‘We're excited to be home': Channel 10 unveils first look at Big Brother revival as reality franchise returns to Dreamworld with new host Mel Tracina
The broadcaster has been left with gaping holes in its local programming after axing the long-running news program The Project and resting long-running staples like Thank God You're Here.
On Sunday, Ten shared the first official look at the new Big Brother and confirmed production will shift back to its original home inside Dreamworld.
'Big Brother is back home on 10 and returning to its legendary Dreamworld setting on the Gold Coast,' the network said in a statement.
'The iconic social experiment that launched countless conversations, rivalries, friendships and of course, the bum dance, returns refreshed and ready to capture a whole new generation of fans while rekindling nostalgia for longtime viewers.
'Expect high stakes, unexpected alliances, and classic and heartwarming moments as Big Brother once again opens the doors to the Dreamworld house, setting the stage for another unforgettable season in Australian television history.'
The series will be helmed by Channel 10 regular Mel Tracina, who currently serves as a 'cultural correspondent' for The Cheap Seats and a radio host on Nova.
'The Big Brother house is synonymous with Dreamworld, so bringing the OG format to its OG location feels right,' she said in a statement.
'We're excited to be home (and in a new house that hopefully comes with an air fryer).'
Big Brother Australia first went to air on Network 10 in 2001 and became an instant ratings winner for the channel, often topping 1.4 million viewers nightly.
The early seasons of the show, which were presented by the no-nonsense Gretel Kileen, made stars of several contestants, including Sara-Marie Fedele, Blair McDonough and Chrissie Swan.
The show originally aired on Ten for a further eight seasons before being revived in 2012 by rival Channel 9 for another three seasons with Sonia Kruger as host.
The franchise then moved over to Channel 7, who produced another five seasons with Kruger as host, but swapped the original shooting location for Sydney.
Ten confirmed that the new revival will see the return of live evictions and live nominations after the most recent seasons on Seven were pre-recorded.
Viewers will also be able to stream the house live via the Tenplay website.
Ten has received a grant by the Queensland Government through Screen Queensland's Production Attraction Strategy in exchange for bringing the show back to the sunshine state.
'Endemol Shine Australia's Big Brother has been an important training ground for many local screen practitioners and this new iteration will employ 95 crew as well as supporting four paid attachment positions,' Jacqui Feeney, Screen Queensland CEO, said in a statement.
'They will have the opportunity to learn from industry experts in critical areas such as outside broadcasting, a skillset that will be in high demand as we head towards the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.'
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