Last week, Channel 10 made a shock announcement: Big Brother will return to the network in 2025, after four years on Channel Seven.
However, fans will be surprised to learn that familiar faces Sonia Kruger and Gretel Killeen, who previously presented the show, were never considered for the role of presenter.
An industry insider revealed Yahoo Lifestyle that neither Sonia nor Gretel were ever considered for the 2025 reboot.
While both women are synonymous with previous seasons of Big Brother – Sonia presented the final episode on Channel Seven and Gretel was the original face of the show in the early 2000s – Channel 10 opted for something different this time around.
“Network 10 wanted someone fresh and similar to the network that hired Gretel in 2001,” the insider explained.
‘Mel Tracina hopes to bring something unique to the format, but her sense of humor, her support of women and her audacity to take men to task are reminiscent of what Gretel Killeen did to the format.’
Fans of the iconic reality series know Killeen for her sharp wit and fearless presenting style, which became a defining characteristic of Big Brother in its early years.
With Tracina taking on the role, it appears the network is looking to bring new energy to the reboot without deviating too much from what made the series so successful.
After Channel 10 made the shock announcement last week that Big Brother would return to the network in 2025, many fans were left wondering why former presenters Sonia Kruger (pictured) and Gretel Killeen weren’t being brought back to the forefront of the new series.
An insider revealed to Yahoo Lifestyle that Channel 10 was focused on finding new talent to lead the revival. Pictured is new host Mel Tracina
Adding to the drama, Channel 10’s announcement was met with resistance from Channel Seven.
According to TV Tonight, Channel Seven has sent a legal letter to Endemol Shine Australia, the production company behind the show, reminding the company to “withhold” the Big Brother format until mid-2025.
This contractual clause prohibits all new production activities, including casting or announcing a host, until the clause expires.
“Mel Tracina hopes to bring something unique to the format, but her sense of humor, support for women and unwillingness to take aim at men will be very reminiscent of what Gretel Killeen brought to the format,” a source told the outlet. Gretel is pictured
“You can’t start production while there’s a delay,” a source said. TV Tonight‘You can’t do casting, you can’t announce presenters or sign contracts.
Despite this, Channel 10 remains optimistic about the progress of their plans for 2025.
For die-hard fans, Big Brother’s return to Channel 10 feels like a homecoming. The series premiered on the network in 2001 and ran for nine successful seasons, including a celebrity edition, until 2008.
After a brief hiatus, the series was picked up by Channel Nine, but in 2020 the series moved to Channel Seven.
With Mel Tracina as the new host, viewers are eagerly awaiting what the reboot has to offer.
While the format has changed over the years, it looks like the fresh-faced host will bring some of the original magic Killeen brought to the show — but with her own twist.