Last week, Channel 10 launched an explosive announcement: Big Brother will return to the network in 2025 after spending four years on Channel Seven.
However, fans may be surprised to learn that familiar faces Sonia Kruger and Gretel Killeen, who previously hosted the show, were never in the running for the hosting spot.
An industry source revealed to Yahoo Lifestyle that neither Sonia nor Gretel were considered for the 2025 reboot.
While both women are synonymous with past seasons of Big Brother (Sonia hosted its final broadcast 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.
“Channel 10 wanted someone new who resembled the network that hired Gretel in 2001,” the source explained.
‘Mel Tracina hopes to bring something unique to the format, but her sense of humor, support for women and lack of fear of calling out men will largely mirror what Gretel Killeen did with the format.’
Fans of the iconic reality series remember Killeen for his sharp wit and fearless hosting style, which became a defining characteristic of Big Brother in the early years.
With the addition of Tracina, however, it seems the network is willing to bring new energy to the reboot, without straying too far from what made the show a hit.
Following Channel 10’s shock announcement last week that Big Brother would be returning to the network in 2025, many fans were left wondering why former presenters Sonia Kruger (pictured) and Gretel Killeen were not returning to star in the new series.
A source close to the show revealed to Yahoo Lifestyle that Channel 10’s focus was on finding new talent to lead the revival. Pictured is new presenter Mel Tracina
To add to the drama, it was revealed that Channel 10’s announcement 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 them of a “suspension” of the Big Brother format until mid-2025.
This contractual clause prevents any new production activity, 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 lack of fear of calling out men will mirror a lot of what Gretel Killeen did with the format,” a source told the outlet. Gretel is pictured
“You can’t start production in the middle of a suspension,” a source told Television Tonight‘You can’t be casting, you can’t be announcing hosts or signing deals.
Despite this, Channel 10 remains optimistic about moving forward with its plans for 2025.
For die-hard fans, the return of Big Brother to Channel 10 is like a homecoming. The series first 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, before moving to Channel Seven in 2020.
Now that Mel Tracina will be the new host, viewers are eagerly awaiting what the reboot will bring.
While the format may have changed over the years, it looks like the fresh-faced host will be channeling some of the original magic Killeen brought to the show, but with her own twist.