All housemates to the diary room: Big Brother returns to our TV screens on Monday, June 8.

After six years, Big Brother Australia is returning to our screens and we finally have a date.

Monday, June 8, at 7:30pm, we’ll be meeting 20 new housemates, in a brand new house with a completely revamped show.

As of 2020, Channel Seven and production company Endemol Shine Australia are the new owners of the franchise and over the past few months they’ve been drip feeding what’s in store for us.

Here’s the new trailer. Post continues after video.

Here’s what we know so far about the upcoming season.

The host

Sonia Kruger is hosting Big Brother 2020.

It’s like we’ve gone back in time to 2012, and dammit we’re feeling nostalgic.

Sonia Kruger hosted the show when it defected to Nine in 2012 until 2014. Before that it was over at Ten, first hosted by Gretel Killeen for seven years and then Kyle and Jackie O for a year.

Sonia only defected to Seven in November last year, shortly after it was announced Big Brother was being revamped by the network. Daily Mail reported at the time she was offered a $4 million package over three years.

She was originally named as the host for Mega Mini Golf and as a judge on Australia’s Got Talent, so it appeared there was no room for her to also take up Big Brother. But the network says she’s no longer going to be working on Mega Mini Golf.

Sophie is an ex-elite gymnast who fractured her back before the London Olympics forcing her out of the game overnight.

27-year-old Chad is a model by career and tradie by heart, and apparently falls in love pretty easily.

Angela came from Africa with nothing but a suitcase. She’s a mum, and a boss and “doesn’t back down”.

Marissa, 61, is a makeup artist and fitness expert and plans to “lay low” in the house.

Former AFL player Daniel was fired by two different clubs and considers himself “the new Fitzy”.

30-year-old mining electrician Mat is a down-to-earth country man who was born and raised in Broken Hill and works at the local mine.

Mat, who is currently engaged, says he’s bringing his humour, energy and a “beautiful big head” into the house.

The evictions

One of the most controversial changes we’re apparently in for is the fact the show won’t be live. The entire season will instead finish shooting before the first episode airs, which is the format for shows like The Bachelor, Masterchef and The Masked Singer.

Unlike previous seasons, the contestants will nominate and evict each other from the house and Australia will decide the winner in a live finale.

We’re also not likely to get a seven-day-a-week program like in previous years – apparently a Sunday to Wednesday schedule is more likely, and according to the most recent trailer there’s going to be an eviction every night.

The house

Entertainment reporter Peter Ford told 6PR, there are plans in place to keep costs of the production down when it comes to the Big Brother house.

The original mansion on the Gold Coast, next to Dreamworld, was left abandoned after the final season in 2014. But the country rediscovered it last year in a YouTube video by MuiTube which explored the dilapidated premises – a week later it was damaged by a deliberately lit fire.

Four children aged between 11 and 15 were charged with arson. In August, the house was demolished.

"What they will do is build a house inside an established studio instead of building a house somewhere like Dreamworld which they then have to turn into a functioning TV production facility. That's an enormous cost involved in doing that," Peter told the radio station.

"The viewer won't notice the difference... they'll have a fake outdoor area," he added.

Viewers were given a small sneak peak of the new house, based in North Head, Manly, in the new trailer for the upcoming series.

The new diary room looks very different from previous seasons, featuring a pod-style chair with glowing purple and blue lights.

It also appears the housemates will have less privacy this season, with the new trailer showing shared bathrooms with no curtains in between the showers. The house is fitted with cameras and microphones in every room, which will document the housemates movements, 24 hours a day.

Image: Channel Seven.

The house also features a very futuristic looking lounge room,  large dining room and an outdoor area with a custom-built swimming pool and gym.

Image: Channel Seven. Image: Channel Seven.

There also appears to be some sort of game room for potential upcoming challenges.

Image: Channel Seven.

Earlier this year, production on the show was halted due to the coronavirus pandemic.

"Big Brother was shut down for 48 hours because a crew member lived with someone who contracted the virus and that forced the complete shutdown," McKnight told Mamamia's daily news podcast, The Quicky.

"That crew member was found to be negative and so production was able to resume. So Big Brother is on track."

Feature Image: Channel Seven/Instagram @thesubtlemummy

Big Brother Australia is coming to Channel Seven in five weeks.

This article was originally published on October 24, 2019, and was updated on May 3, 2020. 

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