New Big Brother host reveals the way Ten are taking the reality TV pioneer back to its roots: ‘It’s what we fell in love with’

Incoming Big Brother host Mel Tracina has revealed the latest iteration of the reality series will be going ‘old school’.

The beloved reality show, which sees housemates compete to stay in the house to win prize money, found roaring success on Channel Ten in the early 2000s.

Since then, the show has changed networks several times – first going over to  Channel Nine before a revamped version at Channel Seven.

Appearing on Nova’s Jase and Lauren on Tuesday, Mel, 34, revealed that the show would, once again be relying heavily on live elements that were eschewed in later iterations.

She added that while the upcoming series will take many format queues from the original, there will also be some modern touches.

‘I can tell you that it will be live nominations, live evictions and we’re streaming,’ Mel said.

‘They’re taking it back to old school, what we fell in love with Big Brother.’ 

‘So what we didn’t have back in the day with dial up, we now have, thank you, NBN roll out.’

Mel added that fans of the show will be in reality heaven having constant access to the housemates.

‘We will be able to watch the contestants practically 24/7, so I’m so excited,’ she said.

‘It’ll be like six nights a week of live TV, hosted by yours truly, who is petrified. This is going to be interesting for everyone watching, myself included.’

Mel also revealed to the hosts that she was a huge fan of the show growing up, adding that she was not allowed to watch it’s raunchy cousin Big Brother Up Late.

‘I remember how much of a juggernaut it was when it came to Aussie TV, how obsessed we were,’ she said.

‘I can tell you that it will be live nominations, live evictions and we’re streaming,’ Mel said. ‘They’re taking it back to old school, what we fell in love with Big Brother.’ Pictured are former Big Brother host Gretel Killeen and contestant Reggie Bird

‘We’re just watching people living in a house, and that’s what it was. In 2001 when it started, people were doing housework. Do you remember that?  Proper, just living in a house. 

‘I wasn’t old enough to watch Up Late, so mum would always make sure that I was in bed. 

Host Lauren Phillips added that she was in the same boat but she did not heed her parents’ advice. 

‘Neither was I, but I did, I watched it,’ she said. ‘It was really sexy.’ 

At the peak of the show’s popularity, contestants such as Reggie Bird, Sara-Marie Fedele, and even a contestant nicknamed ‘Hotdogs’ experienced nationwide fame.

‘I remember how much of a juggernaut it was when it came to Aussie TV, how obsessed we were,’ Mel added

Big Brother Australia’s original run on Ten ran for nine seasons from 2001-2008.

It averaged an astonishing 1.4million viewers per episode back in the 2000s, where it remained one of the network’s tentpoles.

Big Brother was no stranger to courting controversy during it’s on-air tenure, but the infamous ‘turkey slap’ incident would have to take the cake.

Michael Cox and Michael Bric were kicked off the show after Michael Cox was accused of rubbing his crotch in housemate Camilla Severi’s face while Michael Bric held her down.

The incident made it all the way to Parliament House with then Prime Minister John Howard calling for the reality show to be pulled off the air. 

At the peak of the show’s popularity, contestants such as Reggie Bird, Sara-Marie Fedele, and even a contestant nicknamed ‘Hotdogs’ (pictured right) experienced nationwide fame