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Media faces in the Big Brother house

A former host of regional music show Hit List TV, is one of this year's Big Brother contestants -but more are on the way.

Big Brother 2013 - Episode 1 House-36Big Brother has stocked up on media types amongst its 2013 cast.

Tim Dormer, former host of regional music show Hit List TV, turned up in the first episode as a 29 year old university student last night, but as Mumbrella noticed, oddly with no reference to his media career. The show was axed in 2011.

“My life is a constant search for weird and fun. There are no limits. I crossed that line years ago and life is so much more interesting on the other side,” he was quoted in a Press Release.

“If more people lived life like me I’d have more friends. To get more friends I’d have to sacrifice who I am. I can’t have both.”

BB 2013 Sonia & Tim 29 SydAlso appearing was Heidi Anderson, co-presenter of the Heidi, Heath & Normy Show on Southern Cross Austereo’s NXFM in Newcastle. At least her media career was acknowledged. Tully, a social media strategist, also appeared in the season launch.

The show’s first twist saw housemates enter a divided house partly filled with luxury items, and a “halfway house” partly with basics -both divided by a glass wall. The twist was a variation of Big Brother 2003 which opened with two houses. Another promised twist is unveiled tonight with two strangers who will pretend to be a married couple.

As tipped by TV Tonight, evictions will take place on Mondays, whilst News Corp has also revealed housemates with the most nominations each Tuesday will become “half-way house” residents.

Amongst the housemates ranging in age from 23 – 41 are contestants with South Korean, African-American, and Aboriginal / Malaysian and Chinese heritage. There are two gay contestants, one male (Ben) and one female (Tully). Further housemates are still expected to enter later.

Mikkayla: 23. High school teacher. Newcastle NSW.
A South Korean orphan Mikkayla was adopted by an Australian family when she was six months old. “On the flight to Australia I screamed the whole way.” After experiencing racist bullying at school she escaped into a world of books and study which led to university and a teaching degree. “I was always a massive bookworm but once I overcame my fears of rejection from my peers I became a social butterfly. My life has not been smooth sailing but it has brought me to where I am today and for that I am grateful.”

Xavier: 28. Facilities manager. Melbourne.
Xavier doesn’t hold back when asked if he’s happy with his life: “No. I’ve been stagnating in my job and ambitions for years. I need to break out and find something.” A born entertainer Xavier gets his post work kicks from being the lead singer of a band and by making people laugh. “My best quality is my sense of humour. You can’t fake being funny and I’d like to think I genuinely am. I’m average looking, but I know how to wrap presents and iron a shirt. Come at me ladies.”

Tahan: 24. Part-time model. Public servant. NT
Darwin born and raised Tahan is a striking mix of Aboriginal / Malaysian and Chinese heritage. She had a real NT childhood, riding quad bikes, swimming in waterholes and stealing mangoes from the neighbor’s yard. Her adult life is a more sophisticated affair, living as a young professional in Melbourne and doing acting and magazine shoots. “People either like me or dislike me and I can’t change that. Everyone has the right to their own opinions.”

Ben: 31. Former flight attendant. Brisbane.
Benjamin is not your regular thirty-year-old guy. For starters he counts his mum as his best friend: “Mum sacrificed so much for me and raised me on her own. I can always count on mum to turn up, keep a secret or help take care of something for me.” Ben loves TV current affairs and still enjoys his childhood practice of walking through graveyards and reading gravestones. “I’m not much of a drinker, don’t go to clubs, I like to read, can’t dance and hate clothes shopping.”

Tully: 25. Social media strategist- “spends half her life on Facebook – and gets paid for it” Sydney.
An inner city type Tully lives in a terrace house with her girlfriend Tahlia and their Pomeranian puppy Luna. Despite having a good job with a top advertising agency Tully says she never has any money: “Shopping makes me happy, but I never have extra cash to blow.” As for bad habits: “I can be unfriendly or bitchy to people I don’t know before getting to know them and giving them a chance. That said, I’m generally spot on with my first impressions.”

Tim: 29. University student. Sydney.
Easily distracted, rebellious and with an eye on having a good time, Tim is still trying to finish his science degree ten years after he started it. “My life is a constant search for weird and fun. There are no limits. I crossed that line years ago and life is so much more interesting on the other side.” Tim doesn’t believe in playing it safe: “If more people lived life like me I’d have more friends. To get more friends I’d have to sacrifice who I am. I can’t have both.

Sharon: 41. Ex-cop. Melbourne.
A married mother of three, Sharon’s daily life is non-stop. Getting the kids up and off to school before taking fitness classes with clients of her personal training business then home for bath time, dinner and bed. In her younger life Sharon was a policewoman, but rates her biggest achievement as losing 30 kilos “not once, but three times. It was a bloody hard task but I always say strong mind, strong body and if you believe it you can achieve it.”

Ed: 26. Sports agent. South Australia.
One half of identical twins, Ed’s a former AFL player who had to give the game away after a devastating knee injury. His brother Nick plays for Western Bulldogs. “I could never have imagined being unable to play at 23 especially when that’s all I wanted to do when I was younger. But it’s been good to experience life outside of professional sport.” Ed still goes to the gym five times a week as well as university. His job means he’s constantly looking for promising players to sign up to the agency.

Matthew: 28. Former soldier turned electrician. Sunshine Coast, Queensland.
An Australian soldier who has seen active service in Iraq and Afghanistan, Mathew has now left the army and settled back into the Queensland sunshine and the more peaceful life of a tradesman and surfer: “Being in the Australian Army infantry was the most rewarding thing I have ever done and such an honour to serve this amazing country. But to be back with my mates, surfing and having the freedom to walk along the beach is amazing.”

Heidi: 29. Radio announcer. Newcastle NSW
Born in Bathurst NSW and armed with a degree in public relations, Heidi travelled the world looking for her dream job, before finding it in Newcastle where she landed a gig as a breakfast announcer on the local FM radio station. It suits her alpha personality: “There’s nothing fake about me. I wear my heart on my sleeve. I love to listen. People tell me I’m the mother hen. People tell me everything.”

Jasmin: 24. Flight attendant. Melbourne.
Jasmin’s funky good looks come courtesy of an Australian mum and an African-American father. A Melbourne-based flight attendant she has a natural affinity with people, but her generous nature doesn’t extend to beetroot which she has hates with a passion. She also can’t stand people who lie: “I’m a terrible liar so I just don’t do it.” At 24 Jasmin is an unashamed mummy’s girl and calls her up to three times a day for advice. If mum can’t fix a problem she turns to comfort food. “Vegemite and butter cures just about any emotional girly problems.”

Caleb: 33. Fireman. Melbourne.
Caleb completed an accounting degree before deciding he needed to try something more exciting and signing up as a flight attendant. After spending “three years in the desert” based in Dubai with a Middle Eastern airline, he returned to Australia and took a job with the Melbourne metropolitan fire brigade. Caleb’s weakness is women: “I always fall too quickly for a girl I like. I’m a sucker for wearing my heart on my sleeve.

7 Responses

  1. It’s a bit of a shift from the premise of last year isn’t it? The big bubble keeping all the fame-hungry attention seekers out seems to have evaporated!

  2. Me too, I’ll be watching, but hopefully the two media people will go first, Tim looks extremely annoying and I prefer to see more average prople. Ben is going to be funny, hope he stays around for a while.

  3. I didn’t end up watching it until around 9pm on timeshift. I have to note , the Channel 9 picture quality was horrendous for most part.

    It was an average opening night, seen much better in the earlier years and the whole opening segment with BB talking to Sonia in the make-up room made no sense. At least the characters seem more culturally diverse, but still not the best casting, the oldest is a 41yr old who looks 31.

    Nice house this year finally, just a shame all that expensive designer tiles, timbers etc all end up in a skip at the end end of the year as they build the house again. I’d be putting my hand up to re-use the decking at my house.

    I had an instant dislike to Mikkayla, only because of the bastardisation of the spelling of Michaela which was a bit unfair; it’s not her fault her parents cannot spell.

  4. It’s early days but I’m much happier about the casting this year. It feels like a more diverse and mature group that I can imagine as my own friends. The twist so far is decent, and has surprisingly provided enough drama on the first night. I’m already sucked in!

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