What Even Is the Point of Big Brother in 2025?
Twenty-four years ago, voyeurism alone was a strong and unique appeal. Can Big Brother’s return still capture an audience today?
Last night, a familiar voice asked, “Are you ready to come home?” This belonged to Mike Goldman, known as the narrator of Big Brother Australia during both its original Channel 10 run and the Channel 9 revival. With that line, the new Big Brother made its intention clear: to bring the series back to its roots.
The show aims to revive the cultural sensation it was in the early 2000s, when it introduced viewers to iconic moments like Chrissie Swan, Sara-Marie’s bunny dance, the dancing doona, and the infamous turkey slap.
“Are you ready to come home?”
For a period, Big Brother held a significant place in culture, offering everyday viewers a nightly dose of sanctioned voyeurism and a look at human behavior when people forget the cameras are watching.
Big Brother launched in Australia in 2001, shortly after its debut in the Netherlands, taking its name from the oppressive, totalitarian figure in George Orwell’s novel 1984.
Author's Summary
Big Brother Australia’s 2025 revival seeks to rekindle early 2000s nostalgia by returning to its voyeuristic roots, testing whether its original appeal endures in a changed media landscape.