Some of Australia’s biggest TikTok creators entered 10’s new-look Big Brother house earlier this week for a preview of the show’s return to Ten – but it turns out, Big Brother had invited them there just to roast them.
I was one of the select few also invited to preview the Big Brother house, and it soon became apparent that Big Brother – never seen, only heard, and as dryly sarcastic as ever – doesn’t exactly hold influencers in high regard.
Our dozen-strong group were summoned to the diary room after we’d had a chance to look around the house, where Big Brother delivered a stinging caveat to the influencers in attendance: He didn’t have Instagram, so he didn’t know who any of them were.
“ … what about TikTok?” one asked, pleadingly.
He then directed one question specifically to a TikToker who, with a whopping 3.7 million followers on the platform, is nominated for Creator of the Year at the TikTok awards.
What did she think of the Big Brother house?
“It’s really… nice. It’s cool. I like the… colours and stuff. It’s… good,” was her less-than-creative response.
“What an overwhelming answer,” came Big Brother’s withering reply.
From there, our unlikely posse of influencers and reporters were directed to the garden, where we’d have to take part in an as-yet-unannounced challenge.
When I saw the simple set-up – signs on either side of the yard, one saying ‘MOST’, the other saying ‘LEAST’, I knew it would be deeply humiliating for all involved.
The Kyle and Jackie O Show personality Intern Pete was tasked with running the challenge, and disappeared to the diary room before returning to announce his task: He had to arrange us in order from most to least famous.
One TikTok influencer, positioned next to me down at the ‘totally unfamous pleb’ end of the scale and cursing Pete’s very existence under her breath, seemed to be taking her ranking very seriously.
Elsewhere, the Big Brother house had a few behind-the-scenes surprises to reveal for longtime fans of the show. Namely: This season, there is no ceiling in the main living area. The brightly coloured walls of the Big Brother house are framed by a cavernous studio roof, with bright studio lights and the constant whirr of air conditioners.
And sorry perves, but the bathroom setup means there’ll be no return to the early noughties glory days of Big Brother Uncut, aka ‘Let’s watch the contestants shower for an hour at 9:30pm on Thursdays.’ This season’s shower set-up is across three private cubicles, with neck-to-knee frosted glass. Very chaste.
One night later, a larger group descended on Dreamworld for Paramount’s 2026 Upfronts presentation, showing off their slate of content for the coming year.
OG Big Brother host Gretel Kileen, returning to Ten as host of The Traitors, used some of her time on stage to give her blessing to new host Mel Tracina. Consider the Big Brother torch officially passed.
Elsewhere, there were appearances from new Australian Survivor host David Genat, I’m A Celeb co-host Julia Morris, Have You Been Paying Attention comedians Tom Gleisner and Ed Kavalee, and a surprise cameo from the stars and producers of NCIS: Tony & Ziva, top US TV actors Michael Weatherly and Cote de Pablo.
The new season of Big Brother debuts on Ten 7pm this Sunday. The writer travelled to Dreamworld as a guest of Paramount.
