SONIA KRUGER REVEALS ALL!
Hold on to your sofa – there’s going to be drama aplenty on the new series
You’re in for a wild ride,” Big Brother host Sonia Kruger dishes to Woman’s Day. “When Big Brother
first started 20 years ago, people were still fascinated with housemates in the kitchen making a sandwich,” she laughs. “But our viewing habits have changed, and we’ve put so much into every episode that you’ll get more out of it as a viewer.” It’s been almost two decades since the original Big Brother premiered on Ten in April 2001, launching a slew of big names and even bigger scandals on its 11 season run.
And while criticism was levelled at the latter seasons for its influencer-heavy casts, Sonia, 54, likens the 2020 crop of housemates to the original days of Big Brother,
where authentic and interesting personalities reigned over the fame chasers. “It’s a great mix of ages, backgrounds, ethnicities, the whole thing,” she says. “I know there’s characters inside the house that the public will fall in love with – and there’ll be characters that the public will love a little bit less.”
Touching on how the personalities respond to one another inside the house, Sonia says the pendulum swings from “romance” to “outright animosity”.
Rumours have been rife that two contestants – model Chad Hurst, 27, and former Olympian Sophie Budack, 25, – become an item, and Sonia does little to douse the flames.
“There is a little romance, there’s a lot of unrequited love and then there’s next level drama,” teases the Seven star.
“I actually found myself yelling at the television in my dressing gown like it was Melbourne Cup Day, cheering for people – it’s kind of crazy.”
SWITCHING NETWORKS
Just like Big Brother has done in recent years, Sonia found herself jumping networks. In 2019 she left Nine to join Seven for a rumoured seven figure deal.
She left behind her highprofile gig on The Voice, but the host simply says she “hasn’t had time to miss” the show or the network.
“I’ve done the right thing [in moving] because the excitement and build-up to Big Brother has just been so huge,” she says.
“I guess my focus has been completely on that since January and now we’re in June, so I haven’t really had a chance to miss The Voice.”
MAGGIE’S BB FUTURE
As rumours swirl around the more family-friendly format, Sonia says the show focuses on the “heart and soul” of the franchise, so much so that she would have auditioned had she gone down a different career path.
“I love the concept of
Big Brother – it feels to me like going on school camp and hanging out with your friends. On the surface that’s what it looks like anyway,” she says.
“I would probably crumble and be crying in the corner on episode one, though.”
Sonia is such a huge fan of the new reboot that she’d even let her five-year-old daughter Maggie audition for the show when she’s older.
“I’d be really happy for her to be on this new Big Brother, because it’s about being authentic and being true to yourself,” she says.
“There’s nothing in there I’d be concerned about.”
But what if she wanted to go on her former employer Nine’s Married At First Sight?
“That’s a hard no,” Sonia laughs.
Big Brother premieres Monday, 7.30pm, Seven