What happens during the Big Brother Australia casting process? TV WEEK goes behind the scenes

When Channel 10 announced Big Brother was returning, and being revamped in a way that honoured the original format, I was jazzed. That’s right, the Big Brother house is back on the Gold Coast with live nominations, evictions, and even a 24-hour livestream.

Plus, according to Executive Network Producer Sarah Thornton, the series isn’t trying to populate the house with influencers like other reality shows. Instead, the casting team is determined to find people from all backgrounds, ages, and walks of life, just like it used to during the original seasons on Channel 10.

For some insight, Sarah kindly invited me to come along and sit in on one of their many casting sessions held across the country.

Sarah Thornton is the mastermind behind the Big Brother casting process. (Image: Supplied)

On an average Tuesday at 1pm, I was invited to the conference room of a nondescript hotel in Sydney. There, I sat on a plastic chair behind a camera and a table of five executives, including Sarah. One by one, prospective applicants filtered in and were asked a range of questions. While some only lasted a few minutes thanks to some short, vague answers (the shortest stint was three), others captivated the panel with their energy, charisma, charm or humour. 

While Sarah admits the process of seeing up to 60 applicants a day can be exhausting, she says it can also be “magical”. 

“I love how generous people are. How open and willing they are to share themselves. There’s a real magic in that,” she tells TV WEEK. “As humans, we seek connection, and I think it’s a real privilege that people allow us to watch them on TV, but also that I get to sit in a room with people who are sharing who they are with me. I’ll never forget the privilege and gift that is.”

During the couple of hours that I watched Sarah and her team, they chatted to a handful of people, but there was one applicant who truly stood out. From the moment they entered the room, they had an essence of joy and enthusiasm that was infectious to be around.

Later, I found out they’d made it on the show.

While we can’t reveal who that person is just yet, Sarah did admit how excited she was to include them in the final cast.

“I don’t have favourites, but if I did, you definitely have to see one of the cast I’ve been thinking about,” she admits.

“ I now can’t imagine the show without them.”

She’s a huge media personality now, but Chrissie Swan started out as a Big Brother housemate in 2003. (Image: Supplied)

Reggie Bird is one of the most iconic faces of Aussie Big Brother after she won season three and all-stars season 14. (Image: Supplied)

And who could forget the iconic Sara-Marie and her bum dance? (Image: Supplied)

Going into the casting process, I had thought that the casting team was only looking for extroverted people, but according to Sarah, that couldn’t be further from the truth. 

“If everyone is a huge character, then no one is a huge character because they all cancel each other out,” she says.

“We’re careful to look for people who bring something else to the house. Everyone has stories to tell, an interesting point of view, and a sense of humour or mischief. They’re all bringing something that we think will contribute to the chemistry of the house as a whole.”

As for who will be in the house this season, we’ll have to wait and see.

Big Brother Australia will return to our screens on Channel 10 on Sunday, November 9.

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