Media industry barred from Big Brother reboot
This year’s Big Brother revival on 10 won’t feature anyone who works for, or has recently worked for, the wider media sector.
The decision is in stark contrast to previous iterations of the show, when radio hosts, creative agency employees, and other media workers peppered the cast.
2013’s season on Channel 9, for example, had eventual winner Tim Dormer who had past gigs with Nova and Southern Cross Broadcasting (now Southern Cross Austereo). Dormer had made headlines the year prior for streaking through a plane as part of a Rihanna media junket.
That same season also featured Heidi Anderson from SCA’s Newcastle station NXFM, and Tully Smyth who was a social media strategist at DDB Sydney, and had worked for Clemenger BBDO and Pedestrian.
2025’s version, however, strictly states that anyone applying to be a housemate cannot be “an employee of, or in any way associated with, any television broadcaster, news or media organisation, including any web-based media or other online platform or outlet, either in Australia or elsewhere”.
Over the past two years, they must also “not have been an employee, officer, director or agent of the producer [Endemol Shine Australia], any television broadcaster, or any of their related companies, affiliates or licensees”. This rule also applies to members of applicants’ immediate families and those they live with.
Producers have been actively recruiting for participants in this year’s series, including in local Facebook community groups, asking for “real people with real stories”, “true-blue local legends”, “the unintentionally funny types”, “someone with a little sass”, “the wholesome ones everyone loves”, and “of course, the underdogs”.
Throughout its on-air life, Big Brother Australia has featured on all three commercial free-to-air networks. Between 2001 and 2008 it was on Channel 10. Nine revived it in 2012, with a three-series run through to 2014, and then Seven had its run from 2020 to 2023.
The series has spawned various media careers, including Ryan ‘Fitzy’ Fitzgerald who placed fourth in 2004. He currently co-hosts the Fitzy and Wippa with Kate Ritchie breakfast show on Sydney’s Nova 96.9.
Fitzy, Kate, and Wippa
The year prior, in 2003, Chrissie Swan placed second. She now hosts The Chrissie Swan Show on weekday afternoons across the national Nova Network.
Nova’s network director of Nova Podcasts, Rachel Corbett, also made a brief appearance on the first season in 2001 as an intruder. She has since worked as a radio and podcast host and producer at SCA, as well as spending time as head of podcasts at Mamamia.
Nova’s lingering association with the reality TV franchise doesn’t end there. This year’s season will be hosted by Nova’s workday announcer Mel Tracina, who also appears on 10’s The Cheap Seats.
Shooting is expected to begin in early November.
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