Big Brother Australia announces returns to original broadcaster Channel Ten 17 years after leaving the network - as new host is confirmed
The popular reality series revealed in an Instagram post on Sunday that the upcoming 2025 season would be filmed at its iconic Gold Coast location Dreamworld.
Channel Ten originally filmed the reality show at the theme park 17 years ago, when Big Brother first hit screens Down Under.
In the clip, the show's new host Melissa Tracina - who replaced recent host Sonia Kruger at the helm of the series - answered a phone call, revealing that Big Brother had found a house.
'Surprise, @BigBrotherAU is coming home to @DreamworldAU!' the post was captioned.
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'Get ready for more chaos and laughter than ever before, with the one and only @mel_tracina #BBAU | Coming to @Channel10AU.'
Big Brother teased the big news on Saturday with a clip of an eye in a blue filter.
'BIG #BBAU news incoming... keep an [eye] out,' the caption read.
In June, Daily Mail Australia reported that Big Brother would be returning to the Gold Coast later this year, but did not specify where.
Production company Endemol Shine Australia all but confirmed the upcoming reboot would return to the location where the show was famously produced during its Network 10 run from 2001-2008 after putting out a call for local post-production staff.
'Endemol Shine Australia is looking for Queensland-based post production crew available to work on-site for the return of Big Brother,' the post read.
While no filming location was specified, the post suggested that a new home could be built up North, after filming the latest three seasons in Sydney before the series was canned by Seven in 2024.
The series will return to screens in early November and is expected to wrap in the first half of December.
The abandoned Gold Coast house was deliberately set on fire in June 2019.
Four children aged between 11 and 15 were later charged with arson after it was set ablaze.
Two nine-year-olds who were also arrested were released after assisting police with inquiries.
After the show was axed in 2014, the unoccupied set was left to rot for five years.
A new house was built in 2020 in Manly for when Channel Seven picked up the series.
It eventually relocated to Sydney Olympic Park in 2021 after receiving an eviction notice by the National Parks and Wildlife Service.
The eviction notice was issued due to concerns about local wildlife.
The reality show will be back at its original home on Ten, with the network vowing to bring the Australian franchise into line with its winning format.
A call for local post-production staff was made earlier this year, hinting at the show's return
A brand new crop of housemates will be live-streamed 24/7 as the series returns with a fresh new host in Melissa.
She is planning to revamp the series, revealing to Daily Mail Australia that viewers will finally have access to the game in real time.
'What's so good about this is the livestream element,' she said.
'So you don't have to worry about getting a bad edit, or being the "season villain", because viewers can log in at any time and see what the [housemates] are up to.'
The beloved reality show, which sees housemates compete to stay in the house to win prize money, found roaring success on Channel Ten in the early 2000s.
Since then, the show has changed networks several times - first going over to Channel Nine before a revamped version at Channel Seven.
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