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“We’ve decided not to inform the celebrities about what occurred in Sydney”

The choice on whether to share tragic events with cocooned reality contestants is not unprecedented.

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Every year on I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here 10’s Sandra Sully famously reads ‘jungle news’ highlights to contestants in a specially recorded video.

Last night Sully told the campmates about Kate Middleton’s cancer diagnosis, the death of OJ Simpson, and Taylor Swift becoming a billionaire, before extra special personal news from their own families.

But the show held off the biggest news of the past week surrounding the tragic events of Bondi Junction Westfield.

Julia Morris and Robert Irwin made a statement to viewers last night:

“As we know the celebrities are in a bubble here in the jungle cut off from friends, family and news from the outside world.

“And as such they have no knowledge of the tragic events that occurred in Sydney last weekend.

“Upon hearing of the devastating news here in South Africa we immediately contacted each celebrity’s family to confirm their safety.

“In a moment Channel 10’s own Sandra Sally is going to update the campmates on some news that they’ve missed while in the jungle and let them know how much their loved ones are missing them back home.

“We’ve decided not to inform the celebrities about what occurred in Sydney. We felt the news would prove too distressing at a moment in which our sole aim was to try and bring a little bit of joy to the campmates.

“Plus, they’re stuck in the camp. They can’t ask questions, they can’t reach out to family and friends. It’s only a couple of days of course before they’ll be out and know everything.”

The choice on whether to share tragic events with cocooned reality contestants is not unprecedented.

In 2020 Big Brother Australia producers informed contestants of the coronavirus pandemic – they had entered the house three weeks before the nation went into lockdown.

Germany’s Big Brother also told its housemates of the coronavirus pandemic in a live to air show.

In 2016 Celebrity Big Brother UK informed Angie Bowie off camera about the passing of her ex-husband, David Bowie.

In 2001, the US Big Brother informed its cast members about the September 11 attacks. One of the contestants, Monica Bailey, had a cousin who died during the attack.

It’s not clear when Sandra Sully recorded her news segment for campmates.

9 Responses

  1. I was always led to believe that those in the Big Brother House were never told about Sept 11 tragedy and got criticism for it. I think they should have told them about Bondi, especially considering they found out that they didn’t have any connection to victims. Though I kind of understand their explanation. I’m sure I remember one year – but can’t be clear exactly when or what- that Australia I’m a celeb… got told some devastating news… maybe it was bushfires?

  2. If you’ve never seen what happened when Angie Bowie was advised her ex-husband had died while she was in the CBB UK house, please do yourself a favour and search ‘Davids dead’ on YouTube.

    It is one of British reality television’s most famous and hilarious moments ever captured.

  3. This is what I have read in a lot of productions and the people in the shows do know about the fact they don’t get told of news that are happening. The only time I have seen people being told is about a family member passing away.

  4. By telling them how will that change things? There is an old saying ‘Let sleeping dogs lye’. What they don’t know wont hurt them? I think it’s a good decision.

  5. I can understand why because they would have questions and for the celebs based in sydney probably would be thinking I hope no one I know got hurt. Plus there would be a lot to go through.

    I wonder if they get told once they are eliminated.

    1. not quite sure I agree with the equivalence.

      I remember years ago there was some outrage aimed at Big Brother here when a contestant’s father had passed away and the producers copped criticism for not informing her, but the said they were acting on the wishes of the contestant’s family. A google search identified that she later defended the family and the producers’ decisions.

    2. I think they’re slightly different

      I think a cancer diagnosis of a public figure, with little connection to the cast, is different to an attack has potently impacted their local community (especially if some celebs are based in East Sydney).

      Both are unfortunate, but one is “oh that’s unfortunate but it doesn’t directly impact me”, and the other may be “goodness, that happened where I go shopping. I’m scared to go back home”

      And while they will find out eventually, pragmatically having that energy on camera for the last few days of the show will not be fun as a viewer.

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