Big Brother Australia’s famous house is tipped to leave the Gold Coast for a Brisbane studio lot, marking another major shift in the reality show’s long history.
Big Brother Australia’s famous house is tipped to leave the Gold Coast for a Brisbane studio lot, in a move that could reshape Ten’s reboot.
An industry insider said Screen Queensland Studios at Hemmant had emerged as the most likely frontrunner if the show leaves Dreamworld, where Channel 10 returned the franchise in 2025.
The move would shift the show into a 3.6ha production base with two 3000sq m sound stages, three warehouse or workshop areas, four production office blocks, eight green rooms and more than 200 carparks.
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“Big Brother is not just a house,” the insider said.
“You need camera runs, a control room, a diary room setup, production offices, story teams, challenge zones, secure crew access and the ability to keep the outside world completely away from the contestants.
“A lot of venues can offer space, but Hemmant offers a production environment.”
The reboot has already given Ten reason to keep building around the format.
Inside one of Screen Queensland Studios’ Hemmant stages, part of the 3.6ha Brisbane production lot emerging as a likely frontrunner for Big Brother 2026. Picture: Screen Queensland Studios
The Big Brother UK house is filmed inside a studio-style setup, similar to the controlled production environment industry figures say could suit Ten’s second season of their Big Brother reboot.
Big Brother’s live grand finale surged 146 per cent on the 2023 season, delivering the show’s highest rating finale since 2021 and setting a record as Ten’s most-watched live-streamed episode.
The season also became Ten’s biggest reality series since 2023, drawing more than 730 million streaming minutes and 161 million social media views across all platforms.
Ten confirmed the show’s 2026 return on April 28, with Mel Tracina back as host and live nominations, live evictions and live feeds again part of the format.
Applications for the 17th regular season opened on May 26, with the show’s official Instagram account declaring: “Big Brother is back in 2026.”
Big Brother 2025 winner Coco with host Mel Tracina, who has been confirmed to return for the show’s 2026 season. Picture: Ten
The Big Brother 2025 house marked Ten’s return to Dreamworld, though the reboot was filmed at the convention centre rather than the original compound. Picture: Nigel Hallett
Endemol Shine Australia recruitment ads have also sought Queensland-based post-production crew for Big Brother 2026, with applicants told they had to be Queensland residents and willing to work on site in Brisbane.
The ad listed contract timing from late October to early December, 2026.
TV Blackbox first reported Big Brother was leaving Dreamworld because of a conflicting booking at the convention centre, with the show moving to Brisbane and running for a week longer in 2026.
Ten has not confirmed the 2026 Big Brother house location.
Endemol Shine Australia has advertised for Queensland-based Big Brother 2026 crew, adding weight to industry chatter the show is shifting production to Brisbane.
Original Big Brother host Gretel Killeen with 2007 winner Aleisha Cowcher, after fronting the reality TV phenomenon for its first seven seasons. Picture: Ten
Sonia Kruger took over from Kyle Sandilands and Jackie O to host Big Brother from its ninth to 15th seasons, including Big Brother VIP. Picture: Nine
“The feeling across the industry is that Brisbane is now effectively the destination, and the real question is where in Brisbane the production is going to land,” the insider said.
“The next one is where the network really needs to show it has learnt from what worked, what didn’t work and what fans were clearly missing.”
The move would add another chapter to Big Brother Australia’s long house history.
The 2014 Big Brother house at Dreamworld, where the purpose-built compound hosted 11 regular seasons and one celebrity edition before it was later destroyed by fire. Picture: Nine
North Head in Sydney became Big Brother’s first post-Dreamworld home, hosting the 12th and 13th seasons after Seven revived the format. Picture: Seven
The show aired on Ten from 2001 to 2008 with eight regular seasons and one celebrity edition, Nine from 2012 to 2014 with three regular seasons, and Seven from 2020 to 2023 with four regular seasons and one VIP edition, before Ten relaunched it in 2025.
The original purpose-built Dreamworld house was used across the Ten and Nine eras before it was destroyed by fire in 2019.
Sydney Olympic Park later became home to Big Brother VIP and the shows 14th and 15th regular seasons. Picture: Seven
The original Dreamworld Big Brother compound was destroyed by fire in 2019, ending the physical life of the show’s most famous Australian house. Picture: Nigel Hallett
Seven filmed at North Head in Sydney and later Sydney Olympic Park, while Ten’s 2025 reboot was filmed at the Dreamworld convention centre rather than the original house site.
The insider said a Brisbane studio base could help Ten bring back bigger live elements and Friday Night Live-style programming.
“Mike Goldman would make sense because he is part of the DNA of the original Big Brother,” the insider said.
“But you could also see a world where Melanie Bracewell and Tim McDonald from The Cheap Seats join Mel Tracina and give it a sharper, funnier, more modern live-show energy.”
The Cheap Seats hosts Melanie Bracewell and Tim McDonald have been floated as potential names if Ten revives a Friday Night Games-style companion show.
Mike Goldman narrated Big Brother from seasons one to 11 and returned for the 2025 reboot, after previously hosting Friday Night Live and Big Brother Showdown. Picture: Nigel Hallett
The insider said a Brisbane base would also mean months of work for local production staff, post-production, set builders, art department, camera operators, technical crews, security, catering and logistics.
“So much of the television industry is still centred around Sydney and Melbourne,” the insider said.
“If Ten builds it properly, it is not just a new house. It is a serious production footprint for Brisbane.”
Caitlyn Jenner starred in Seven’s Big Brother VIP in 2021 alongside names including Omarosa, Thomas Markle Jr, Jessika Power and Luke Toki. Picture: Seven
Australian Survivor favourite Luke Toki won Big Brother VIP in 2021 Picture: Seven
A permanent Brisbane production base could also make a future January 2027 Celebrity Big Brother more attractive to Ten, with the network needing to fill a summer reality slot after axing I’m A Celebrity … Get Me Out Of Here!
Australia has tried the celebrity version before, with Ten airing Celebrity Big Brother during its original era and Seven later launching Big Brother VIP in 2021.
Seven’s VIP season was led by names including Caitlyn Jenner, Omarosa, Thomas Markle Jr, Jessika Power and Luke Toki.
“If you’ve already built the house, installed the cameras and got the crew in Brisbane, the economics of getting two seasons out of one build start to make a lot of sense,” the insider said.
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