Big Brother’s producers can spot a faker a mile off, and that’s the whole game

Anyone can build a house, wire it with cameras and lock a dozen strangers inside. The hard part is knowing who to lock in there. That’s what has kept Big Brother going across three networks for 25 years.

Big Brother launched its 17th season on 10 last night. It has swapped Dreamworld on the Gold Coast for a purpose-built house at Screen Queensland Studios in Hemmant, Brisbane. Host Mel Tracina is back. So are the livestream, live nominations and live evictions, along with a nominations twist, an eviction spin and more audience power than ever.

“Everywhere the housemates turn, the house turns on them,” said Big Brother, who has clearly been workshopping that line.

But the twists are the garnish. Ask the people who make the show what really matters, and they all give the same answer.

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How to spot a faker

Amelia Fisk, director of content at Endemol Shine Australia, says the search starts with people who aren’t especially desperate to be on television.

“We’ve got to try and find the people that don’t necessarily want to be on TV, so they’re not coming in with a preconceived idea of what Australia thinks they want to watch. It’s finding real people with real stories, and we have to sift through a lot of people to find the perfect housemate, you know, the one that’s unfiltered, that is just themselves in the purest way.”

These days half the applicants for any reality format have a content calendar and a ring light. Finding the unfiltered ones takes a particular kind of radar.

The format does the rest. You’d expect round-the-clock cameras to make people more guarded. Fisk says the opposite happens.

“It’s a testament to the cast last year; you would think a show that is live, that is live-streamed, would make the cast more protective, or trying to be something else, or holding back. But it’s why Big Brother is so brilliant: people forget that they are being filmed 24-7. They are in a house; it is the greatest social experiment.”

It is, in other words, very hard to keep up a personal brand while arguing over whose turn it is to do the dishes at 3 am.

“So we have to sift through and make sure that we’ve got authentic people and someone for everyone to get behind at home. That is the show. It’s people from all walks of life under the same roof, living in a shared house.”

Getting the mix right

Reading individuals is only half the job. Sarah Thornton, head of unscripted at Paramount Australia, says the real skill is working out how a whole group will react once it’s in the house together.

“The casting of this show is the most important thing, really. I mean, everything matters. And the production team, you know, worked tirelessly to make sure the house is perfect. And we have incredible creative tasks that are gonna get a story.

“And the format is so clever that it brings out people’s realness and authenticity. But, you know, getting that cast right is a big job, and it takes a long time. Even getting the ensemble mix right takes a lot of experience and time.”

It's essentially the country’s most elaborate seating plan, with a cash prize and fewer exits.

The season two advantage

The 2025 revival ran for 30 days with 13 housemates at Dreamworld. Coco Beeby walked away with $135,000, and the season averaged 0.82 million national viewers. A year in, the production team has something it didn’t have last time: evidence.

“There’s nothing more exciting than the thrill of going through a season one, and then going into season two,” said Thornton. “There are so many unknowns, but you can build upon what you’ve done in year one, and really grow it and push it in lots of different directions, so we’re all super excited to do that.”

That goes for the host, too. “I think with Mel having a season under her belt, she’s going to bring a lot this season,” said Thornton.

Fisk agrees. “She’s extremely invested in the show, and she’s excited. She loves it, and she’s the perfect partner for Big Brother. It’s fantastic.”

Live, unfiltered and brand safe

There’s a commercial reason why casting people correctly matters. A 24-hour livestream of strangers is an advertiser’s nightmare until it’s proven otherwise. According to Thornton, last season proved it.

“We’ve had an incredible response in terms of partnerships with advertisers this year. I think that, you know, last year we set out to deliver a family-friendly show. And I think what’s amazing is that, you know, we proved you can deliver a family-friendly show that people find entertaining and, you know, enjoy watching, which is, you know, a testament to the production team and the cast.

“There’s a lot that goes on behind the scenes to do that with a live show and a live stream, but we have really robust processes and procedures. And, you know, I’m confident that we can do it again this year.”

The sponsor list backs her up. Tamar Hovagimian, director of national advertising partnerships at Paramount Australia, has confirmed Pickers by McCain, KFC, Milkrun, Chemist Warehouse, Containers for Change, and Prime 100 as new and returning partners.

“Together our partners will play a key role in bringing the Big Brother experience to life, with integrated brand moments, housemate rewards and unmissable surprises across the season,” said Hovagimian.

This season, Big Brother has more twists, pranks, and audience votes than ever. But the most important game was played months ago in a casting room, by people who can tell when someone is being themselves and when they’re performing it.

The walls have eyes. So, it turns out, do the producers.