NEED TO KNOW
- Big Brother Australia 2026 premiered on Network 10 last night, introducing us to 14 new housemates.
- There are secret connections in the cast, including siblings and family members of former contestants, unbeknownst to their fellow housemates.
- For 2026, Big Brother has moved from Dreamworld on the Gold Coast to Screen Queensland’s studios in Brisbane.
- The 24/7 live stream is back and can be streamed via 10 Play, allowing fans to keep tabs on the house at all times.
Last night, Big Brother Australia, the beloved social experiment turned engineered reality TV behemoth, returned to our screens on Network 10 with a motley crew of fresh faces. Host Mel Tracina is back at the helm as host, introducing audiences to the 14 housemates who’ll be living under constant surveillance, forging alliances and, no doubt, diving headfirst into some messy romantic entanglements.
This year’s cast is a true smorgasbord of personalities, spanning everyone from a 23-year-old self-made entrepreneur and 61-year-old mum to to a 39-year-old mining commentator. There are also a few surprise connections in the mix, with siblings and family members of former contestants entering the house (unbeknownst to their fellow housemates).
The series made its triumphant return to our screens last year after a four-year hiatus, with housemate favourites Holly Young, Conor Maysey, Colin Ridley and Coco Beeby helping drum up interest in the show all over again. Indeed, Big Brother has had quite the journey over the years, bouncing between networks including Seven, Nine and Ten alongside enduring a slew of format changes and cancellations.
But its homecoming to Network 10 in 2025 marked a return to the format that made the show a reality TV juggernaut in the first place. Gone were the physical challenges of the previous iteration; instead, the focus shifted back to everyday Aussies, their relationships and the drama that inevitably unfolds when strangers are marooned under one roof.
And while last year’s season saw the housemates return to the show’s original home at Dreamworld on the Gold Coast, Big Brother has packed up and relocated to Screen Queensland’s studios in Brisbane.
Despite the move, it doesn’t sound like too much is changing with the new digs reportedly equipped with up to 80 cameras for surveillance and rendered in the show’s signature vibrant hues.
Ahead of the premiere, Tracina told PEDESTRIAN.TV that she might already have an inkling as to who could clinch the crown this season.
“I feel like I already know who could win. Just based on, I want to say likability, but also probably layers,” she told the publication.
“When you have an audition tape, you can find out a little bit more about someone because they’re more forthcoming and explaining their life, right? But when they enter the house, it might be something that slowly comes out as the time progresses.”
So, who are these 14 fresh faces? Ahead, everything you need to know about this year’s Big Brother Australia housemates.
Jump ahead to:
Anita
Travel advisor, 47, TAS
Anita is already well acquainted with the Big Brother franchise, being the sister of two-time winner Reggie Bird. The 47-year-old travel advisor has spent years as her mum’s full-time carer, making her stint in the house a chance to finally do something for herself.
With her altruistic nature and adventurous spirit, we think Anita will quickly win over her fellow housemates. Perhaps she might even teach a few of them how to skateboard along the way?
Instagram: @thewhitebeachgirl
Austin
Carpenter, 22, QLD
Austin is set to be the house’s resident charmer and already, he has enlisted Big Brother to help him find love. The 22-year-old chippy is hoping to be hooked up whilst in the house, claiming while there’s “no shortage of women in his life”, there is apparently a “shortage of good ones”. Make of that what you will.
Hailing from QLD, Austin works on-site every day alongside his dad and brother and when he’s not working with wood, you’ll find him surfing or at the pub. Let’s see how he fares with the dating pool in the Big Brother house.
Instagram: @austinhendrey
Charity
Door-to-door field manager, 29, NSW
Growing up as one of 13 siblings, Charity is no stranger to a bustling household, so the Big Brother house’s sharing arrangements shouldn’t come as too much of a shock.
Born in Kenya, Charity arrived in Australia as a seven-year-old refugee in 2004, speaking no English. Now, she’s a vivacious door-to-door field manager with an infectious personality she believes was made for TV.
She’s bringing her Christian faith, strong family values and larger-than-life personality into the house, but she’s not one for greed. Something tells us she and housemate Ebony might not see eye to eye on everything.
Instagram: @chaaz.y
Ebony
Entrepreneur, 23, VIC
We have a feeling Ebony will be ruffling a few feathers in the Big Brother house. The 23-year-old self-made entrepreneur says she’s never had to clean or vacuum because that’s “peasant work”, and apparently, nobody tells her no.
She owns her own publishing company, Vandermonts Publishing, which publishes her original music. According to her website, she’s an “independent singer-songwriter and lyricist” whose work spans everything from pop and EDM to country, children’s music, sports anthems and commercial genres.
Ebony has proclaimed that she’s never been kissed or been on a date, as nobody has quite met her standards yet. She’s not losing sleep over it, though, as money is her true love language and she’s got her eyes firmly on BB’s cash prize. Although, we have a sneaky suspicion her bold opinions might make winning over her fellow housemates a little trickier.
Instagram: @ebonyvandermont
Harmon
IT salesman, 29, QLD
Harmon has worn many career hats, but these days, he’s working as an IT salesman. He loves to “push people’s buttons” and reckons he has the charm to get away with it. We’ll be the judge of that.
Apparently, real life doesn’t rattle him (interesting), so he’s heading into the Big Brother house ready to churn up some chaos. With a penchant for rage-baiting and getting a rise out of people, we’re not exactly expecting Harmon to be the house’s resident peacekeeper.
Instagram: @1xharmon
Heath
Engineering student, 23, QLD
Singer, surfer, seamster, style icon and student — is there anything 23-year-old Heath can’t do? Hailing from the Gold Coast, this multipotentialite exudes the kind of magnetic energy that could make him a frontrunner in the BB house.
Heath also fronts a band, which was born out of heartbreak after he and his best friend found themselves nursing broken hearts. He’s clearly not afraid to wear his heart on his sleeve, which he reckons could have something to do with being a Pisces. We love a man with astrological self-awareness.
Kyrah
Secondary teacher, 25, NSW
Fresh off the back of a five-year relationship, Kyrah is heading into the Big Brother house with a teaching background that could come in handy when it comes to keeping her fellow housemates in line.
One of seven siblings and a twin, Kyrah was diagnosed with ADHD and autism at 15. She describes herself as chaotic, but there’s method to Kyrah’s madness. She might seem all over the shop at times, but there’s plenty of brainpower behind the mayhem.
Instagram: @kyrahbrockfenton
Andrew ‘Marshy’
Forklift salesman, 24, SA
A serial budgie smuggler collector with the gift of the gab, Andrew is sure to bring plenty of charm and humour to the Big Brother house.
Andrew, better known as ‘Marshy’, is currently Toyota’s reigning forklift salesman in Australia. And when he’s not busy shifting machinery, the lifelong local and AFL player is all about his sport.
Single and ready to mingle, Marshy considers himself a serial dater. The self-proclaimed ‘Italian Jason Momoa’ reckons he knows exactly how to get people on side, and we suspect he’ll be putting those skills to good use in the house.
Instagram: @andrew_marschall
Matthew
Property investor, 37, VIC
Matthew fancies himself as a “confident chameleon” who isn’t easily put off by something he hasn’t mastered yet. He’s not a fan of being told what to think, but is always up for a debate and respects differing opinions.
His varied career history includes jiu-jitsu, DJing and psychology, and he can also play the saxophone, a skill he picked up after a friend said he wouldn’t be able to learn an instrument. Petty or simply determined? We’ll let the housemates decide.
Matty
Former FIFO miner turned mining commentator, 39, WA
Matty reckons his typical Aussie bogan exterior could land him in hot water in the Big Brother house, thanks to the “woke world we live in”.
The 39-year-old former FIFO miner turned mining commentator isn’t a fan of bitchy behaviour, but he’s always up for a laugh and a few beers. Don’t let the larrikin antics fool you, though. Matty has a Mining Engineering degree and an MBA under his belt, and he loves proving people wrong when they underestimate his intelligence.
Away from the banter, Matty is also a fiercely loyal girl dad to two daughters, aged six and seven.
Pam
61, SA
As the oldest housemate, Pam might have her fellow housemates pegging her as the resident mum, but don’t expect her to be cooking dinner for everyone every night. Naturally social and warm, she also has a sharp, strategic mind that could give her an edge in the game.
She’s also no stranger to the Big Brother experience, either, being the mum of former housemate Kieran Davidson from Season 12.
Pheobe
Bunnings café team member, 26, QLD
Phoebe is a theatre kid at heart who’ll happily break into song and dance at a moment’s notice. She’s had a stable career, having spent the past 11 years working at Bunnings, but when it comes to her love life, things haven’t been quite so smooth. Still, she’s holding out hope for someone who’ll “match her freak”.
A bona fide ABBA fan, Phoebe has zero patience for fakeness, a lack of common sense or people who beat around the bush.
Instagram: @pheobejoy.ce
Ryan
Garden centre manager, 27, NSW
Ryan is one half of the sibling duo shaking things up in the Big Brother house this year. The 27-year-old garden centre manager counts Susan Boyle as his idol and is more than happy to throw on a wig or two when serving customers.
His magnetic personality might just be enough to make us overlook his rat’s tail, and we’re keen to see how his self-described “mouth of a tradie” goes down with his fellow housemates.
Instagram: @ryan.macri
Tahlia
Horticulture, gardening and support work, 25, VIC
The other half of the duplicitous sibling duo is 25-year-old Tahlia. Working across horticulture, gardening and support work, she’s used to dealing with all walks of life and should have no trouble holding her own without her brother by her side.
While she’ll be missing her partner, Charlotte, during her time in the Big Brother house, Tahlia is always up for an adventure and has enough “street smarts” to get by. The question is, how long will it take the other housemates to clock that these two are secretly siblings?
Instagram: @tahliamacri
