BIG BRO STAR: OH NO
Children charged with torching Big Brother house
THE Gold Coast’s Big Brother house has been destroyed after a fire tore through the pink mansion, prompting heartbreak from a former star of the show.
A massive black smoke plume could be seen across the Gold Coast after Australia’s most famous sharehouse went up in smoke on Saturday.
Four children have been charged with allegedly lighting a fire while two nine-year-olds helped police with their inquiries.
Gutted former Big Brother contestant Skye Wheatley, on the Gold Coast, posted a video of the smoke while commenting: “F---ing rude if you ask me. Leave it alone guys, leave it alone.
“That is so sad. Like I am literally watching my home go up in flames. My heart is breaking right now.”
Ms Wheatley, who placed third on the show and lived in the pink mansion for three months, recently visited the derelict building for the first time in five years earlier this month.
She uploaded a 31-minute video to YouTube at the time, telling her fans she was “really sad” that it had been “fully vandalised”.
“I remember this … what the hell. This is where the cameramen were,” she said.
“I can’t believe how sad this is you guys. I’m really sad about this. This is horrible. Why do people like smashing sh-t? I don’t get it.”
Gold Coasters took to social media after the devastating blaze at the weekend to talk about what could be done with the house.
“Would have been a good homeless shelter instead of leaving it empty,” Gerald Moller said.
Others were not as sympathetic.
“Happy to see the house gone and the contesters (sic) want (sic) suffered from nightmare anymore,” Elizabeth Bozena Slaski said.
Scott Harrington had his own memories.
“My favourite thing will always be the fire,” he said.
In January it was understood the abandoned house remained close to its original condition.
But after a group of “urban explorers” shared a video with the public of what it looked like five years after the reality TV show ended, it prompted others to check out the property.
Since January, dozens of videos have been posted online, and have shown the house to be completely trashed and covered with graffiti.
It is located on land adjacent to Dreamworld, but is not owned or operated by the theme park.
Both the land and the house have been owned by Queensland Investment Corporation (QIC) since July 2009.
A QIC spokeswoman said the company was working with emergency services.
It was too early to determine what will happen with the site.
Only a week ago the Bulletin revealed the future plans for the former Big Brother house.
A US paintball enthusiast Tony Odinson, along with two others, had plans to turn 20 acres of the field into Adventure Park. Mr Odinson told the Bulletin last week he was only days away from signing a five-year lease with QIC.
The house was planned to be the centre attraction for the park with action games like paintball, C-tag, laser tag and other role play attractions.
Mr Odinson did not responded to requests for comment yesterday.