It’s official! Big Brother is set to return to Australian tv next year with the Seven Network airing the shows’ 12th season.
Seven confirmed the news during their Upfront event, which showcases the shows they have planned for 2020.
Endemol Shine Australia were first to announce that the show would be returning by opening a nationwide casting call on Oct 2nd, but did not announce which broadcaster would be airing the series.
During the Upfronts event, Seven announced that 30,000 people have already registered their interest in being a housemate.
The reality show, which was previously filmed at Queensland’s DreamWorld theme park, first premiered in 2001 on the TEN network before being axed in July 2008. Four years later, it was picked up by Channel Nine in 2012 and hosted by Sonia Kruger at it’s original home in DreamWorld until 2014.
Endemol Shine Australia has reportedly been pitching the show to Australian networks after five years off the air.
During its first run, the show wasn’t without controversy — with the infamous 2006 “turkey-slap” incident leading to two sexual assault accusations and then Prime Minister John Howard calling for the show to be cancelled immediately.
Seven are teasing a new format for Big Brother – it is heavily rumoured that the show will be taking on the North American format whereas the housemates themselves evict each other rather than a public vote.
While there has been no official confirmation on this change, promo footage from Seven appears to all but confirm it.
Big Brother Revolution promo has leaked. It contains A LOT of footage from BBUSA. Likely housemates will vote each other out and have Head-of-Household challenges.#bbau #bigbrotherrevolution pic.twitter.com/cJhvP7UVxj
— Behind Big Brother (@behindbb) October 23, 2019
TV Blackbox are also reporting that Seven plan ‘to record Big Brother Australia 2020 months before it airs’ and will potentially return with no host to help cut down on costs.
