Big Brother is back on TV. But does it live up to its promise to be different?

It’s 3am, and there are 100 people watching Big Brother Australia’s live TikTok stream after Sunday night’s premiere on Channel 10, hoping any of our dozen housemates will wake up. Surely, the roaring snores are keeping at least a few of them up? Don’t they know this is prime time to steal the spotlight?

Maybe not. This reboot – the third since the original series wrapped in 2008, following a family-friendly Channel Nine take in the 2010s and Channel Seven’s boring-as-sin version, which died a quiet death just two years ago – has been billed as free of fame-chasers, with influencers, D-list celebs and media workers told not to bother applying.

Mel Tracina hosts the 2025 edition of Big Brother at Dreamworld.Credit: Ten

That rule didn’t quite hold. Housemate Holly, for starters, is a 31-year-old model whose dating life has seen her in the tabloids, while proudly anti-woke Michael, 49, is the publisher of men’s magazine FHM, among others.

Airing on Big Brother’s original broadcaster Network 10, and relocated back to Dreamworld, BBAU 4.0 has been pushed as a return-to-form for the series, going back to a relatively gimmick-free “social experiment”, with live evictions, public voting and a 24/7 livestream on 10Play and social media.

True to word, the premiere on Sunday night played things straight as new host Mel Tracina, a radio personality and entertainment correspondent on The Cheap Seats, introduced us to our housemates while being absolutely pelted with rain on an outdoor stage.

The opening episode was the exactly right amount of chaotic (between the horrendous weather), inevitable tech issues and Tracina keeping housemates on topic – including cutting off Holly when she starts to name-drop her outfit designer as if this were Instagram.

Holly, a 31-year-old model from WACredit: Ten

Fans may be sad that original host Gretel Killeen is busy with The Traitors, but Tracina steamed ahead despite difficult circumstances. The episode, recorded the night before as is standard with previous premieres, had to pause for two hours due to lightning risks, with much of the crowd evidently dissipating in the time between. It won’t be the only surprise Big Brother throws at Tracina.

It’s early days, but the show has been refreshingly raw, with contestants eschewing rehearsed entrance lines, visibly nervous and shaken by the experience. As you would be, locked in a house with 11 strangers with conflicting beliefs and life experiences. With the premiere filmed on Saturday, we got to whizz through their first night, where connections formed fast – as did storm clouds, or what seemed to be slight friction between several housemates.

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When Michael entered, for example, he didn’t introduce himself to Abiola, a 24-year-old “loud, fat, Black lesbian”. It could have been nerves, but the small moment stuck out. Abiola is one of two people of colour cast on Big Brother, alongside Mia, 23, a Sri Lankan woman whose slightly shrill excitement immediately seemed to put her on the outs with her housemates.

However, the cast features more men with moustaches and people with names beginning with C than it does non-white housemates. It’s not at all representative of Australia – an odd, disappointing choice given how, as naff as it seems to say, reality shows can really allow audiences to understand different perspectives. The imbalance could also easily create an uncomfortable tension. (A spoiler from last night’s livestream: Abiola and Mia are voted two of the house’s most annoying contestants in a challenge.)

That’s not to say the house isn’t otherwise diverse, with housemates plucked from across the country, spanning “ordinary” jobs such as tradie, tech sales, teacher, social and retail workers, with an age range spanning 21 to 49. There is also a potential 13th housemate, 67-year-old Jane, who could be voted in by the public on Monday night.

Big Brother’s most inspired casting is Conor – a charming, slightly geeky disability advocate with Tourette’s, who uncontrollably swears and slurs upon entering the house. He’s evidently on the show with a mission, telling housemates, “What I say is inherently funny, just laugh at that. Don’t laugh at me.”

It’s fascinating to watch how quickly dynamics establish. The oldest woman, Alana, 45, is instantly shafted into a “mother of the house” role. Conor gravitates towards the relatively reserved Edward, a 30-year-old who’s never had a girlfriend. The three 20-something men with abs to bare become best buds instantly.

It’s too early to call a winner, but first-in chatterbox Colin might be Conor’s strongest competition, a 21-year-old mulleted MMA enthusiast who loves conspiracy theories, his “good bloke” of a mum, and will seemingly drop dead if he isn’t either punching the air or saying the word bro at any one moment. That sounds annoying – but he’s the exact right balance of endearing and irritating.

Colin, a 21-year-old aspiring MMA fighter from NSWCredit: Ten

Much like Survivor, the best Big Brother casts don’t need much producer prodding beyond testing living conditions. And the first episode’s twist is that the housemates don’t have their luggage, souring celebrations as people realise they’ll have to sleep in their premiere looks. It’s a surefire way to start tension without feeling too gimmicky.

When the livestream started after Sunday’s premiere, we were dropped straight into an argument about designating one of the toilets women-only due to the boys’ lack of hygiene. It’s not long before things turn lewd, either, when someone starts a game of “two truths and a lie”, with some discussion of pretty extreme sexual acts prompting the editors to cut to the house’s empty backyard.

With the adults-only Big Brother Uncut not returning, the livestream’s going to push the boundaries – and editing reflexes – of the team who will have to keep in mind various television restrictions as the show also streams on 10Play. (Tip: there are no ads on TikTok.)

This stream will be absolute chaos. If the main show leans into that too, it might stand a chance of reaching the glory days of the 2000s.

Big Brother airs at 7.30pm on Channel 10, Monday to Friday and 7pm Sundays.

Did you watch the first episode of Big Brother? We would love to hear your thoughts on the show in the comments below.

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