner of the series. ** For Seasons 1–5; viewers voted to evict between the final 2 housemates. The housemate with the fewest votes is declared the winner. ** For Seasons 6 and 7; viewers had the option to both vote to save and to evict between the final 2 housemates. Both vote tallies would be combined and the housemates with the highest net-save vote (or lowest net-evict vote), is declared the winner. ** For Season 8; viewers voted to evict between the final 3 housemates. The housemate with the fewest votes is declared the winner. ** For Seasons 9–11; final voting began with the final 5 or 6 housemates with Australia voting to win. Throughout the final week, the housemates with the lowest vote total are progressively evicted until 3 remain for the grand finale. Of the final 3, the finalist with the most votes to win is declared the winner.


Current format

In 2020,
Seven Network Seven Network (stylised 7Network, and commonly known as Channel Seven or simply Seven) is an Australian commercial free-to-air Television broadcasting in Australia, television network. It is owned by Seven West Media, Seven West Media Limited, ...
revamped the format of the series to resemble the format of the American &
Canadian Canadians () are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their being ''C ...
editions - with housemates deciding both Nominations and Evictions among themselves. The new format emphasised the competitive aspect of surviving the eviction process. As such, the housemates will now be allowed to strategise, politic and collude about the nominations and evictions. However, there will still be key differences compared to the American/Canadian format, most prominently with the Australian public still deciding the eventual winner - rather than being decided by a "Jury" of evicted housemates (as is the case on the American and Canadian show). * Nominations: At the start of each round, the housemates compete in a "Nomination Challenge". The winner of the challenge is safe from eviction and get power over the nominations. Immediately after the challenge, Big Brother will call the winning housemate to the Diary Room to name their nominees and provide full reasons for their nominations. The number of nominees is determined by how far into the overall game housemates are, as the game starts with three nominees and reduces to two nominees towards the end of the game. * Eviction: On eviction night, all housemates must vote to evict one of the nominees, with the exception of the nominating housemate (who will only cast a tie-breaker vote, if required), nor do the nominated housemates vote when there are only two nominees (on account of their votes cancelling the other's out). The eviction vote is by secret ballot, with housemates casting their votes orally in the Diary Room to Big Brother and must provide a reason for their vote. The nominee with the most votes is evicted from the house. * Finale: At the end of the series when the grand final makes its way, the final three housemates that are left will face Australia's vote to determine the winner. This vote is conducted on a dedicated website, with voters voting for a winner. The finalist with the most votes is declared the winner of ''Big Brother''.


Prize money

The winner of ''Big Brother Australia'' receives a cash prize for being the last remaining housemate. * In ''Big Brother 1'' - ''Big Brother 3'', ''Big Brother 8'' - ''Big Brother 10'', ''Big Brother 13'' & ''Big Brother 14'', the prize was guaranteed A$250,000. Some seasons only mentioned the grand prize part-way through the series. ** ''Big Brother 11'' & ''Big Brother 12'' also intended to have a A$250,000 prize, but tasks and challenges during both seasons resulted in the prize decreasing. In ''Big Brother 11'', the final prize was A$200,000 and in ''Big Brother 12'' the prize was $234,656. * In ''Big Brother 4'', the prize money was a guaranteed A$1,000,000. * In ''Big Brother 5'' and ''Big Brother 6'' continued to offer the A$1,000,000 but introduced a fine system. The winner of ''Big Brother 5'' received $836,000, while the winner of ''Big Brother 6'' received $426,000. * ''Big Brother 7'' was advertised as having no prize money. When the series began, it was revealed the grand prize would be based on the Household's completion of weekly tasks. The money earned for the grand prize was $450,000. * The shortened ''Big Brother 15'' had a prize of $100,000. * In both celebrity spin-offs, ''
Celebrity Big Brother Australia ''Celebrity Big Brother'' was a celebrity edition of ''Big Brother (Australian TV series), Big Brother''. It lasted for 23 days, starting on 21 July 2002 and ending on 12 August 2002. A proportion of the profits from Big Brother (Australian TV s ...
'' and '' Big Brother VIP Australia'', the winner was awarded $100,000 to the charity of their choice.


Tasks and missions

During their time in the house, housemates are given tasks by ''Big Brother''.


Punishments

'' Big Brother 5'' introduced a fines system in which the $1,000,000 cash prize was decreased by $5,000 each time housemates violated a rule of Big Brother. The house used for the 6th season featured a ''Punishment Room'', where housemates would sometimes be sent to be punished in addition to the $5,000 fine. In '' Big Brother 7'', some changes were made. These monetary fines were subtracted from the household budget rather than from the prize money, while the ''Punishment Room'' remained. In '' Big Brother 9'', there was a small, rectangular-shaped room, linked to the lounge. This room was the ''Naughty Corner''. This room was similar to the ''Punishment Room'' of the sixth and seventh series. The eighth and ninth series' featured no fines system at all. Instead, Big Brother used the original striking system more frequently that meant when a housemate received three strikes they were evicted.


Intruders

Most seasons of ''Big Brother Australia'' usually includes "Intruders". Intruders are new housemates added to the house by the show's producers as ongoing housemates after the series has started. Intruders will be eligible to win the series but will often face a special "Intruder Eviction" shortly after their entrance to the house (either by House Vote, Australia's vote or some combination of both).


''Big Brother'' in Australia


First Network Ten iteration (2001–2008)

The first Australian series began to broadcast on 23 April 2001. It was hosted by
Gretel Killeen Gretel Killeen (born 3 February 1963) is an Australian comedian, television presenter, media personality and author. She is known for being the host of ''Big Brother (Australian TV series), Big Brother Australia'' from its inception in Big Broth ...
from 2001 to 2007. In late 2007 it was announced that Gretel Killeen would not host the show for its 2008 return as part of a revamp of the formula. In 2008, ''Big Brother'' returned for its eighth season with hosts
Kyle Sandilands Kyle Dalton Sandilands (born 10 June 1971) is an Australian radio host, shock jock and television personality. He is currently the co-host, with Jackie O, of the weekday morning radio program '' The Kyle and Jackie O Show'' on Sydney's radio s ...
and Jackie O. Ten's chief programmer David Mott admitted the series had recently experienced "audience erosion" inherent with the show's long run. Mott defended the new hosts saying that the ratings for eviction shows held up. Mike Goldman provided narration and voice-overs for all eight seasons.


First hiatus

''Big Brother Australia'' was axed by
Network Ten Network 10 (commonly known as the 10 Network, Channel 10 or simply 10) is an Australian commercial television network. It is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Paramount Global's Paramount Networks UK & Australia, UK & Australia division and is o ...
on 14 July 2008 with the broadcaster confirming that the 2008 season would be the last to air on the channel. A decrease in ratings for the daily shows was cited as the reason for Network Ten opting not to renew its contract for another season. After the show was axed in 2008, there were many rumours about a possible revival by
Nine 9 (nine) is the natural number following and preceding . Evolution of the Hindu–Arabic digit Circa 300 BC, as part of the Brahmi numerals, various Indians wrote a digit 9 similar in shape to the modern closing question mark without the bot ...
, Seven, Ten, or SBS. SBS Programmer Shawn White denied the show would be revived on their channel despite rumours with Nine CEO David Gyngell notably 'interested' in the idea soon after the cancellation, only to turn it down days later. The
Seven Network Seven Network (stylised 7Network, and commonly known as Channel Seven or simply Seven) is an Australian commercial free-to-air Television broadcasting in Australia, television network. It is owned by Seven West Media, Seven West Media Limited, ...
expressed interest since bidding for the show after the seventh-season finale; however, denied any and all revival occurring a week after the 2008 finale on morning program
Sunrise Sunrise (or sunup) is the moment when the upper rim of the Sun appears on the horizon in the morning, at the start of the Sun path. The term can also refer to the entire process of the solar disk crossing the horizon. Terminology Although the S ...
. Most notably, Network Ten expressed some interest in the format when on 3 June 2011, News Limited posted an article suggesting the network may be interested in putting it on its digital channel, Eleven. In the article, Chief Programming Officer David Mott stated that "...Ten have considered ways to bring the show back on a number of occasions'; however, was worried that audiences had 'moved on'. Made mention was the American version where the show has had 12 successful seasons, and a thirteenth on the way." Mott said; "It's a summer show for CBS, it doesn't play in the heart of the ratings season but it's done a pretty good job for them."


Nine Network iteration (2012–2014)

On 9 September 2011, it was reported and later confirmed that the
Nine Network Nine Network (stylised 9Network, and commonly known as Channel Nine or simply Nine) is an Australian commercial free-to-air television network. It is owned by parent company Nine Entertainment and is one of the five main free-to-air television ...
had signed a deal with Southern Star Group to bring the Australian version of ''Big Brother'' back. On 22 February 2012 it was confirmed that Dreamworld would be used again as the location for the 2012 series. The first episode of the revived series premiered on 13 August 2012 with its daily show airing five nights a week at a family-friendly timeslot of 7pm. After a successful season in 2012, Nine confirmed that the series would be renewed for Season 10 in 2013 during their Nine Network 2013 promotion & during the 2013 finale, host Sonia Kruger confirmed the series renewal for Season 11 in 2014 formally opening auditions.


Second hiatus

In 2018, "Big Brother" returned to Australia as Nine confirmed they would air the first season of '' Celebrity Big Brother US''. Nine created a special logo for the show resembling the eye logo of Nine's iteration of ''Big Brother Australia'' that previously aired on the network. Episodes were "fast-tracked" and available on their streaming service 9Now shortly after their American airing with televised broadcast on
9Go! 9Go! is an Australian free-to-air digital television multichannel, which was launched by the Nine Network on 9 August 2009, replacing Nine Guide. It is a youthful channel that offers a mix of comedy, reality, general entertainment, movies, anima ...
starting 11 February 2018. Due to low ratings episodes were moved from the 9:30pm timeslot to 11:30pm effective 14 February 2018. No further American seasons of Big Brother aired. On 1 April 2018, a highly publicised
April Fools April Fools' Day or April Fool's Day (rarely called All Fools' Day) is an annual custom on the 1st of April consisting of practical jokes, hoaxes, and pranks. Jokesters often expose their actions by shouting "April Fool " at the recipient. Mas ...
prank by the Australian television news blog
TV Tonight TV Tonight is an Australian-based website which features reviews, news and programming information related to television in Australia as well as OzTAM ratings information. The site was started by television critic David Knox in 2007 after li ...
reported the return of ''Big Brother'' on Ten with
Lisa Wilkinson Lisa Clare Wilkinson (Born 19 December 1959) is an Australian television presenter, journalist, and magazine editor. Wilkinson has previously co-hosted the Nine Network's breakfast television program, '' Today,'' with Karl Stefanovic (2007â ...
to host.


Seven Network iteration (2020–2023)

On 23 October 2019, Seven Network confirmed it would be reviving the series in 2020. Rumours indicated the series would be closer in format to the American &
Canadian Canadians () are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their being ''C ...
versions - particularly given the upfronts trailer featured footage from '' Big Brother US 17'', '' Big Brother Canada 2'' and '' Big Brother Canada 3'' as well as the emphasis on the phrase "Control, Evict, Win" in the promo. The reboot has been compared to ''
Survivor Survivor(s) may refer to: * one who survives Arts, entertainment and media Fictional entities * Survivors, characters in the 1997 KKnD series#Armies, ''KKnD'' video-game series * ''The Survivors'', or the ''New Survivors Foundation'', a fictional ...
'' - in which the politicking and strategising regarding the Nomination and Eviction processes is allowed (being disallowed in earlier iterations) and central to the format, with Housemates directly voting each other out of the house. Seven's Director of Programming Angus Ross confirmed that the revived format would be prerecorded and aired at a later date on 26 October 2019. It was announced on 5 February 2020 that
Sonia Kruger Sonia Melissa Kruger is an Australian television presenter, actress and media personality. Kruger is currently the host of ''Big Brother (Australian TV series), Big Brother Australia'' and a presenter on ''The Voice (Australian TV series), The ...
would return to host the revival. The first season of the new revival (and twelfth overall) launched on 8 June 2020, running until 22 July 2020. Midway through the season, the show was renewed for a thirteenth season (the second with 7) on 28 June 2020; once again, the season was prerecorded and aired in late 2020 and aired from 26 April to 29 June 2021. In October 2021, the series was confirmed to return for a fourteenth overall season. In celebration of ''Big Brother Australia's'' twenty-first anniversary, the season featured former housemates from all eras of the show returning to compete against new housemates. Filmed in late 2021, the season aired from 9 May to 12 July 2022. A fifteenth season was announced in October 2022. Initially teased as Big Brother: House of Love due to the intentional casting of young, attractive single people, criticism of the show trying to imitate Love Island led to the network dropping the title. Pre-recorded in its entirety in late 2022, the season premiered nearly a year later, running from 31 October to 24 November 2023. Harshly reviewed by critics and viewers alike due to its pivot to a dating show instead of a social experiment and the lack of diverse casting and LGBT+ participants, the show rated poorly in the ratings. As a result, a planned sixteenth season that was announced for 2024 was rescinded. While the show was not officially cancelled prior to the October announcement of the show leaving the network, Seven confirmed there would be no 2024 edition of the show. Prior to the start of Season 14, a second celebrity edition was also confirmed. Pre-recorded in its entirety from July to August 2021, the season aired from 1 to 23 November 2021. Though a second edition (third celebrity season of the format overall) was announced in October 2021, following the season's poor ratings, it was announced in February 2022 that the series was "not proceeding".


Second Network 10 iteration (2025–present)

On 16 September 2024, it was confirmed that ''Big Brother'' would be returning to Network 10 for its sixteenth season in 2025, with comedian and radio personality Mel Tracina announced as the new host. The promo advertising the return noted the series' return to its original format with 24-hour live streaming, live nominations and evictions and prominently featured footage from the original Network 10 iteration of the series.


Series details and viewership


Location


First house (2001–2014)

The first ''Big Brother House'' was located at near Dreamworld, a theme park in Coomera, a northern suburb of the city of the Gold Coast,
Queensland Queensland ( , commonly abbreviated as Qld) is a States and territories of Australia, state in northeastern Australia, and is the second-largest and third-most populous state in Australia. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Austr ...
. The house was used for Ten and Nine's iteration of ''Big Brother''. Footage from the house is monitored and edited in Dreamworld Studios. There is also an auditorium where the live audience shows, such as the eviction and finale episodes, were staged. The auditorium was an existing facility at Dreamworld used for live stage shows prior to the first series of ''Big Brother''. It was leased to Endemol Southern Star for the duration of the series each year. Only slight modifications were made to the interior of the house for the second series and the special ''
Celebrity Big Brother Australia ''Celebrity Big Brother'' was a celebrity edition of ''Big Brother (Australian TV series), Big Brother''. It lasted for 23 days, starting on 21 July 2002 and ending on 12 August 2002. A proportion of the profits from Big Brother (Australian TV s ...
'' series that were screened in 2002. Subsequent to those series, the interior of the house has been rebuilt or extensively remodelled for each new series. Two separate houses were built for ''Big Brother 2003'', and they were merged twenty-three days into the series when previously hidden connecting rooms were revealed. The fifth series introduced a ''Friday Night Live'' games arena. An animal enclosure was added to the side of the compound for the sixth series. It was retained for the seventh series. During production on the series, visitors could access the ''Big Brother'' auditorium and view live footage from the house. This feature was, however, discontinued at the start of the ninth series.


Second house (2020–2021)

As the original house had burned down,
Seven Network Seven Network (stylised 7Network, and commonly known as Channel Seven or simply Seven) is an Australian commercial free-to-air Television broadcasting in Australia, television network. It is owned by Seven West Media, Seven West Media Limited, ...
who previously produced and broadcast the series decided on a new location for the ''Big Brother House'' much closer to where production and crew members live. It has been understood the house has been built inside a warehouse which existed during World War II as an artillery shed, with a secondary building (previously used a gym) housing activities and challenges for the housemates. The exact location is next to the North Head Sanctuary Visitor Centre car park on
Sydney Harbour Port Jackson, commonly known as Sydney Harbour, is a ria, natural harbour on the east coast of Australia, around which Sydney was built. It consists of the waters of Sydney Harbour, Middle Harbour, North Harbour and the Lane Cove River, Lane ...
's North Head near Manly. This house has since been pulled down following the 2021 season.


Third house (2021–2023)

The third Big Brother house was built at
Sydney Olympic Park Sydney Olympic Park is a suburb of Greater Western Sydney, located 13 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district, in the Local government in Australia, local government area of the City of Parramatta, City of Parramatta Council. It i ...
in the White Pavilion. The VIP edition was filmed at a newly built compound as well the main series since season 14 and fifteenth season.


Theme music

The theme music was adapted from the original theme used in the original ''Big Brother'', which aired in the Netherlands. The theme for ''Big Brother Australia'' was written by Siew Ooi and 001 Productions in
Melbourne Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...
. The track is an extended version of the main title theme used in the first two seasons of ''Big Brother'' Australia, and tracks heard throughout the seasons that followed are shorter, remixed versions of this track. The original track can sometimes be heard in the background when eviction votes, or the nomination tally in the '' Nominations'' show, are shown on screen, or when eviction phone numbers are during a show. In 2008, the theme music was retooled into an electric amplified remix, in counterpart of the format changes that were made that year. Four years later in the 2012 revival of the program, the original theme song returned with a futuristic remix. The theme song was completely absent from the 2020 season. The title theme was initially released as a single. The track was an extended mix of the main title theme used in the first two seasons, and was released with an acoustic "Diary Room" mix and more trance influenced "Eviction" mix. It barely scraped in the top 50, but was re-released a few months later where it reached #12 on the
ARIA In music, an aria (, ; : , ; ''arias'' in common usage; diminutive form: arietta, ; : ariette; in English simply air (music), air) is a self-contained piece for one voice, with or without instrument (music), instrumental or orchestral accompan ...
charts in 2001 with a B-Side of The Sirens' hit "Don't You Think That It's Strange", which was also co-written by ''Big Brother 2001'' housemates; the ''Diary Room'' mix; and an extended version of the ''Big Brother Uncut'' theme.


International broadcasts


New Zealand

Between 2001 and 2003, as well during 2005, Big Brother Australia aired on TV2 in New Zealand. The show aired on
Prime A prime number (or a prime) is a natural number greater than 1 that is not a product of two smaller natural numbers. A natural number greater than 1 that is not prime is called a composite number. For example, 5 is prime because the only ways ...
in 2004. Between 2001 and 2004, the show aired on a one-day delay from the Australian broadcast. As such New Zealand viewers had the ability to cast eviction votes to determine the weekly evictee, however this did not continue in 2005 as the show aired on a three-week delay long after voting in Australia had concluded. The show returned to New Zealand, as part of the
TV3 Channel 3 or TV 3 may refer to: Television *Canal 3 (Burkina Faso), a commercial television channel in Burkina Faso * Canal 3 Niger, a commercial television channel in Niger * Canal 3 (Guatemala), a commercial television channel in Guatemala * Can ...
summer line-up in November 2013 with the tenth season of the show. The following eleventh season was also broadcast by TV3 in November 2014. The show then returned to New Zealand and TV3, which has since rebranded as
Three 3 (three) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 2 and preceding 4, and is the smallest odd prime number and the only prime preceding a square number. It has religious and cultural significance in many societies ...
, with the Seven iteration of the show in June 2020. This marked the first time the show has aired in primetime in New Zealand since the conclusion of the 2004 season due to the network needing to fill a scheduling gap caused by the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
delaying The Block NZ's ninth season to 2021. On 14 July 2020, it was announced due to low ratings, the show would be moving into a later timeslot and would drop to airing two episodes per week. The second season to air on Seven was broadcast online-only, via TVNZ OnDemand, starting 4 May 2021 with the first four episodes and each subsequent episodes being released within 48 hours of the Australian broadcast.


Finland

The 2020 edition of the show was also broadcast on Finnish streaming service Ruutu.fi from 6 December 2020, with two episodes airing every Sunday.


The Netherlands

Dutch broadcaster RTL revealed that they are going to broadcast ''Big Brother Australia'' from season 12 on
RTL 5 RTL 5 is a Dutch free-to-cable television channel that was launched on 2 October 1993, during the 4th anniversary of its sister channel. It mainly broadcasts American films and hit series but also reality shows, comedy, travel, international show ...
, starting from 9 April 2021, only one day after their Dutch-Flemish version ended. The broadcast would occur each weekday at 9:30 pm.


United States

In the United States, seasons 12 and 13 were added to
Paramount+ Paramount+ (formerly known as CBS All Access in the United States and 10 All Access in Australia) is an American Video on demand#Subscription models, subscription video on-demand Over-the-top media service, over-the-top Streaming media, stream ...
on 16 February 2022.


United Kingdom

In the United Kingdom, the VIP series and the 2020 season were broadcast on E4, with episodes being released on the
Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by Channel Four Television Corporation. It is state-owned enterprise, publicly owned but, unlike the BBC, it receives no public funding and is funded en ...
on-demand service.


India

In India, seasons 12, 13, 14 and 15 were added to the JioCinema streaming platform.


Companion shows


Reception


Criticism and controversy

The series received some criticism from commentators and audiences for its sexual content. The series was occasionally referred to as "''Big Brothel''" in the press, in reference to the sexual content of the ''Uncut'' episode. Criticism was also voiced in the Australian Government, with one politician referring to it as "toxic television". Complaints about ''Uncut'' led to it being rebranded ''Big Brother: Adults Only'' for the 2006 season. ''Adults Only'' was cancelled early in the season due to continuing controversy.


Censorship and sexual content

After the 2005 series, complaints prompted the
Australian Communications & Media Authority The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) is an Australian government statutory authority within the Communications portfolio. ACMA was formed on 1 July 2005 with the merger of the Australian Broadcasting Authority and the Aust ...
to launch an investigation into ''Big Brother: Uncut''. The main complaint was that Network Ten had breached the industry code of practice by broadcasting footage that went past the maximum MA15+ rating for Australian commercial television. The ACMA found Network Ten had breached the code on a number of occasions: *The airing of housemate Michael massaging his penis on Gianna's back and hair, allegedly without her consent. Gretel Killeen later expressed her disapproval with Michael's
indecent Inappropriateness refers to standards or ethics that are typically viewed as being negative in a society. It differs from things that are illicit in that inappropriate behavior does not necessarily have any accompanying legal ramifications. Co ...
actions (BB 2005). *Vesna Tosevska plucking her pubic hair in bed (BB 2005). *A song about sexual fetishes (BB 2005). *Tim hogtied and dumped in the diary room, where he was tackled and had his testicles hit with a leather strap (BB 2005). *Airing of housemates Glenn Dallinger and Michelle Carew-Gibson appearing to have sex in a sauna (BB 2005). *In the 2001 season, ''Big Brother Uncut'' received backlash for airing a "sex scene" between Peter Timbs and Christina Davis, though neither of the two were having sex, despite making rhythmic sexual movements under the bedsheets. *A " bondage" party earlier in the 2001 season caused concerns when housemate Andrea Silva, a
dominatrix A dominatrix ( ; or dominatrices ), or domme, is a woman who takes the dominant role in BDSM activities. The BDSM practice is called female dominance, or femdom. A dominatrix can be of any sexual orientation, but this does not necessarily l ...
in profession, displayed some of her sexual fetishes to the other housemates, where she tied up her shirtless male housemates, pinched their nipples and lashed them with a
scourge A scourge is a whip or lash, especially a multi-thong type, used to inflict severe corporal punishment or self-mortification. It is usually made of leather. Etymology The word is most commonly considered to be derived from Old French ''escorgie ...
. *Later that night, Sara-Marie Fedele tied up Gordon Sloan on a wooden table and sensually stroked his bare chest. The ACMA did not impose any direct punishment on Network Ten, however outlined requirements for the 2006 series of ''Uncut''. Included in those requirements is a commitment by Network Ten to compile episode footage early enough for censors to evaluate it. Two censors were taken on by the network specifically for ''Big Brother'', and crew were trained on the restrictions of the MA15+ television rating. As a result of criticism, the show was renamed ''Big Brother: Adults Only'' for the 2006 season. The daily shows in the first 4 seasons were rated G, despite their (mild) sexual references or
innuendo An innuendo is a wikt:hint, hint, wikt:insinuation, insinuation or wikt:intimation, intimation about a person or thing, especially of a denigrating or derogatory nature. It can also be a remark or question, typically disparaging (also called in ...
s and adult subject matter. The daily shows in the latter seasons were rated PG. ''Late Night Feast'', an adult-oriented show first aired in the 2013 season, was rated M for moderate sexual references, (non-graphic) nudity and coarse language.


2006 alleged sexual assault controversy

On 1 July 2006 two housemates, Michael Cox (using the alias Ashley for the show) and Michael Bric (using the alias John), were removed from the house for allegedly sexually assaulting, " Turkey slapping" female housemate, Camilla Halliwell, in a season of the series that had already attracted significant
controversy Controversy (, ) is a state of prolonged public dispute or debate, usually concerning a matter of conflicting opinion or point of view. The word was coined from the Latin '' controversia'', as a composite of ''controversus'' – "turned in an op ...
.
Queensland Police The Queensland Police Service (QPS) is the principal law enforcement agency responsible for policing the Australian state of Queensland. In 1990, the Queensland Police Force was officially renamed the Queensland Police Service and the old motto ...
were shown the relevant footage, but opted not to conduct a criminal investigation. Subsequent to this incident former housemate Rita Lazzarotto reported that she had been subjected to a similar incident during her time in the Big Brother house in the 2005 series. Then Australian Prime Minister
John Howard John Winston Howard (born 26 July 1939) is an Australian former politician who served as the 25th prime minister of Australia from 1996 to 2007. He held office as leader of the Liberal Party of Australia. His eleven-year tenure as prime min ...
asked for ''Big Brother'' to be cancelled, saying, "Here's a great opportunity for Channel 10 to do a bit of self-regulation and get this stupid program off the air"; Leader of the Opposition
Kim Beazley Kim Christian Beazley (born 14 December 1948) is an Australian former politician and diplomat. Since 2022 he has served as chairman of the Australian War Memorial. Previously, he was leader of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) and Leader of the ...
and Senator
Steve Fielding Steven Fielding (born 17 October 1960) is a former Australian senator for the state of Victoria and the former federal parliamentary leader of the Family First Party. He was elected to the upper house at the 2004 federal election on two per ...
supported this view. Queensland Premier Peter Beattie argued that the show employed many Australians in production and that, because of the already diminished size of the Australian television industry, the show should continue.


Housemate selection

The show's producers aim to get "real people" in the house. This has been done by personality testing, engaging with people around the country and appearances. While there are housemates who are "unique" and reflect many diverse people in Australia, there has been a high number of individuals in the latter seasons who come from a modelling background which has alienated them from the public audience. In the 2007 season, to lower censorship controversies that stemmed from the housemates' generally salacious and revelling personality types from the previous seasons, producers selected more sophisticated, reserved and modest type of housemates, such as Rebecca Dent, a devout
Mormon Mormons are a religious and cultural group related to Mormonism, the principal branch of the Latter Day Saint movement started by Joseph Smith in upstate New York during the 1820s. After Smith's death in 1844, the movement split into several ...
, and Jamie McDonald, a computer geek. Such practise of selecting more educated and mature type of people continued into the latter seasons, with other examples being Michael Beveridge from the 2012 season, who had the IQ of a
genius Genius is a characteristic of original and exceptional insight in the performance of some art or endeavor that surpasses expectations, sets new standards for the future, establishes better methods of operation, or remains outside the capabiliti ...
, and Priya Malik, an Indian Australian schoolteacher with an English
Honours degree Honours degree has various meanings in the context of different degrees and education systems. Most commonly it refers to a variant of the undergraduate bachelor's degree containing a larger volume of material or a higher standard of study, ...
from the 2014 season.


Awards and nominations


Other media

On 8 July 2003, a
DVD The DVD (common abbreviation for digital video disc or digital versatile disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any ki ...
entitled ''Big Brother: Unseen/Uncut/Unreel'' by Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment, featuring risqué moments from the series was released and became marginally successful. It was rated M which means that the DVD requires a mature perspective, however there is no legal restriction on access. The DVD is broken down into three sections. ''Unseen'' showed ''Launch'' and ''Eviction'' episodes, while ''Uncut'' features clips from ''Big Brother Uncut''; speaks of how television censorship laws of different countries that have '' Big Brother'' seasons that differ from
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
's; footage of the audition process; and a package where Peter Abbott, the voice of ''Big Brother'' for the first three seasons, was "Big Brother'd" for a day, where a camera followed him from the time he woke up to when he went to sleep. ''Unreel'' section has information on the first three seasons' housemates, including ''Big Brother 2003'''s housemates' introduction packages shown at ''In They Go''; an image gallery with information on what the 24 original housemates of the first two seasons were doing at the time of the DVD's release; and an interactive tour of ''Big Brother 2003'''s Houses before and after they were merged.


Notable contestants

; 2001 * Rachel Corbett * Christina Davis * Sara-Marie Fedele *
Blair McDonough Blair McDonough (born 30 April 1981), is an Australian actor who is best known for playing the role of Stuart Parker in the Australian TV soap opera ''Neighbours''. He first shot to fame the age of 19 in 2001, when he finished runner-up in the ...
; 2002 * Nathan Morris * Brodie Young ; 2003 * Regina Sorensen *
Chrissie Swan Christina Swan is an Australian television and radio presenter and media personality. Since 2023, Swan has hosted '' The Chrissie Swan Show'' on Nova FM. In 2022 and 2023, she served as a panellist on '' The Masked Singer Australia'' alongside ...
; 2004 *
Bree Amer Bree Amer (born 17 August 1982 ) is an Australian television personality. Biography Amer was a contestant on '' Big Brother Australia 2004'' from the Gold Coast, in Queensland, and the first housemate of ''Big Brother Australia'' to re-enter ...
*
Trevor Butler Trevor Butler is a TV personality, best known for being a contestant and winner of ''Big Brother Australia'' series 4 (airing in 2004). He known for being the first, and currently only, contestant to win the million-dollar prize, as opposed ...
*
Wesley Dening Wesley Dening (born 14 July 1983) is an Australian television producer based in Los Angeles. He is the President of an international production company called WD Entertainment Group Inc. and serves as Executive Producer of series produced by E ...
*
Ryan Fitzgerald Ryan James Fitzgerald (born 16 October 1976) is an Australian radio personality, television presenter, comedian and former Australian rules footballer. After being drafted from the South Adelaide Football Club, he made his Australian Football ...
; 2005 * Tim Brunero * Simon Deering * Greg and David Mathew ; 2006 * Danielle Foote * Krystal Forscutt ; 2007 * Jamie McDonald ; 2008 * Craig Barnett * Michael Crafter ; 2012 * Layla Subritzky ; 2013 * Ed Lower * Tully Smyth ; 2014 * Sam Bramham * Aisha McKinnon * Skye Wheatley ; 2020 * Daniel Gorringe * Xavier Molyneux ; 2021 * Lillian Ahenkan * Nick Benton * Danny Hayes * Jess Trend ; 2022 *
Trevor Butler Trevor Butler is a TV personality, best known for being a contestant and winner of ''Big Brother Australia'' series 4 (airing in 2004). He known for being the first, and currently only, contestant to win the million-dollar prize, as opposed ...
* Regina Sorensen * Layla Subritzky * Tully Smyth


See also

*
List of Australian television series Future shows Seven Nine *''The Golden Bachelor'' (reality, 2025) *''The Floor'' (game show, 2025) *''Château DIY Australia'' (lifestyle, 2025) Network 10 * ''Airport 24/7'' (reality, 2025) * ''Ghosts Australia'' (comedy, 2025) * ...


References


Bibliography

*


External links


''Big Brother Australia''
* {{Network 10 programming Seven Network original programming Network 10 original programming Nine Network original programming Television shows set in Gold Coast, Queensland 2001 Australian television series debuts 2008 Australian television series endings 2012 Australian television series debuts 2014 Australian television series endings 2020 Australian television series debuts 2023 Australian television series endings Television series by Endemol Shine Australia Television series by Endemol Australian television series revived after cancellation Australian English-language television shows Dreamworld (Australia) Australian television series based on Dutch television series