Speaker 1: It's in the news today, but it was actually on
Speaker 1: TV Reload the podcast last week Neylight. Welcome back to
Speaker 1: TV Reload. My name's Benjamin Norris and on this podcast
Speaker 1: I go behind the scenes with the biggest players in television.
Speaker 1: Each episode you will get a front row seat with
Speaker 1: content makers like executive producers, writers, editors and casting agents,
Speaker 1: plus the talent that we see on our screens. TV
Speaker 1: Reload reloads the shows that you are currently watching and
Speaker 1: gives you a better insight at our television industry and
Speaker 1: streaming services today. On the podcast, I have Sonya Krueger
Speaker 1: back on TV Reload, and of course we're here to
Speaker 1: preview the new Big Brother series, which will see the
Speaker 1: biggest and the best housemates return to face up against
Speaker 1: a brand new breed of housemates from iconic winners like
Speaker 1: Reggie Byrd, Trevor Butler and Tim Dohmer, returning favorites like oats,
Speaker 1: Alalila and Estelle. They have found people who we in
Speaker 1: Australia are still talking about all these years later. I
Speaker 1: can't wait to see my friend Farmer Dave back on
Speaker 1: my television and then the drama of Tully and Drew
Speaker 1: buckle up Australia. This is gonna be epic. What has
Speaker 1: also impressed me is how well these new housemates hold
Speaker 1: up against these old returning favorites. The casting feels more evolved,
Speaker 1: and yet this time the housemaid's unique personality seem to
Speaker 1: shine a little bit more than what we've seen over
Speaker 1: the last two years. Sonya is always a great chat
Speaker 1: and who better to explain all the changes to this
Speaker 1: year's format. I mean, I like to think of it
Speaker 1: more as what has Big Brother himself been planning, as
Speaker 1: the real magic of this series is that it's an
Speaker 1: ultimate social experiment, all being controlled by this one big Brother.
Speaker 1: I will ask a few of those questions that fans
Speaker 1: have been asking since the show returned in twenty twenty,
Speaker 1: but mostly today's chat is a celebration of what I
Speaker 1: already know, and that is this is a very series. However,
Speaker 1: let's get started with today's guest. I'd like to welcome
Speaker 1: Signa Krueger to TV Reload.
Speaker 2: I love that it has that nostalgic vibe to it.
Speaker 3: This year, it's my twenty first birthday.
Speaker 2: I'm totally here for the fact that house nominations are
Speaker 2: that and.
Speaker 3: I've invited housemates, both new and legendary.
Speaker 2: You see something slightly shady going on, you want to
Speaker 2: call it out.
Speaker 3: Will experience be enough to take on the next generation
Speaker 3: of housemates?
Speaker 2: Oh really? They said that? No way, that didn't happen.
Speaker 2: Surely not.
Speaker 3: And the new contenders out wit Big Brother Royalty.
Speaker 2: And I think the format changes to Big Brother in
Speaker 2: Australia have been inspired.
Speaker 1: This is Big Brother, Hi, sonya, how are you?
Speaker 2: I'm very well, all the better for speaking to you today.
Speaker 1: I think we can safely say that the Queen of
Speaker 1: Big Brother is back, which is you?
Speaker 2: I thought you're God, said Tim Dorner. Alreadie. We've got
Speaker 2: lots of queens.
Speaker 1: You know, celebrating twenty one years. Why do you think
Speaker 1: that Big Brother has had such longevity?
Speaker 2: You know? I asked myself this question a lot, because
Speaker 2: not many television shows do have that kind of history.
Speaker 2: And I think it was such an unprecedented show when
Speaker 2: it first started, and it's evolved and I think it
Speaker 2: continues to evolve, and that's probably why, you know, in
Speaker 2: twenty twenty two we're seeing it in this new format
Speaker 2: and about to see the Ogs versus the newbies and
Speaker 2: Big Brother Royalty coming back into the house. So I
Speaker 2: think it's just that evolution and the fact that you know,
Speaker 2: it's a great production. Have you seen any of this series.
Speaker 1: I'm up to episode three and it's it's it's more
Speaker 1: like the Big Brothers. It's a big mash up. It's
Speaker 1: like what we've seen for the last few years from
Speaker 1: Channel seven. But it absolutely reeks of classic Big brother
Speaker 1: as well, which is hard.
Speaker 2: It does. And I love that it has that nostalgic
Speaker 2: vibe to it because I know people who have said
Speaker 2: to me that they're going to watch this series purely
Speaker 2: because of people like Reggie and Tim and Tully and Drew.
Speaker 2: So I think we still have a lot of fondness
Speaker 2: in our hearts for them because we got to know them,
Speaker 2: you know, as we did you on their own series
Speaker 2: of the show. And so it's like when you listen
Speaker 2: to a piece of music and it takes you straight
Speaker 2: back to those teenage years when you were footloots and
Speaker 2: fancy free, and you get that feeling all over again.
Speaker 2: You see these people, it's like having a reunion, a
Speaker 2: school reunion that you actually want.
Speaker 1: To go to, I know, and you know, for this milestone,
Speaker 1: what an amazing opportunity it has been to bring back
Speaker 1: some of the most iconic Big Brother house mate we've
Speaker 1: ever had.
Speaker 2: Yeah, exactly. I mean I actually didn't know what they
Speaker 2: were planning on doing with this series spent and so
Speaker 2: I turned up, you know, to the house. It was
Speaker 2: a couple of days before we started shooting it, and
Speaker 2: the producer said to me, you do know what we're doing,
Speaker 2: don't you? And I was like no, And they said, oh, well,
Speaker 2: we're bringing back Reggie and Tim and Tully and Drew
Speaker 2: and Farmer Dave and Laila, and I was like, shut up,
Speaker 2: that's fantastic. So and seeing them on that first night
Speaker 2: be so excited to go into the house, and seeing
Speaker 2: Reggie get excited about carpet, it's just worth it. Okay,
Speaker 2: do you want to guess carpet? Did you not have carpet?
Speaker 4: It was just boards and dust. And I can't believe
Speaker 4: there's a dishwasher and a toasting machine.
Speaker 2: You talk like you're you with a tin shed. We
Speaker 2: were deprived.
Speaker 4: We ours was one of the most deprived houses in history,
Speaker 4: That's true.
Speaker 2: You know.
Speaker 1: I mean, I don't know what all former housemates relationship
Speaker 1: is currently with the show. You know, first in last Out,
Speaker 1: or they've never watched the series, or they own their
Speaker 1: whole series on a box set. But you know, we
Speaker 1: are all intrinsically connected to the experience we've had, and
Speaker 1: we've all wondered at times what it would be like
Speaker 1: to return.
Speaker 2: Yeah. Absolutely, I'm surprised I didn't see you in there,
Speaker 2: I have to say, because I think your series was
Speaker 2: one of the most memorable for me anyway.
Speaker 1: You know, Sonya, they never asked me. People ask me
Speaker 1: all the time, you know, why did I say no?
Speaker 1: And I say, they never asked me. And I'm okay
Speaker 1: with that. I wish everyone all the best, And of
Speaker 1: course I'm jealous, but I don't. But don't think for
Speaker 1: one second, though that that my disappointment has diluted my
Speaker 1: fan And you know, like.
Speaker 2: Oh no, I know you, Ben, I know you, and
Speaker 2: I know that your passion for the show is bigger
Speaker 2: than any personal feeling you might have, But who knows.
Speaker 2: I mean, just say, for example, the audience really love this,
Speaker 2: you know, nostalgic look at and also you know the
Speaker 2: competition between the original housemates and the newbies. It could
Speaker 2: kick start, you know, even more of this type of programs.
Speaker 2: Who knows who knows, you know, it's one of those situations.
Speaker 2: We'll just have to wait and see. I guess well.
Speaker 1: I mean, I'm not a former housemate with any more
Speaker 1: ownership over this show than anyone else that's been in
Speaker 1: the house. So I hope the people that are listening
Speaker 1: to this now who might have been disappointed that they
Speaker 1: won't ask, because you know, there's hundreds of people that
Speaker 1: have done this show.
Speaker 2: Yes, I know, right, and you look back and you think, gosh,
Speaker 2: there's actually there's actually a huge pool of people that
Speaker 2: you can breathe is that you can go back and
Speaker 2: sort of revisit. So yeah, I mean, personally, i'd love to.
Speaker 2: I'd love to do it again because I've really enjoyed
Speaker 2: this series and catching up with, you know, the people
Speaker 2: who kind of were there right from the very start,
Speaker 2: like Reggie, like Trevor, Drew and Tully are super interesting
Speaker 2: because their love story just had everybody captivated at the time.
Speaker 2: I remember it clearly like it was yesterday watching them,
Speaker 2: you know, in the house, and you know, they were
Speaker 2: both so gorgeous and and it was just like the
Speaker 2: chemistry between them was palpable and interestingly, ten years later,
Speaker 2: it's still there. You know. I suppose you don't have
Speaker 2: that on again, off again relationship with someone and all
Speaker 2: those feelings just disappear, you know. I feel like they're
Speaker 2: still there, bubbling away under the surface.
Speaker 1: Oh and you know, just along with the rest of Australia,
Speaker 1: I just can't wait to see what's going to happen
Speaker 1: with that relationship. I mean, I know that Tully's got
Speaker 1: a boyfriend on the outside, and I know that Drew
Speaker 1: easily falls in love with a hat So I don't
Speaker 1: you know it's gonna play out well. And I'm in
Speaker 1: their audience, you know, and I'm cheering everyone on. I'm excited,
Speaker 1: from Reggie to Estelle, you know, from Tim to Tully.
Speaker 1: You know, I hope they I hope everyone knows how
Speaker 1: proud I am as a super fan and as a
Speaker 1: former housemate, and you know, no matter what has happened,
Speaker 1: I actually feel oddly protective of them.
Speaker 2: Yes, yeah, you know, housemates.
Speaker 1: We have a sibling relationship. You know, we fight and
Speaker 1: we get jealous of each other, but I like to
Speaker 1: believe that we've all got each other's back, you know,
Speaker 1: in private chat rooms and behind closed doors and you know,
Speaker 1: to the fandom.
Speaker 2: Yes, exactly. I think because it's that common experience that
Speaker 2: you've all had and and nobody can take that away,
Speaker 2: you know that that will be their life. So yeah,
Speaker 2: I think it's a really lovely bond that all the
Speaker 2: housemates have.
Speaker 1: Unbelievable, unbelievable, you know. I think it's important to you know,
Speaker 1: for everyone to go back and just celebrate it, you know,
Speaker 1: for what it is.
Speaker 3: This year, it's my twenty first birthday, and I've invited
Speaker 3: housemates both new and legendary to help celebrate.
Speaker 2: Hey, you brother, did you miss me?
Speaker 1: You know, before you were the host of the show,
Speaker 1: So because we are celebrating former housemates before you were
Speaker 1: the host, did you ever have a favorite Big Brother housemate?
Speaker 2: Gosh, I'm just trying to think. Oh, because I did
Speaker 2: watch how many series did Gretel do? Quite a few?
Speaker 2: At ten? And I watched right from the very beginning
Speaker 2: of you know, the inception of the show, right through
Speaker 2: until it was rested and then it came back at nine.
Speaker 2: A favorite housemate? You know, it's so hard to say.
Speaker 2: I remember going down to Tasmania to interview Reggie for
Speaker 2: Today Tonight after she had a Big Brother, and that
Speaker 2: was quite That was quite amazing because I got to
Speaker 2: see Reggie in her natural habitat in this fish and
Speaker 2: chip shop, you know, and to see, yeah, to see
Speaker 2: her life before Big Brother and then her life after
Speaker 2: Big Brother, you know, after winning, was just fantastic. And
Speaker 2: I think we're all probably aware that Reggie's had some
Speaker 2: challenges in the last few years, health challenges with you know,
Speaker 2: her eyesight, she's this failing and she has a son
Speaker 2: assistic bibrosis, so she's really been up against her And
Speaker 2: I think the thing with Reggie is that there's a
Speaker 2: lot of public love for her. Big Brother is.
Speaker 4: Very different this time round. Back in my day, we
Speaker 4: didn't have all these challenges like.
Speaker 2: It is now.
Speaker 4: But all I can say is, I'm going to give
Speaker 4: it a red hot crack going into Big Brother this
Speaker 4: time around. I've got more.
Speaker 2: Fire in my belly.
Speaker 4: I'm still a fighter, I'm still a battler, and nothing's
Speaker 4: changed there.
Speaker 2: You know. She's just one of those people that, as
Speaker 2: you say, we want to protect and we kind of
Speaker 2: want to look after her, and everybody wants to rally
Speaker 2: around Reggie, perhaps not the newbies in the house. Perhaps
Speaker 2: Reggie has a bit of a target on her back
Speaker 2: because they know how loved she is by Australia. So yeah,
Speaker 2: it's an interesting dynamics that forms there because I think
Speaker 2: they're all very nervous about who's going to be in
Speaker 2: that final three. But who pulls the trigger with Reggie?
Speaker 2: Oh you know that that's what's your pa.
Speaker 1: That's exactly all of you, all the crew, all the producers,
Speaker 1: you know, Lisa and Keeley watch out. You know, it's hard,
Speaker 1: it's a hard brand to deal with. You know, there
Speaker 1: was a lot of moments in the first few episodes
Speaker 1: that I realized, you know, flashbacks. Do you know where
Speaker 1: they dug up that footage from? Because I want to know,
Speaker 1: is there an official Big Brother underground archive library somewhere?
Speaker 2: Oh you know what you'd have to ask Kearly that
Speaker 2: the executive producer. Yeah, I'm glad you brought you brought
Speaker 2: her up. Actually, you know the thing with Big Brother,
Speaker 2: Emilia Fisk has done an incredible job you know at
Speaker 2: endemol Shine and putting this show together, and then Keeley
Speaker 2: took the rains in this last series and yeah, I
Speaker 2: just you know, I personally as a woman, when I
Speaker 2: see other women producing this caliber of show, and it
Speaker 2: really is. The production of this show is incredible. The
Speaker 2: editing that even I don't know if you notice things
Speaker 2: been like the music that they use. There are certain
Speaker 2: moments where it just has this fantastic comedic quality to it,
Speaker 2: but then the emotion is there as well, and I
Speaker 2: think to be able to span all those feelings for
Speaker 2: the audience, to get everything into those episodes, they're just
Speaker 2: going doing an incredible job. I mean, I'm up to
Speaker 2: episode five. I'm like, hurry up and start on air
Speaker 2: so I can catch up and just be watching it
Speaker 2: with the rest of the country. You know.
Speaker 1: The best thing about it, and I have to say,
Speaker 1: it's addictive television, you know, which I feel like we've
Speaker 1: missing a lot of that. You know, addictive television where
Speaker 1: it is finishing and you are immediately wanting more, like
Speaker 1: it's an addiction. Yes, you know, you've been in TV,
Speaker 1: You've been in the TV game for quite some time,
Speaker 1: and you've seen things change you yourself have adapted along
Speaker 1: the way. You know. What are your thoughts on reality
Speaker 1: TV in twenty twenty two. How far have we come?
Speaker 2: I think we've come a really long way, and I
Speaker 2: think the format changes to Big Brother in Australia have
Speaker 2: been have been unique and inspired, and it's something I
Speaker 2: think that the rest of the world are sort of
Speaker 2: now looking at so that they can adopt, you know,
Speaker 2: these changes in their own countries. And I'm looking at
Speaker 2: places like the UK where you know, Big Brother. Every
Speaker 2: show has to keep changing, and it has to keep
Speaker 2: constantly being refreshed and constantly evolving, because otherwise the audience
Speaker 2: grows tired, as they should. You know, you don't I
Speaker 2: want to watch the same thing, you know, year in
Speaker 2: year out. We need this freshness to keep us interested.
Speaker 2: And I just think in Australia we're leading the way.
Speaker 2: If you look at some of the local productions that
Speaker 2: are now being run on international streaming services like Big
Speaker 2: Brother Australia, Big Brother of the ip RAN in the
Speaker 2: UK is currently I think Big Brother is currently running
Speaker 2: in America Canada. So the fact that our programs are
Speaker 2: being picked up and run internationally is a real feather
Speaker 2: in the caps of the producers. I'm not taking any
Speaker 2: credit for that because I don't have anything to do
Speaker 2: with it, but I really get to work with some
Speaker 2: incredibly talented people, and I think we should recognize that
Speaker 2: in our country that we've got some great people making
Speaker 2: television who are really gifted.
Speaker 1: Really gifted. I mean, as you mentioned, like Keighley and
Speaker 1: Amelia and Lisa and so many others, they're just doing
Speaker 1: It's just brilliant television coming out of Endemols Shine Australia.
Speaker 1: You know, one question that I get asked a lot,
Speaker 1: and I'm assuming you do too, is do you think
Speaker 1: The Big Brother will ever be live again? That's what
Speaker 1: people ask all the time people stop in the supermarket.
Speaker 2: Well, we will be having a live grand finale, Ben,
Speaker 2: and I'm excited about that because the last couple of
Speaker 2: years have been tough in COVID to do anything live.
Speaker 2: As you know, it's just we're constantly presented with challenges
Speaker 2: whether each time we've attempted to do it we've had
Speaker 2: you know, audience restrictions. In the last finale we had
Speaker 2: no audience at all. I'm really looking forward to this
Speaker 2: year and touch Wood, we will be able to have
Speaker 2: you know, that party that we need to have for
Speaker 2: the twenty first finale. So yeah, as I say, touch Wood,
Speaker 2: I really hope that you know, we get to have
Speaker 2: a great night and really get to send this one
Speaker 2: off with a bang as in live live. I mean,
Speaker 2: I think you can never say up with these things,
Speaker 2: and television is cyclical, and I think once we get
Speaker 2: post past the uncertainty of COVID and we're still in it,
Speaker 2: that's a bit of a problem for us. It's still
Speaker 2: there's a lot of risk involved with live television at
Speaker 2: this point because you just don't know what's going to happen.
Speaker 2: Excuse me for one second, but I'm just going to
Speaker 2: I've just got a call coming through funny. Oh brother,
Speaker 2: I'm sorry, BB, can't talk to you right now. Very gay,
Speaker 2: he's gone, He's what its Yeah, it's constant. Then you've
Speaker 2: got no idea.
Speaker 1: Really, are the Big Brother fans, from your perspective, the
Speaker 1: most passionate out of all the shows that you work on.
Speaker 1: I mean, what makes them different? To say the voice
Speaker 1: fans like a Big Brother fans? Yeah, the most. Are
Speaker 1: they the most passionate?
Speaker 2: Yeah? They look they they're certainly the most invested. I
Speaker 2: think they are on this ride lock stock and two
Speaker 2: smoking barrels. They it's like they people are watching the
Speaker 2: true fans of the show are watching it, and it's
Speaker 2: like they are imagining themselves in the house and they
Speaker 2: are playing the game with the housemates, and I love
Speaker 2: the fact that they are so passionate about it. And
Speaker 2: you would know this because you're one of those people.
Speaker 2: And I think, you know, you kind of get into anything,
Speaker 2: get out of anything what you put into it. And
Speaker 2: I think that's why our Big Brother super fans just
Speaker 2: you know, have such a great time watching the show
Speaker 2: because they are totally invested in it. With other shows,
Speaker 2: you know, like The Voice has a lot of fans.
Speaker 2: It's a very successful show, but it's more of a
Speaker 2: sit back and watch a concert type of vibe, you know,
Speaker 2: and watch it as pure entertainment. But Big Brother because
Speaker 2: of the strategy involved, because we get to know these
Speaker 2: people so much. I would say, it's kind of like
Speaker 2: these people in the house become your friends by proxy,
Speaker 2: don't they. We're also you know, we go to work,
Speaker 2: we come home, we relax a bit by watching some TV,
Speaker 2: and we probably see more of the housemates and we
Speaker 2: do our own friends family. So when we're spending every
Speaker 2: night in our living room with them, then you can't
Speaker 2: help but become super invested.
Speaker 1: People talk to me like I've their cousin everywhere I go.
Speaker 1: It's so weird. And I know straight away if they're
Speaker 1: a big Brother fan, because the way that I don't
Speaker 1: know who they are, and you would get that a
Speaker 1: lot as well. But they're already talking to me and
Speaker 1: sharing the most intimate details about their life. And I'm
Speaker 1: still gobsmacked nearly ten years later. You know that people
Speaker 1: are so willing to tell me their most appalling secrets,
Speaker 1: just straight off the straight off the back, you know, Sonya.
Speaker 1: My favorite thing about this new version is how much
Speaker 1: you get to be involved and how much you're in
Speaker 1: control in the interview process. You know, when it comes
Speaker 1: to sort of interrogating them as we get close to
Speaker 1: the eviction, how much of that are you in control of?
Speaker 1: And how much is that the producers telling you what
Speaker 1: to say.
Speaker 2: Oh, it's definitely a little bit of both. I mean,
Speaker 2: you know, the thing is that I have Keeley. Keeley
Speaker 2: will be in my ear because there might be something
Speaker 2: that's happened in the house I'm not fully aware of
Speaker 2: because I don't get to watch them twenty four to seven.
Speaker 2: So something comes up that I'm not really across. A
Speaker 2: lot of the time, I'll just get them to explain
Speaker 2: it to me. Tell me what happened like I didn't
Speaker 2: see that what happened or what transpired, and then they
Speaker 2: start sort of reliving it. But if Keiley needs to
Speaker 2: give me specific information or get me to ask a
Speaker 2: certain question, she will jump in my ear and I'll
Speaker 2: ask that question. It's a funny role because I feel
Speaker 2: like I'm part prosecutor. I feel like I'm part friend,
Speaker 2: but I'm part prosecutor. Well, do you have any idea
Speaker 2: how you're going to vote tonight? Yes, I do, to
Speaker 2: your mind is made up. I'm sure now when you
Speaker 2: were tossing up between I wass up. It's fun. I
Speaker 2: can't lie. I do enjoy it. There's something about putting
Speaker 2: people on the spot, and it's you know, it's interesting,
Speaker 2: especially I think when you see something slightly shady going on,
Speaker 2: you want to call it out, you know, but you
Speaker 2: also walk a fine line bend because you don't want
Speaker 2: to blow anyone's cover and you don't want to blow
Speaker 2: anyone's game plan. So really, I see myself as more
Speaker 2: of a facilitator, bit of a mediator. And if there's
Speaker 2: things that people want to get off their chest, that's
Speaker 2: the right forum to do it in, and they do
Speaker 2: it right off the bat.
Speaker 3: Too.
Speaker 2: I don't know if you noticed in the very first
Speaker 2: and second evictions, it's quite heated, and I was even
Speaker 2: I was shocked. I was a little bit like, wow,
Speaker 2: there's no grace period here, is there. It's like everybody's
Speaker 2: coming out all guns blazing.
Speaker 1: You're writing them checks for therapy after the show, You're like,
Speaker 1: I don't know if I've really handled this correctly, But
Speaker 1: you mean, that's always been your currency, Sonya. Is your
Speaker 1: ability to relate to people and to unearth story. I
Speaker 1: mean as a journalist, beyond being a presenter. You know,
Speaker 1: that's your skill set. So when you get dressed up
Speaker 1: in a purple outfit, which I think is episode three,
Speaker 1: and you look, you know, you look a million bucks,
Speaker 1: and then you get to do what it is that
Speaker 1: you're trained to do best, it's great. It's just great television.
Speaker 2: Oh I'm glad you like it. I mean, it doesn't
Speaker 2: feel like works for me, that's for sure. I just
Speaker 2: really it's just so enjoyable. I mean, you know, I'm
Speaker 2: when I do get out to the set, I'm always like,
Speaker 2: what's been going on? Tell me? Tell me everything? And
Speaker 2: I basically sitting there having a gossip with people about
Speaker 2: Oh really they said that, No, way that didn't happen.
Speaker 2: Surely not. You know, so it doesn't feel like work,
Speaker 2: then it really doesn't. I'm very lucky that the show
Speaker 2: is back and that it's it's you know, it's got
Speaker 2: this chance to, i think, capture the audience that it
Speaker 2: had when Reggie and Tim and Tally and Drew and
Speaker 2: all those people you know watched the show in its
Speaker 2: original context now get to see them again. So yes,
Speaker 2: fingers crossed, Australia enjoys it. And I always love seeing
Speaker 2: who Australia votes for at the very end too, you know,
Speaker 2: because if there's one thing they do, they always they
Speaker 2: seem to be able to get that right. Somebody asked me,
Speaker 2: in my opinion, what should the Australian public do, I'm like, God,
Speaker 2: they don't need my advice. They're fine. Like they will decide,
Speaker 2: they will pick the worthy winner, you know. So that's
Speaker 2: the one thing with the finale we can be sure
Speaker 2: of is that they will choose the right person.
Speaker 1: Well, you know that. I'm never going to complain. I
Speaker 1: still believe the audience knows exactly what they're doing when
Speaker 1: it comes to you know. You know, so before you go.
Speaker 1: We have to quickly talk about some housekeeping, because I mean,
Speaker 1: there's been some format changes to the show, and I
Speaker 1: love that housemates nominations are back, which is iconic Big Brother.
Speaker 1: So yes, what's new about the series that you think
Speaker 1: has really improved the game this time round?
Speaker 2: Well, like you, I mean, I'm totally here for the
Speaker 2: fact that house nominations are that while I thought it
Speaker 2: was you know, he's fantastic when somebody wins a challenge
Speaker 2: and they have the power to nominate, it's great to
Speaker 2: mix it up a little bit. And this time with
Speaker 2: house nomination, you just don't know who is going to
Speaker 2: end up in the hot seat, so I think that's
Speaker 2: very cool. I love the fact that there's a head
Speaker 2: of House that's voted in every week, because the head
Speaker 2: of House has additional power, if you like, and that
Speaker 2: can be a game changer. So that's always interesting again
Speaker 2: to see who gets the house's vote and then what
Speaker 2: that responsibility entails and who's on side with the head
Speaker 2: of House and who's offside with the head of House.
Speaker 2: The Second Chance Challenge I think is new in that
Speaker 2: three housemates are nominated, but then they get to compete
Speaker 2: and one person will save themselves. So then it comes
Speaker 2: down to two people, which means it's a fifty to
Speaker 2: fifty chance, which is you know, so in terms of Jeopardy,
Speaker 2: that's kind of major. And what else have we got
Speaker 2: going on? I mean there are themed weeks, which we
Speaker 2: love because they're just fun, and there's a lot of
Speaker 2: great stuff to come and plenty of secret missions, secret rooms, twists,
Speaker 2: tur and yeah, big Brother. Somebody said to me the
Speaker 2: other day, Big Brother was, I can't even I can't
Speaker 2: even sort of use the description that they used, but
Speaker 2: it was like, Big Brother was, I'll it out what
Speaker 2: it is being a little bit of a smart ass,
Speaker 2: you know this series, and I sense that he is
Speaker 2: a little bit. He's you know, that tongue in cheek
Speaker 2: quality that that Big Brother has a little bit sarcastic
Speaker 2: at times, but hilarious. You know. He's there for the
Speaker 2: housemates when they need him, obviously, but I do love
Speaker 2: it when he calls him out on stuff too.
Speaker 1: I don't know how I'd go if Tully was head
Speaker 1: of house because I don't think i'd survive on an
Speaker 1: influencer's diet. I think I'd need more food.
Speaker 2: Yeah, well, they're all on that influencer's diet to start with,
Speaker 2: aren't they, because it's kind of rations. I know that,
Speaker 2: you know what's interesting. I was actually thinking about this
Speaker 2: the other day because somebody was saying, you know, is
Speaker 2: it going to be easier for the original housemates or
Speaker 2: more difficult. It's more difficult for them in the fact
Speaker 2: that they immediately have a target on them because the
Speaker 2: new housemates will think these guys are known by the public,
Speaker 2: they've got more of a chance of taking out the
Speaker 2: title than I do. So they've got to target on
Speaker 2: them right from the start. But what they do have
Speaker 2: in their favor is emotional intelligence. They've been through the
Speaker 2: highs and lows of a Big Brother house and being
Speaker 2: in that house for days on end with people that
Speaker 2: you love and equal parts you know, just need to
Speaker 2: get away from. I'm sure. So they've ridden that wave.
Speaker 2: So they've got that experience under their belt, and I
Speaker 2: think that would help because, as you would know, those
Speaker 2: that rollercoaster of emotions that you go on would be
Speaker 2: pretty extreme.
Speaker 1: I've had nightmares for nine years or however long it's
Speaker 1: been since I was on the show that I'm back
Speaker 1: in there, and I'm stressed for them. From the minute
Speaker 1: I started watching episode one all the way to what
Speaker 1: I'm up to now. I'd feel so anxious for them
Speaker 1: because I've dreamt this scenario for myself so many times,
Speaker 1: and I think doing a wonderful job of not totally
Speaker 1: freaking out or wigging out because I feel like i'd yeah, oh,
Speaker 1: I can't deal with this in self nominate and self evict.
Speaker 1: You know. Yeah, it's also strange because you don't want
Speaker 1: to give up the title, Like I mean, some of
Speaker 1: these housemates going back that are winners. You're thinking, is
Speaker 1: that going to change how they is that going to
Speaker 1: change their relationship with Big Brother?
Speaker 2: You know, there's a lot at stake for them, that's right,
Speaker 2: because you know you've got the title. You're holding that.
Speaker 2: But yeah, you could come in and be knocked off
Speaker 2: the first week and that would be devastating.
Speaker 1: Well, no one's ever told me it's time to go.
Speaker 1: So look, I think that there's some novelty in getting
Speaker 1: the full Big Brother experience. I wanted to know as well.
Speaker 1: You know, have you been ever asked for suggestions from
Speaker 1: the producers on the format, Like, have you ever offered
Speaker 1: any advice on what you think they could do? To
Speaker 1: evolve the show.
Speaker 2: Oh, we talk about we talk about ideas all the time,
Speaker 2: and you know, I love the fact that we get
Speaker 2: to brainstorm, brainstorm ideas for the show. But really that's
Speaker 2: not my strength. That's their strength as producers. You know,
Speaker 2: I'm good at kind of getting the show from out
Speaker 2: of a commercial break and back to a commercial break
Speaker 2: and then filling the bit in between. But they, you know,
Speaker 2: they're dedicated to making it fresh and making it shiny
Speaker 2: and new so people really get invested in it. And yeah,
Speaker 2: I just love the ideas they come up with. I
Speaker 2: think I'm the producers super fan. You know, I'm sort
Speaker 2: of there. You guys are amazing. But yeah, there there
Speaker 2: have been times where I've come up with some very
Speaker 2: out there ideas about stuff. I'm usually like, can we
Speaker 2: put some puppies in the house.
Speaker 1: For Delilah? You know back in twenty twelve that.
Speaker 2: I'd love to see animals go into the house, particularly baby.
Speaker 1: There's definitely a few animals in there this time, not
Speaker 1: as many, not as many bitches as my season. But
Speaker 1: I'm talking about myself. I'm talking about myself. You know,
Speaker 1: I can't throw myself under the bus, you know, I
Speaker 1: was with Rattle last night, having a drink with her
Speaker 1: and chatting about it and I and I was thinking
Speaker 1: about it as people were talking to her about Big Brother,
Speaker 1: and people were comparing you and Gretel was. You know,
Speaker 1: she's always so gracious about you as well. She's just like, oh,
Speaker 1: sober job, and she's a good friend of yours like here.
Speaker 1: But you know, what I thought was an interesting question
Speaker 1: to ask you today. I mean, you're obviously going to
Speaker 1: be doing this show for another hundred years because you're
Speaker 1: only sixteen.
Speaker 2: But I don't know about that, but I want to know, you.
Speaker 1: Know, had you ever if you ever stepped away from
Speaker 1: this show as a host, had you ever thought about
Speaker 1: who as another woman in our industry fits the brand?
Speaker 1: Because I feel like you and Gretel have some similarities
Speaker 1: as much as you have your differences. But I'm wondering
Speaker 1: if you'd ever thought who could do this job?
Speaker 2: You know, I haven't, But it's a good question. Just
Speaker 2: on Gretel. She has just she's been incredibly supportive the
Speaker 2: whole way through, and she sent me a text message
Speaker 2: I think before I started the rebooted show when it
Speaker 2: was at Channel nine and then again at seven and
Speaker 2: I you know, I have a lot of respect for Gretel.
Speaker 2: I think she's one of the most intelligent women I've
Speaker 2: ever met in my life. And my only hope is
Speaker 2: that I can live up to her, you know, which
Speaker 2: I think is almost impossible to do, because, like I said,
Speaker 2: I think, you know, Gretel is a bit of a brainiac,
Speaker 2: and I'm not sure I'm in that league in terms
Speaker 2: of casting my replacement. Man, I haven't known.
Speaker 1: I know, it's a silly question to ask, and people
Speaker 1: be like, good God, why is he asking that. I
Speaker 1: guess it was a question more, I guess about supporting
Speaker 1: other women in your industry and who out there you think,
Speaker 1: oh I connect to.
Speaker 2: Yeah, Well, it's great at the moment for Australian for
Speaker 2: women in the Australian television industry because I think we've
Speaker 2: seen that, you know, your career doesn't have to finish,
Speaker 2: you know, by a certain age for a start, and
Speaker 2: that experience in the industry is valued, you know, by
Speaker 2: product houses and by networks, and I think that's a
Speaker 2: great step forward for women that's not just based on
Speaker 2: the physical. But having said all of that, Ben, Yes,
Speaker 2: getting back to your original question, you know, it would
Speaker 2: be great to see a show like Big Brother exist
Speaker 2: in perpetuity and just keep evolving and just keep changing,
Speaker 2: and we get to make this social experiment forever and ever.
Speaker 2: And there are plenty of people coming up, I think
Speaker 2: through the ranks who will step into those positions, you know,
Speaker 2: in the not too distant future and do a great
Speaker 2: job with it. So so yeah, I think I think
Speaker 2: there's plenty of talent in our country, definitely in the
Speaker 2: television industry, and yeah, the future is pretty bright.
Speaker 1: Yeah, I think we're always borrowing things from other people.
Speaker 1: I sometimes I'm editing the podcast and I hear myself
Speaker 1: saying things in your rhythm because I've watching a lot
Speaker 1: of your work, and same with other interviewers. I can't
Speaker 1: watch anything like Oprah before doing a chat like this
Speaker 1: because I find that I start to mimic, you know,
Speaker 1: and I lose my own tone.
Speaker 2: So, but you're right that big too. Who's to say
Speaker 2: it would be a woman going forward? Maybe it's time
Speaker 2: for a guy to do it, you know.
Speaker 1: I think a lot of people think Tim Tim Dormer
Speaker 1: would be good at her Meani, I think they need
Speaker 1: to give him a value and maybe a gin and
Speaker 1: toronic beforehand to calm him down. But you know, I
Speaker 1: guess he does have a lot of the good qualities
Speaker 1: that you need. I guess.
Speaker 2: Yeah. It's very, very charismatic, no doubt about it.
Speaker 1: I am so excited about the show and I really
Speaker 1: appreciate you coming and you know, having this chat with
Speaker 1: me today for TV reload it's it means a lot
Speaker 1: to me and I hope we get to the All
Speaker 1: Stars because I'd love to see free Aima Fitzi Paul
Speaker 1: from four who was game on moles? Like, do you
Speaker 1: remember Anna game on Moles? Ben's a bell? Oh, Ben's
Speaker 1: a Bell? Needs to come back?
Speaker 2: How it go Brisbane? Ben's got to come back.
Speaker 1: Definitely, he has to come back. We'll work on it.
Speaker 1: We'll work on it. The last question I ask you
Speaker 1: is something asked everyone. I've asked you before, because this
Speaker 1: is your second time on the podcast, And what's something
Speaker 1: from behind the scenes that we won't see that might
Speaker 1: be a little bit of a tasty morsel, like a
Speaker 1: behind the scenes of this series of Big Brother. What's
Speaker 1: something that happened behind the scenes, a bit of a
Speaker 1: funny story.
Speaker 2: So many I think it's hard to it's hard.
Speaker 1: To juicy, Is Sonya the juiciest story?
Speaker 2: Juicy story I think, Look, let's just say is to
Speaker 2: do with Tully Andrew.
Speaker 1: And that's all you're going to tell me. Come on,
Speaker 1: we need more.
Speaker 2: I can't tell you anymore because you're going to see
Speaker 2: stuff and I don't want to ruin the surprise for people.
Speaker 2: I really don't, but I have said to a few
Speaker 2: other people, look, let's just say some of it makes
Speaker 2: Maths look like a Disney movie.
Speaker 1: Well, Sonya, you're the first person to basically plead the
Speaker 1: fifth but still with a tease for people, which is
Speaker 1: you know, you're still doing your job very well. Congratulations
Speaker 1: on another series of the show. Congratulations on this here
Speaker 1: in general, you know, with the voice and everything else
Speaker 1: that you're doing.
Speaker 2: Thank you.
Speaker 1: Yeah, I'm in your audience. I always have been and
Speaker 1: always will be.
Speaker 2: Thank you, Ben. Thanks lovely, talking to you too.