Big Brother (Australia series 1)
Encyclopedia
Big Brother Australia 2001 was the first series of Big Brother Australia. The season ran from 23 April 2001 until 16 July 2001, a duration of 86 days. The series was hosted by Gretel Killeen
, who remained as the host until 2008, not returning for the eighth season
. Potential contestants in the show were required to send video applications to the show's producers, in which they sold themselves as entertaining housemates. When compared to the more complex arrangements and many twists that emerged in later series, this season presented a rather basic set-up and formula which stuck closely to the traditional Big Brother
concept. The main twist was the entrance of two Intruders about half-way through the series.
The winner of the series was Ben Williams, and the runner-up was Blair McDonough
, who later got a role in Network Ten
's daily soap opera
, Neighbours
. It was the only series where housemates were allowed to nominate fellow housemates without a reason (something that is enforced strongly in later seasons). Big Brother 2001 was the subject of a book by University of Queensland academic Dr. Toni Johnson-woods entitled Big Bother: Why Did That Reality TV Show Become Such a Phenomenon?. While specifically focusing on Big Brother 2001, it was the first book to examine Big Brother
as a world wide pop culture phenomenon.
Most of these contestants featured in a special Big Brother edition of The Weakest Link
shortly after the Big Brother season ended.
, who went to La Trobe University
, North West Melbourne
, Victoria
, entered the House on Day 1 and was the winner.
, from Melbourne
, Victoria
. The runner-up of Big Brother 2001, he became a regular cast member of Neighbours
from 2001 to 2006. Then worked in the United Kingdom
. Returned to Australia in 2009 working as a host of Postcards
.2011 starred in Winners and Losers on the 7 network.
, a strip-club manager of the Dollhouse Gentleman's Club from Western Australia
, entered the House on Day 1. Since the show ended, she has appeared in Celebrity Big Brother Australia, a few episodes of the afternoon children's program Totally Wild
on Network Ten
and participated in Dancing with the Stars
, series two in 2005.
, a former ballerina from Sydney
, New South Wales, entered the House on Day 1. She was evicted on Day 77. She is now a stand-up comedian and appeared in FHM's Search for Australia's Funniest Man (or Woman). She was once married to Triple M "The Cage (radio show)
" breakfast host, Mike Fitzpatrick
.
, from Melbourne
, Victoria
, entered the House on Day 1 and was evicted on Day 70. She has her own line of make-up products and appeared on the now defunct Good Morning Australia
on Network Ten
.
, New South Wales
. He entered the House on Day 1, and was evicted on Day 63. He was labelled "Johnny Rotten" in the media for giving consoling hugs to housemates upset that they had been nominated for eviction, where he had himself nominated them. He is now a motivational speaker with the Christopher Howard Training Company. He has been seen in Clapham South, London, UK a number of times so it is assumed he resides there.
, New South Wales
, entered the House on Day 1. He was evicted on Day 49, and now works for TV Week
magazine and is a reviewer on the Foxtel TV program, The Know
.
Rachel has been a part of a number of radio shows across the country including filling in on the hot30/summer 30 countdown. She co-hosted on the All New Paul Murray Show with Rachel Corbett night show (then named Paul & Rach) on the Triple M
network across Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.
Rachel Corbett and Paul Murray filled in for Sydney breakfast on 104.9 Triple M from May 2009 to September 2009 and then their shift was put into the Drive timeslot to make way for a new Triple M breakfast show called 'The Grill Team'. Paul & Rach had their show only on Sydney's 104.9 Triple M on Tuesday to Thursday drive from October 2009 up until December 2010.
Paul Murray left Triple M in December 2010 to take up a role with 2UE, though Rachel Corbett remains with 104.9 Sydney's Triple M. She is now the breakfast newsreader effective from January 2011 for the Triple M Grill Team.
He later became a "human shield" in the Iraq War, with his exploits featured on Nine Network
's A Current Affair.
On 1 September 2007, Sloan mysteriously collapsed in Beijing
. He was found to have collapsed in the corner of a nightclub, and when found, his lips had turned blue. He died on 13 September without waking from his coma. His family opted to not speak directly to the press. The media speculated that his collapse may have been due to a heroin overdose. Former fellow Big Brother housemate Todd James said that Sloan would never have willingly taken heroin.
radio Melbourne,but was fired for stealing from PBS.
for Ansett Airlines, entered the House on Day 1 and was evicted from the house on Day 21.
with her partner outside of the house and wanted to have sex with several housemates.
Gretel Killeen
Gretel Killeen is an Australian journalist and author. Killeen is well known for being the primary host of Big Brother Australia from its inception in 2001 until the 2007 season ....
, who remained as the host until 2008, not returning for the eighth season
Big Brother Australia 2008
Big Brother Australia 2008 was the eighth season of the Australian reality television series, Big Brother Australia to air on Network Ten. Episodes were broadcast on Network Ten and Ten HD in Australia. The first episode aired on 28 April 2008. Since then, there has been a total 20 housemates...
. Potential contestants in the show were required to send video applications to the show's producers, in which they sold themselves as entertaining housemates. When compared to the more complex arrangements and many twists that emerged in later series, this season presented a rather basic set-up and formula which stuck closely to the traditional Big Brother
Big Brother (TV series)
Big Brother is a television show in which a group of people live together in a large house, isolated from the outside world but continuously watched by television cameras. Each series lasts for around three months, and there are usually fewer than 15 participants. The housemates try to win a cash...
concept. The main twist was the entrance of two Intruders about half-way through the series.
The winner of the series was Ben Williams, and the runner-up was Blair McDonough
Blair McDonough
Blair McDonough is an actor who is best known for playing the role of Stuart Parker in the Australian TV soap opera Neighbours. He first shot to fame in 2001, when he finished runner-up in the inaugural season of the reality TV series Big Brother Australia...
, who later got a role in Network Ten
Network Ten
Network Ten , is one of Australia's three major commercial television networks. Owned-and-operated stations can be found in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, while affiliates extend the network to cover most of the country...
's daily soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
, Neighbours
Neighbours
Neighbours is an Australian television soap opera first broadcast on the Seven Network on 18 March 1985. It was created by TV executive Reg Watson, who proposed the idea of making a show that focused on realistic stories and portrayed adults and teenagers who talk openly and solve their problems...
. It was the only series where housemates were allowed to nominate fellow housemates without a reason (something that is enforced strongly in later seasons). Big Brother 2001 was the subject of a book by University of Queensland academic Dr. Toni Johnson-woods entitled Big Bother: Why Did That Reality TV Show Become Such a Phenomenon?. While specifically focusing on Big Brother 2001, it was the first book to examine Big Brother
Big Brother (TV series)
Big Brother is a television show in which a group of people live together in a large house, isolated from the outside world but continuously watched by television cameras. Each series lasts for around three months, and there are usually fewer than 15 participants. The housemates try to win a cash...
as a world wide pop culture phenomenon.
Most of these contestants featured in a special Big Brother edition of The Weakest Link
The Weakest Link (Australian game show)
The Weakest Link was an Australian game show based on the successful UK format, which aired from February 2001 until April 2002 and was broadcast on the Seven Network. Presented by Cornelia Frances, the show featured nine contestants competing for a potential prize of $100,000...
shortly after the Big Brother season ended.
Highlights
- Christina and Peter, who formed a relationship early in the series, and their implied sexual behaviour (or "dancing doona" as it was dubbed).
- Housemate Andy Silva, who regularly showered outside in the backyard, and her tales of her various sexual encounters. Her goal of sleeping with five other housemates (male or female) was never fulfilled as she was the first to be evicted.
- Popular housemates Jemma and Johnnie were discovered by Christina discussing nominations (and their agreed opinion that Christina would be nominated that week). Their conversation was deemed to be collusion - something that is against the rules of the series - and Jemma and Johnnie were subsequently reprimanded by Big Brother, with Jemma punished by not being allowed to nominate that week. In the next two evictions, Johnnie and then Jemma were evicted.
Ben
Ben Williams, from Epping, VictoriaEpping, Victoria
Epping is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 22 km north from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Whittlesea...
, who went to La Trobe University
La Trobe University
La Trobe University is a multi-campus university in Victoria, Australia. It was established in 1964 by an Act of Parliament to become the third oldest university in the state of Victoria. The main campus of La Trobe is located in the Melbourne suburb of Bundoora; two other major campuses are...
, North West Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
, entered the House on Day 1 and was the winner.
Blair
Blair McDonoughBlair McDonough
Blair McDonough is an actor who is best known for playing the role of Stuart Parker in the Australian TV soap opera Neighbours. He first shot to fame in 2001, when he finished runner-up in the inaugural season of the reality TV series Big Brother Australia...
, from Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
. The runner-up of Big Brother 2001, he became a regular cast member of Neighbours
Neighbours
Neighbours is an Australian television soap opera first broadcast on the Seven Network on 18 March 1985. It was created by TV executive Reg Watson, who proposed the idea of making a show that focused on realistic stories and portrayed adults and teenagers who talk openly and solve their problems...
from 2001 to 2006. Then worked in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. Returned to Australia in 2009 working as a host of Postcards
Postcards (TV series)
Postcards Australia and Postcards are Australian holiday and travel television series. The shows are produced by WIN Television and Channel 9 Adelaide...
.2011 starred in Winners and Losers on the 7 network.
Sara-Marie
Sara-Marie FedeleSara-Marie Fedele
Sara-Marie Fedele gained fame as one of the loudest and most flamboyant Housemates on Big Brother Australia 2001...
, a strip-club manager of the Dollhouse Gentleman's Club from Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
, entered the House on Day 1. Since the show ended, she has appeared in Celebrity Big Brother Australia, a few episodes of the afternoon children's program Totally Wild
Totally Wild
Totally Wild is an Australian children's television series. It has been in production since 1992, airing on Network Ten since day one. It has the format of a news program, and does stories on topics such as Australia's native flora and fauna, action sports, the environment, science, and technology...
on Network Ten
Network Ten
Network Ten , is one of Australia's three major commercial television networks. Owned-and-operated stations can be found in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, while affiliates extend the network to cover most of the country...
and participated in Dancing with the Stars
Dancing with the Stars (Australian TV series)
Dancing with the Stars is a Logie Award-winning, Australian light entertainment reality show airing on the Seven Network and filmed live from the HSV-7 studios in Melbourne...
, series two in 2005.
Christina
Christina DavisChristina Davis
Christina Davis was a contestant on the first season of Big Brother Australia .-Early life:Christina Davis was born in North Sydney, NSW Australia. She went to High School at The McDonald College of Performing Arts in Strathfield...
, a former ballerina from Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, New South Wales, entered the House on Day 1. She was evicted on Day 77. She is now a stand-up comedian and appeared in FHM's Search for Australia's Funniest Man (or Woman). She was once married to Triple M "The Cage (radio show)
The Cage (radio show)
The Cage is the name of two different breakfast shows on Australian radio network Triple M, broadcasting in Brisbane and Melbourne.Previously Sydney and Adelaide received the Melbourne version, however these cities now have their own individual shows....
" breakfast host, Mike Fitzpatrick
Mike Fitzpatrick (broadcaster)
Michael Fitzpatrick is an Australian radio personality and programmer.He is currently Head of Content at Triple M Melbourne...
.
Jemma
Jemma GawnedJemma Gawned
Jemma Gawned became well known as a contestant on Big Brother Australia 2001.- Career :Gawned was known as the "lip gloss queen" whilst in the Big Brother House and used this and her background as a make up artist to pursue a business in cosmetics...
, from Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
, entered the House on Day 1 and was evicted on Day 70. She has her own line of make-up products and appeared on the now defunct Good Morning Australia
Good Morning Australia
Good Morning Australia from Network Ten was the name of two different programs. This article is for Bert Newton's morning program, not to be confused with the breakfast news program of the same name....
on Network Ten
Network Ten
Network Ten , is one of Australia's three major commercial television networks. Owned-and-operated stations can be found in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, while affiliates extend the network to cover most of the country...
.
Johnnie
John Cass, known in the House as Johnnie, is from SydneySydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
. He entered the House on Day 1, and was evicted on Day 63. He was labelled "Johnny Rotten" in the media for giving consoling hugs to housemates upset that they had been nominated for eviction, where he had himself nominated them. He is now a motivational speaker with the Christopher Howard Training Company. He has been seen in Clapham South, London, UK a number of times so it is assumed he resides there.
Anita
Anita Bloomfield, from Sydney, New South Wales, entered the House as an Intruder on Day 36, and was subsequently evicted two weeks later on Day 56.Peter
Peter Timbs, from SydneySydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, entered the House on Day 1. He was evicted on Day 49, and now works for TV Week
TV Week
TV Week is a weekly television magazine in Australia, first published as a Melbourne-only publication in December 1957 , and bearing a strong affiliation to television station GTV.The publication is still publishing weekly...
magazine and is a reviewer on the Foxtel TV program, The Know
The Know
The Know is an Australian talk show on Max. The pop culture show features Yumi Stynes, musician Jimmy Barnes and actress Lisa Hensley as the main show hosts along with former Machine Gun Fellatio keyboardist, Chit Chat Von Loopin Stab. The show discusses and reviews movies, music, television and...
.
Lisa
Lisa Standing entered the House on Day 1, and was evicted on Day 42. She was often referred to as the "fence sitter" as she never got involved in conflict or sided with anyone.Rachel
Rachel Corbett entered the House as an Intruder on Day 36. She was evicted 4 days later.Rachel has been a part of a number of radio shows across the country including filling in on the hot30/summer 30 countdown. She co-hosted on the All New Paul Murray Show with Rachel Corbett night show (then named Paul & Rach) on the Triple M
Triple M
The Triple M Network is an active rock radio network in Australia owned by media company Austereo, who also own the Today Network.- History :...
network across Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.
Rachel Corbett and Paul Murray filled in for Sydney breakfast on 104.9 Triple M from May 2009 to September 2009 and then their shift was put into the Drive timeslot to make way for a new Triple M breakfast show called 'The Grill Team'. Paul & Rach had their show only on Sydney's 104.9 Triple M on Tuesday to Thursday drive from October 2009 up until December 2010.
Paul Murray left Triple M in December 2010 to take up a role with 2UE, though Rachel Corbett remains with 104.9 Sydney's Triple M. She is now the breakfast newsreader effective from January 2011 for the Triple M Grill Team.
Gordon
Gordon Sloan, an architect, entered the House on Day 1 and was evicted on Day 35.He later became a "human shield" in the Iraq War, with his exploits featured on Nine Network
Nine Network
The Nine Network , is an Australian television network with headquarters based in Willoughby, a suburb located on the North Shore of Sydney. For 50 years since television's inception in Australia, between 1956 and 2006, it was the most watched television network in Australia...
's A Current Affair.
On 1 September 2007, Sloan mysteriously collapsed in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
. He was found to have collapsed in the corner of a nightclub, and when found, his lips had turned blue. He died on 13 September without waking from his coma. His family opted to not speak directly to the press. The media speculated that his collapse may have been due to a heroin overdose. Former fellow Big Brother housemate Todd James said that Sloan would never have willingly taken heroin.
Todd
Todd James entered the House on Day 1 and was evicted on Day 28. He went in with dreadlocks and came out with a shaved head. He returned as a roving reporter on Big Brother Australia 2002. Since then, he was host of the breakfast show on PBS 106.7FMPBS 106.7FM
PBS 106.7FM , also known as the Progressive Broadcasting Service, is a co-operatively owned community radio station in Melbourne, Australia, that broadcasts on 106.7FM, Digital radio and online...
radio Melbourne,but was fired for stealing from PBS.
Sharna
Sharna West, a flight attendantFlight attendant
Flight attendants or cabin crew are members of an aircrew employed by airlines primarily to ensure the safety and comfort of passengers aboard commercial flights, on select business jet aircraft, and on some military aircraft.-History:The role of a flight attendant derives from that of similar...
for Ansett Airlines, entered the House on Day 1 and was evicted from the house on Day 21.
Andy
Andy Silva was a sometimes dominatrix from Glebe, Sydney, New South Wales. She was the very first Australian contestant to be evicted from the Big Brother house. She had an open relationshipOpen relationship
An open relationship is an interpersonal relationship in which the parties want to be together but agree to a form of a non-monogamous relationship. This means that they agree that a romantic or sexual relationship with another person is accepted, permitted, or tolerated...
with her partner outside of the house and wanted to have sex with several housemates.
Nominations table
The first housemate in each box was nominated for two points, and the second housemate was nominated for one point.| | Week 2 | | Week 3 | | Week 4 | | Week 5 | | Week 6 | | Week 7 | | Week 8 | | Week 9 | | Week 10 | | Week 11 | | Week 12 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | Day 84 | | Day 85 | ||||||||||||
| Ben | Peter Sharna |
Gordon Christina |
Gordon Peter |
Anita | No nominations |
Winner | |||||||
| Blair | Andy Gordon |
Sharna Peter |
Gordon Lisa |
Christina Lisa |
Anita | Christina Peter |
Anita Christina |
Christina Jemma |
Jemma Christina |
Christina Sara-Marie |
No nominations |
Runner up | |
| Sara-Marie | Sharna Gordon |
Sharna Todd |
Jemma Todd |
Jemma Peter |
Blair Ben |
Rachel | Johnnie Peter |
Jemma Ben |
Johnnie Jemma |
Blair Ben |
Ben Blair |
No nominations |
Evicted |
| Christina | Ben Lisa |
Todd Gordon |
Lisa Jemma |
Lisa Johnnie |
Johnnie Jemma |
Anita | Blair Ben |
Johnnie Jemma |
Ben Johnnie |
Jemma Ben |
Ben Blair |
Evicted (Day 77) |
|
| Jemma | Andy Sara-Marie |
Gordon Christina |
Gordon Sara-Marie |
Gordon Peter |
Sara-Marie Blair |
Rachel | Sara-Marie Peter |
Anita Sara-Marie |
Banned | Christina Blair |
Evicted (Day 70) |
||
| Johnnie | Jemma Andy |
Sharna Christina |
Gordon Todd |
Jemma Ben |
Rachel | Christina Sara-Marie |
Christina Anita |
Ben Sara-Marie |
Evicted (Day 63) |
||||
| Anita | Not in house |
Nominated | Exempt | Blair Ben |
Evicted (Day 56) |
||||||||
| Peter | Gordon Andy |
Todd Gordon |
Todd Gordon |
Lisa Gordon |
Sara-Marie Lisa |
Rachel | Jemma Sara-Marie |
Evicted (Day 49) |
|||||
| Lisa | Christina Andy |
Christina Peter |
Gordon Peter |
Christina Blair |
Christina Blair |
Rachel | Evicted (Day 42) |
||||||
| Rachel | Not in house |
Nominated | Evicted (Day 40) |
||||||||||
| Gordon | Sara-Marie Ben |
Peter Ben |
Ben Peter |
Lisa Ben |
Evicted (Day 35) |
||||||||
| Todd | Sara-Marie Andy |
Sara-Marie Sharna |
Sara-Marie Lisa |
Evicted (Day 28) |
|||||||||
| Sharna | Andy Sara-Marie |
Evicted (Day 21) |
|||||||||||
| Andy | Sharna Lisa |
Evicted (Day 14) |
|||||||||||
| Notes | None | None | None | None | None | None | None | None | None | None | None | None | |
| Nominated | Andy Gordon Sara-Marie |
Christina Peter Sharna |
Gordon Sara-Marie Todd |
Gordon Lisa Peter |
Blair Christina Lisa Sara-Marie |
Anita Rachel |
Christina Peter Sara-Marie |
Anita Christina Jemma |
Ben Johnnie Sara-Marie |
Blair Christina Jemma |
Ben Blair Christina Sara-Marie |
Ben Blair Sara-Marie |
Ben Blair |
| Evicted | Andy 44% to evict |
Sharna 76% to evict |
Todd 38% to evict |
Gordon 41% to evict |
Lisa 50% to evict |
Rachel to evict |
Peter 42% to evict |
Anita 79% to evict |
Johnnie 70% to evict |
Jemma 61% to evict |
Christina 41% to evict |
Sara-Marie 37% to evict |
Blair 62% to evict |
| Other Percentages |
Sara-Marie 40% Gordon 16% |
Christina 14% Peter 10% |
Gordon 32% Sara-Marie 30% |
Lisa 39% Peter 20% |
Christina 21% Sara-Marie 21% Blair 8% |
Anita |
Sara-Marie 30% Christina 28% |
Jemma 15% Christina 6% |
Ben 15% Sara-Marie 15% |
Christina 26% Blair 13% |
Blair 31% Sara-Marie 28% |
Ben 36% Blair 27% |
Ben 38% to evict |