It's in the news today, but it was actually on TV Reload the podcast last week that might welcome back guys to TV Reload. As you may know, my name is Benjamin Norris and this is your podcast to get all the inside goss on the popular TV shows that you may be watching from around the world. Underniably, our TV sets are a major part of our home entertainment, and yet very little is known about how our favorite
shows get made. So each episode I've been finding the guests that want to dive just that little bit deeper into the shows that they are currently making so that you can hear all their exclusive stories and gain access to the biggest names in Australian television. I want to thank you for downloading or subscribing to this podcast however you found me. I love hearing your feedback, so make sure you leave a review or a comment on your
chosen podcast platform. On today's podcast, I have Sonya Krueger who is back on the podcast to talk about Big Brother Australia for twenty twenty three, which is starting its fifteenth season on Channel seven this Monday night at seven thirty. However, all is not what it seems with a spicy twist to this year a house full of single and ready to mingle housemates all looking for love, which coincides with
the return of Big Brother Uncut. Let me tell you you have to actually watch that series to believe it. Will Big Brother play Cupid with the housemates? Will he mess with their relationships? Big Brother himself is very unpredictable at the best of times, and this series is going to offer something that has never been done in any series around the world. God Log You winner Sonya Krueger
is more involved this time than ever before. Audiences will see Sonya Krueger entering the Big Brother House to evict the housemates this year, and that in itself is something of a game changing moment that really works this series on so many levels. We will talk about the housemates and how the twenty twenty three series focus on love will affect their gameplay all as Sonya something I've been wanting to ask for a while, and that is if she would let her own daughter enter the Big Brother
House when she turns eighteen. Sonya will also share why entering into the Big Brother House in the morning can sometimes be a little bit awkward for some of those male Housemates, Plus, we will get plenty of exclusives from behind the scenes of Big Brother Australia, which relaunches Monday night at seven thirty on Channel seven, and then we'll be screened four times a week at that same time
slot with Big Brother Uncut available on seven Plus. Anyway, guys, let's bring Sonya into the podcast and I really do hope you enjoy this catch up with the Queen of Channel seven.
Benjamin, Hi, Sonya, I think I did.
I'm good. I'm good. I think accidentally said that like Big Brother. Hello, Sonya, you did.
Actually he sounded just like you.
Yeah, my whole life, I've wanted to sound masculine. Anyway, good to chat to you, although I did try and call you back last.
Week, Oh what is going on?
I just thought it was really funny because I think I wrote back to you and said I think I knew it was probably a pocketile at that point, and I said, well, when the Queen calls, you have to answer.
Yes, yeah, which made me laugh.
Oh Ben, Oh my god, that's just so funny. But it's kind of fine though, because we've now paid each other back because I pocket doled you once at four in the morning, and so Matt right right exactly, we're kind of even a.
Much more civilized hour for Pokada someone.
Still to this day. I mean, I've told that story to TV executives and they go white when they hear that story. Anyway, Buddy, I want to say to you, though I've spoken to you before many many seasons of Big Brother, but I've just realized something this morning, and that you've now beaten Gretel Colleen's hosting record this year this season, because you've now up to like eight.
Yeah, that's well, but I know I'm eight. I didn't realize that was over Gretel's record.
Well, she did seven and now you've done eight, so you're the winner.
What Oh gosh, I feel like I don't know why we feel like Gretel. I think because she was the first host, she will always kind of be the you know, the queen of Big Brother. In my mind she still is, and I think it's one of those things that you never really you never really you're just kind of a caretaker for these shows, you know. And so like Big Brother, which has been going for so long now since to WAT two thousands, what year did start? Two thousand and one?
Yeah, yeah, two.
Thousand and one, so that's twenty two years. They did have a little rest, had a little lie down at some point, but shows do that too, and I think, but I think a show that goes for so long, you're kind of a caretaker of it for a while, and it's just lovely to have that experience.
But none of these housemates that you've got this year would probably even know who grettl Colleen is.
Well this is you know what? Then you met the points because they were when they first got into the house. I could hear them talking about things like the fact that they were even born when Big Brothers started, or you know that they have never seen the only the only reference they had the Big Brother were the shows that I'd posted, because that was there when they were come growing up as teenagers. That was what they were watching. So they had never experienced the early days Big Brother.
They'd only experienced the reincarnation of it. And it's an interesting thing, isn't it, Because the evolution of Big Brother is something that in equal parts I think fascinates and also riles up the fans a little bit, because you know, they're a purists, you know, BB purists who want it to be, you know, exactly as it was kind of from gay Dots. And then there are others I think who like the changes and are fascinated by the changes, and really to survive in television, you kind of need
to keep evolving. I think it's a species we need to keep evolving. So, of course isn't necessarily a bad thing.
I just think, you know, can you imagine, because we all remember sitting in front of our television if you're old enough to do so, to watch that first episode of Big Brother and meeting all these people, could you imagine a tiktoking female farmer from Bendigo going into the show twenty years ago?
Well, no, because there was no TikTok and just so many different social media platforms now that they still who went in initially, like you know that Sarah, Marie Fidell and Pep and Reggie. They didn't have Twitter, they didn't have Instagram, they didn't have they probably barely had a mobile phone. So you know, there wasn't a lot to kind of
take away from people, was there. But now their entire kind of communications structure is gone and they only have each other, and it's really, I mean interesting it's always interesting to see the dynamic and write from the get go of this series. Have you seen anything?
Yeah, I'm up episode four and I've watched an episode of Love the first week. Yeah.
I love the arrivals. I love the choices that have to be made at arrivals. I love the fact there's a curveball kind of right off the top, you know.
Can I just say my favorite thing about watching our launch episode of Big Brother is you. They say that with singing shows like The Voice and things like that, people turn in for the judges. They don't turn in for the stars. I mean, you know, for the contestants. I feel like I turn up for you to watch your comedic talent in a live environment.
Please, Like Glee, it's worting. It's just having to make a decision and I know one outcome is going to be great and the other outcome not so much. Yeah. I know it's terrible that to their sense of pleasure. I get out of it, but I do.
Of course, you do it. Of course you can see it all over your face.
Yeah, when they sign up for Big Brother, he's going to play trick. He's going to mess with your mind. He's going to do all that stuff, So yeah, I'm there for it.
Well, the housemates are looking for love this time, which is really unusual for Big Brother. You know, we've heard all the headlines. You know, it's like love Island in a warehouse kind of thing. But do you think the Big Brother is fit to play Kupid for a whole season?
Ah, well, you do really play stupid, although he don't. I mean they can't. They don't need any help finding love in the house if you know what I'm saying.
Benning put into that place. They're all just going for makes a.
Pretty good at finding it for themselves. And I was saying the other day, you know how you know, Big Brother evolved and it became very strategic, and these guys they've got games, but it's not strategy. It's not a strategic game. It's just game in the kind of dating world. And and you can see, you know, the relationships forming
very early on in the piece. I was just really surprised at how quickly, you know, certain people kind of you know, fell for each other, and then how others there would be that like there's a bit of a love triangle that kind of goes on. At one point, there's there's a fair bit of jealousy that occurs. I don't know, if you're up to that city.
Yeah, I mean, I mean, this is just what happens when you put a whole bunch of people like this in there, that you know, that are single and looking forward. Yeah, you know, I mean there's going to be some swapping around. You know, maybe this person this week, maybe someone else the next.
You know, did you say flopping? Interesting slapping?
Some of them might be slapping, sonya.
Some of them might be flopping.
It's kind of racy. I keep thinking of you and like, you know, you've got so many double entendres on dancing with the stars, but I always related to you in the times that I've spent you. I kind of feel like we're a bit prutish sometimes, So I wonder, are you blushing? Are you blushing watching these people?
Oh my gosh, world things prude. It's terrible. And that's what happened to me. What a likely looking at they're kissing. Oh god, they're kissing like they're really CUsing. Yeah, so I don't know. I think maybe mother now and I'm like, oh god, that could be my daughter. But you know, young lup, what can you What can you do when when somebody's you know, early twenty years and they're you know, they are all so excited to get into the house and to meet each other and to make friends, and
you know, you can't you can't really blame them. It's it is. It is quite spicy.
They're just doing what twenty year olds do, though, like you know, you're going to put a whole bunch of twenty year olds inside a house like that, and then you know, even big brother packs they closed away at one point. I mean, you kind of that.
I was trying to mention it because I just thought the promo for that and I didn't know if we could talk about it, whether it would be a bit of a spoiler. But the fact, I think it was one of the first addictions. They confiscate the house. Think, rather confiscate the house, they close And I didn't find out until I was just about to walk into the room.
And it's all new to me because normally I've talked to them through a camera, I am not in the room, and now I'm in the room and they're essentially native, you know, So that was that was interesting. I mean it and I really didn't know, look.
I don't know what to look either. And one of the boys, because he was sort of covering himself up and he was just wearing speeders, it kind of looked like he was nude, like completely.
New exactly exactly.
Yeah, you know why I'm laughing at this, just like seems so ridiculous. I love the idea though, that you get to go into the house. If you're in the house more than any other series of Big Brother that you've ever been involved in before. Did it feel like going into a zoo like as in I can imagine.
It's so weird. It's such a weird feeling. First time I went into the eviction, it was I felt really kind of nervous because I was right there in front of them, and they were even more nervous because all of a sudden, when I was talking to them through a camera, I couldn't kind of keep eyes on everybody. So when you're sitting in front of them, you can see in parishal vision if someone is talking to somebody else, someone's rolling their eyes, or you know, there's reaction going
on around the room. You're much more present, and so you're much more involved in the the The word for it, you know, the unpacking of everything that's gone on.
Well, yeah, and you're a very good observer. You're always absorbing and watching and you're sort of evolving your opinions. And then I think it's the best thing about this new series. And I'm surprised we have taken so long to get to it, you know, we're up to season sixteen. I think it is for the host to be inside
the house watching them, and it's really worked for you. Like, I think that whole what do they call it, whether they're doing the where they sort of have to plead, what's that room called the not the King and Queen, No, no, no, no, no no, the room where they deal with the evictions. What's that the eviction room or whatever it is, the fiction room. Yeah, that all works much better than it's ever worked before this season with you being in there.
Yeah, it is kind of I mean I found it really right up until the point where I say it's time to go, because there are three people, say in the hot seats, and I found I had to look above them. I couldn't look at them because if I look at them while I was saying those words, it was like me, she's looking at me, you know what I mean, really not to actually make eye contact with anyone as I was saying those words it's time to go.
So it was really it was a learning curve for me as well, because you know, there moments where things get really hated, you know, and there are must where there's a lot of emotions, you know, somebody upset or there's you know, or it just gets completely out of control and someone's yelling at somebody else, and you know.
You know what I thought was really funny was that I remember you saying in my series of Big Brother, which now is eleven years ago. So in twenty twelve, you made this comment Josh, and you said, I've got He flirted with you on camera and it was live and this is where Brugs you do the best work is when you're live and off the cuff. And you said to him, mate, I've got t shirts older than you.
I've eaten cheese just to show like it's just so good, you know.
Anyway, it was gorgeous.
He was really like, yeah, really harsh.
But over the years, contestants have flirted with you on camera. Can you remember a contestant that's flirted with you? The hardest.
Wow, that's a really good question. Do you know the time I'm oblivious to it, I think, and the other housemates pick up on it. Somebody throws something out that is a bit clotatious. I kind of end up just carrying on, but the other housemates will definitely clock it. And it's sort of like stopped sucking up the son stopped trying to be the piece's pets, you know. I think that's really really funny. It's like, most of the time, it goes straight over the top of my head.
No, it's true though, because I think that there was oh I don't know, there was probably like eight men in my series, and my admiration through you was different because you've got the wrong plumbing for me. But I just remember that all the boys were obsessed with you. They were like, which, who do you think Sonya would be with that of all of us, and they almost got into a fight over it.
That's funny because they're having series where I can't remember which one was exactly, but I could hear the housemates. A couple of the guys actually because I've taken them to task over some behavior and they really did didn't like it. And I could hear them really having a bit of a moan about me after the show, because I was back in my dressing room and it was quite funny sitting there listening to the speech about you,
and you can hear them. But that's the whole thing about Big Brother, you know, when you know we would record, we would play back and said the last supper sample and here's what everybody said about you through the series, and there was some really you know, it's a bit of an eye opener. All it does to me is it just reinforces that idea what other people think of me is none of my business.
Yeah, very true. But I mean it's also the very essence of this show. You know. We love to be a fly on the wall. We love to hear the things that people would say when they think that people are not listening, do you know what I mean. I think it's kind of the minutial that's Big Brothers. Why it's been so successful globally, you know, yep.
Exactly in the UK have just they've just come back with Big Brother too, and it's it's interesting. I did see an article we have that I don't know, I don't know, I don't know what the future is the big but it did reference sort of going back to that live environment and it's really interesting to see whether, you know, we ever would find ourselves doing evictions live again, you know, because there is something in the I don't know, it's the electricity of the moment.
It has public lists come out. I think that's actually And also the programming Department have actually referenced the fact that whilst Big Brother UK is on, they've got eyeballs on it to see how it goes and how that
how that exists and whether we could do it. And I think, you know, producers have also said for many years you kind of Australia watches, America and the UK have got more money to try these things again and see if they work and if it does work in the UK, which I'm watching it by the way, it's it's like being in a time machine because you know it is it does have all of these elements of Big Brother. That's that was from twenty years ago, and
right it's just fascinating. So look, I mean I hope, I hope that they both can exist in a weird way, you know, because.
That's that's I think I think they can coexist. I think you can. You can cut together a great show, which is essentially what used to happen back when Big Brothers started. Anyway, the daily show was cut from the day before. It turned around really quickly. That's right. So I'm sure there is a way we can we can sign to make those two things coexist. So and again, it just gets back to the evolution, doesn't it of
the show? Any show? I think, you know, most shows change a little bit, you know, year and year out.
Like if you look at art even and you look at the way and we're culture and trends, we circle back fashion, you know, absolutely we circle back.
So fashion, I'm not actually son, you.
Can wear a garbage bag. I don't know what you're talking about. Where anything any fashion came back. High stockings, low stockings, nose stockings, it's all happening. It's fine.
Stocking, do you do it?
Shoulder pads, working girl, It's fine. But I think with this new series, and I know a lot of people talk about, oh, it's dating now, but what I find Big brother also really works with relationships on these shows and watching young people. For me, now I sound so old watching young people dating as me and my forties is actually really fascinating to see whether men are chivalrous anymore or do girls want them, you know, the doors to be open for them. You know, how does all
of this work these days? That's what this series is doing really well.
Now, Yeah, what's changed and what hasn't. I mean, at the heart of it, you know, chemistry and attraction and those kinds of things. They're unquantifiable and you don't know how it's going to happen, who it's going to happen with. It just happens. But how people operate and exist in
those relationships is definitely has definitely changed. I would say, you know, the girls at one point, I think you see the girls who are kind of like band together, and that's an interesting dynamic in itself because there's a bit of a girl power moment in there. You know, we can't really say which way it goes because that gives the game away, but just the cohabitation I think of, Yeah, the guys and the girls and how society is evolving.
There's that word again. It's so weird, isn't it. It's about yeah, And I think that's the thing I think people, you know, it's big brother twenty years ago. There were a lot of things that happened that would not happen today. You know, a lot of things have probably said that would not be said today. So these are all things that are reflected. And I guess that's the thing. It's a big mirror, isn't it. The show. It's just a giant mirror, and we're looking at ourselves on television.
It's so it's so interesting because we've seen so many love stories play out over the seasons of Big Brother, and it's kind of been like a touch point of the series that's, you know, someone there's a love story that we always follow. And what I find interesting about this as well is that we're following multiple love stories. You know. The fascinating insight to me is the different
dynamics in ways in which relationships work. And in the first week that a boy and a girl who almost have like a a brother sister type friendship but that could almost be a romance like and then too quickly get into bed together, which is you know, that's also very different. We're watching multiple versions stacked on each other, which makes it really fascinating to see how people enter relationships.
Yeah, how people enter them and then how they exit them, because not only do we have the hookups, there are also a couple of breakups in there too. It's really interesting and betrayal and the betrayal thing is big for me. I always think, wow, you know, if you were put in this situation and you had to choose the person you've fallen in love with in the house or continuing in the game, what would you do? You know? And so it poses those kinds of moral questions as well.
It's great to see. I'm really fascinated to see how this series goes and whether people really embrace it. When Big Brother, I think, you know, on free to air it still does good numbers by free to air standards, but it's catch up where it does massive figures. People who get on their iPad at night and go to seven plus and watch Big Brother on catch up, which is frantically That's how I would do it too now because I want to watch TV when I want to watch it. So when we add those figures in, it's
still a million people watching the show. So that's a massive number.
It's huge. It's huge to see these people coming in. I mean, that's how people are watching television these days, people are catching up. If you look at the numbers on a lot of these shows that are having on that secondary channel like seven plus, you know you are getting a lot of people watching it in their own time. And that's how people want to watch television.
But these guys who are coming through, they probably don't even own a TV. People in the South, and maybe people under the age of forty even bother buying television. They just watch on their laptop. They watch on their iPad. I mean I watch most of my television now on an iPad. Yeah, And I think a lot of people are doing that. So you know, come as long as they come and watch it, who's amazing.
Well, who cares? But you know, leaning into just really quickly what you were saying about breaking up with someone, I've studied Big Brother, and I studied it for years before I did it myself, and maybe that's probably how
I did so well. But I remember one of the female contestants, Leilah Sabritski, she entered into a relationship with George really early on, and she said to me, I sall Leila, and she entered in this relationship and she then fell in love with the intruder that came in while she was still with George, and I remember she had a very clear conversation with me, which was if I and she was a Big Brother officionado from the UK and so she watched it as well, and she
said to me, Ben, I er, if I leave George to be with Sam, Australia will hate me, because that's what happens in Big Brother. You can't swap a relationship without the audience turning on you. So this will be really interesting about how they swap relationships and whether that impacts the way in which audiences will vote for them in that final degree. You know, yeah, exactly will you vote for someone who cheated on their partner in the show?
You know what I mean? Like, it's fascinating, is the question.
This is what I can't wait to find out. Yeah, yeah, because I have you have your views, and it's an Australian and I'll be fascinated to see which way it goes. I mean, obviously I know he gets to the end, but I don't know what the outcome is. We won't know until it goes to end. So it'll be just really interesting to find out how it plays out with the public.
Well, absolutely. And you know, those people have been waiting for a long time to find out, Sonny. They want to know. I don't where are they? Do they have fingernails? Theft are they are? Okay? Now, yeah, before you guys going to ask you. It was interesting. I was listening to Kylie Minogue we can call it just Kylie, but listening to her on an interview the other day and they asked her about her albums. They said, you know what, how do you describe your albums? And she referred to
them as drinks? And I want to ask you about the shows that you've got on seven. If Dancing with the Stars is Champagne, what is the Voice? And what is Big Brother? Because I feel like we're right. I mean, it's an obvious one to say that Dancing with the Stars is Champagne, but what are the others?
Well? Oh gosh, I mean you know what, I ah, this is really tricky. I think I think Big Grub is definitely a margarita.
Yeah me, yeah, spicy mark last season, Sonya.
I think it's a bit of a spiky Marky season. If I would say, I would actually say that the voice is Champagne and Dancy was the thousand of the dirty Martini, just a little dirty, little dirty.
You'll need a couple of shots after being with Doctor Chris next year. I can't wait to see that, Like, oh me too.
I'm so I'm so excited. I think it's just going to be the most fun ever.
I watched the intro to the logis of you two doing the red carpet and I was like, this is magic, This is magic. They need to do more together, like it's it's just going to be so funny. Congratulations on the Gold Logo win, by the way, because you know we talked about you winning a Gold LOGI because I told you that you were going to win one three years ago on this podcast and you laughed and said it's never going to happen, never.
Going to friends. Well, and still I still can't quite believe that it did happen. It still feels so surreal. It's weird. I was talking to Hamish afterwards, yeah, and he said to me, I don't said, I don't think anyone really understands how surreal that moment is. And it's just it's it's it is quite extraordinary. But you know, it's lovely to be part of that club. Because I don't think over the course of the sixty years of the logis, I think there's only something like fourteen women.
Got twice, which is like and I think she was the last person to oh, yeah, that's right, we can.
Yeah.
That's a small audience though, because the men have got these gold lokis for so long. So I was crying.
And it's funny because my little girl goes to a girls' school, and it was kind of like the mums all rallied and they were like, well, we want you to win. We want the girls to see that women can succeed in their profession and that they can they can, they can win because they always had to go to the guys. So I think that was really tweet. It meant a lot to Maggie for me happy Just the thing that made me most happy was seeing her face when I brought that gold trophy home. She was really so proud.
I had tears and mise because I thought of all of that. I thought of Craig, I mean, your partner, I thought of I thought of all of those things, and I've just thought of how iconic it was and also just how humble you've been with your career and the fact that you'd said that's not on the cards for me. You know, I've got I've got the goosebumps now thinking about it. But you know, is Maddie like eight years old?
Now, yes, she is eighty eight, she's eight. And you mentioned Craig. But the hilarious thing was the next morning when they replay that moment, you know, like on Sunrise with the news, and I didn't realize the people had been texting me going, how cute was Craig patting you on the head? So I got to hug h he passed me on the head, like as all, what are you patting me on the head? What do you do?
I mean, I don't think that because that's real moments. So like you do the most strangest things, you know, when something real like that happens, like that's it happened.
Yeah, And because the moment you won big brother, can you can you remember any of that?
Have you watched that? I feel bad for you. So I still feel bad to you to this day because the memory I do have a view was that you were incredibly supportive. I think you were very aware that there was going to be an engagement, so you were trying to work out how that was all going to play out.
I think, yeah, my fingers crossed.
I think you were trying to like but I just remember being so electric, fired, electrocuted that I actually watching it back. I felt dangerous standing next to you, like I was going to explode or spin around and knock you. But I felt bad for you. I was like this poor professional TV producer having to stand next to you, know, a nobody who auditions for Big Brother that's just lost their mind, you know, for you.
Myself, it's such a great moment. I mean, I love seeing people win things I do. I do like we were talking about, they go into the house and I love I love watching Big Brother Victom. I also love some people win and should be and Eve it's great, it's great, and that's why that's what keeps us coming back. You know, we want to see who's going to win, who's going to win this year?
Well, I have no idea looking at all these people at this point of this game, I'm like, I've got no idea. But you know, the point I was going to make to you about Maddie is that in ten years time, when she's eighteen, would you let her go into the Big Brother House.
Oh you know what was get adult and free to make her own choices. I think at that point, what I would you know, what if I had to assu I should we did some singing lessons, maybe you know the voice. I'd love to hear from the voice. But again, you know, I don't know if she's probably inherited my
singing talent, which is zero. So whereas I do think she do well in the Big Brotherhouse because she's essentially a bit of an only child, so she would kind of I think she makes friends really easily and that she has to, you know, so she probably went.
Imagine that you're hosting it in ten years time and your daughter's in the sheld. She's one. It's rigged. So I have to let you go because this has been a little bit longer than we expected. But I always love talking to you. How I finished the podcast every time, and this is your fifth So you and Alex Mevodika is now tie on the most amount of time. Oh Abby Chatfield as well, tie all three of you with
being on the podcast the most. What is something from behind the scenes of this new season of Big Brother not like peeling back down in or revealing too much, but maybe something funny from yourself, maybe a funny anecdote of something that went down while you were filming this one.
Ah gee, well you did you know how I did that early morning eviction wake up call?
Oh yeah, I don't know where this is going, but I'm already.
Well, let's say that's an interesting environment walk.
No mol sonya, I don't think that. Yeah, we don't need to. It'll be on the young cut anyway. Sonia, you are honestly one of my favorite people on television, have been before i'd even met you. I am so elated that you're still making the show and making it sing as well as you do. I can't wait to be on this journey with the rest of the Australia and watch it all. And yeah, thank you for your generosity with your time. Yeah, for sure every year the rest of my life.