Lisa Wilkinson to host Big Brother revival for TEN
New host & new season as TEN takes Big Brother back to basics at Dreamworld.
- Published by David Knox
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Big Brother is returning to TEN with Lisa Wilkinson as host.
It will kick off the network’s 2019 ratings year with CBS ordering the series to replace I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here.
In a win for true believers, TEN is also returning the series to its core, with a stripped nightly show, Sunday evictions, Big Brother Up Late on ELEVEN and 24 / 7 ‘webcam’ streaming. Unlike Nine’s “family friendly” revival in 2012, TEN is promising ‘adult’ content in an MA timeslot.
CBS honcho Armando Nunez sealed the deal with Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk during a flying visit last week. The show’s return to Dreamworld marks another feather in the cap for the Gold Coast.
Annastacia Palaszczuk said, “With the Logie Awards, Commonwealth Games, Tidelands, Harrow, Safe Harbour, The Family Law and Dora the Explorer, Queensland is now a powerhouse in Australia’s film & television industry. TEN’s commitment to local jobs is a win for fans and industry alike.”
Lisa Wilkinson said, “Big Brother is the grand-daddy of Reality TV experiments. Who can forget Sara-Marie’s bunny ears, Marty & Jess falling in love, or Merlin’s “Free the Refugees” protest? It is watercooler TV meets eviction confessions, and I’ve been practicing those famous words, “It’s time to go…'”
TEN Chief Content Officer Beverley McGarvey said, “We always knew TEN would return to TV’s favourite Reality show when the time was right and give fans the show they truly deserve. We can’t wait to meet the next housemates set to have Australia talking.”
The return of Big Brother will come 11 years after it ended on TEN, with a 3 season run on Nine from 2012-2014. Sources suggest it was always part of CBS’ master-plan to poach Lisa Wilkinson for the show’s revival, rather than The Project.
“Now the bigger picture is clear. Wilkinson on The Sunday Project is actually a warm-up to Sunday night evictions,” a source tells TV Tonight.
“CBS owns the Big Brother brand and it is cheaper to produce than I’m A Celebrity in South Africa. There aren’t that many hosts with both the Live TV and interview skills to make it work -you can bet Lisa won’t let anybody get away with turkey-slapping.”
CBS will also use 24 / 7 “web-cam” streaming to launch CBS All Access in the Australian market. Fan favourite Mike Goldman is understood to be finalising a deal as Up Late host, fending off strong interest from HotDogs.
“We’re baaaack baby!” he told TV Tonight.
“I’ve been rehearsing my dancing-doona impressions and bum-dancing, ready to unleash more mayhem on the Goldie! Bring it ornnnn!”
With its diehard fanbase, Big Brother is the network’s best shot to take the fight up to Married at First Sight & My Kitchen Rules.
Sources say Peter Helliar attempted to rework Cram as a possible alternative, locking himself in the Dreamworld house and throwing brussel sprouts at Fitzy & Bree but execs were just not impressed.
Update: April Fool’s thanks for playing again!
Photo: Roberto Parlavecchio
116 Responses
Any other day and I would get excited. But you won’t get me today.
Happy April Fools David! Nice work once again!!
Another great one David year after year you come up with the best although i wish this one was true I would love BB back especially like that and Lisa would probably be a good host
April fools joke maybe ?
Hot dogs is going to be so excited that you mentioned his name!
In fact just as unlikely (if you’d posted it even a couple of years ago on April 1 ) is the item currently sitting underneath this one: “Renewed:Roseanne. 21 years after its return, US Network orders even more of nostalgic sitcom’. Truth stranger than fiction!
I had the same thought. LOL.
Far out I got sooooo excited when I read the headline, then thought nah it can’t be April 1 already can it? I checked and it is 🙁 TEN please make this happen!
Lol oh, David. Here I was getting all excited but then I realised daylight savings had ended this morning and what day it was! You got me for a few minutes. I was about to wake up my brother and tell him the great news! Lol
hahaha – I can’t believe it took me to your last paragraph to work out the date. Well played David, very well played!
Nice try!
If only this wasn’t a joke 🙁
It should actually be revived on Ten!
let me check the date…….yep April 1…….nothing to see here, move on 🙂
Happy April Fool’s David :P. Unfortunately I picked it as soon as I read the headline though – there is no way Lisa would host BB! I wonder if this could be a Hard Chat/Sophie Monk like situation though where a joke turns into reality…
Very convincing, especially the level of detail and media release style quotes from politicians. The last line gives it away perhaps.
Haha. You very nearly got me this year 🙂
Aww man this one was almost cruel. Spent the whole time reading it through wishing this was true lol!!! This isn’t a bad idea tho!!!
This would be very interesting if it wasnt April 1st. Just think of the high quality interviews!
Happy Easter Sunday April Fools Day, David. You really had a blast writing up this one! Filled with bizarro references and just plain gaga tidbits, if television and the culture wasn’t already so darn strange, some of this could just come true. Nice work. 🙂
Gretel Killeen she ain’t…….
Is this an April Fools joke
LOL
So cruel……. I saw the eye and got very excited
Many many people are going to be so disappointed ??
Gold! Had me going for a minute – I had to do a double-take, then remembered the date. I think it could actually work! As I started reading I thought “I’ll mention HotDogs in my comment”, but you beat me to it… maybe Ten need to open Big Brother’s Big Fat Beefy Wallet to make this happen 😉
You are Fake News David!!
That’s just cruel…
…but very funny.