All-ages casting blamed for Big Brother 2021 ratings slide

Ratings for Channel 7’s Big Brother have taken a dive, and sources are pointing the finger squarely at the show’s move away from ‘young, hot, single’ contestants.

It has been a solid ratings performer in the past, but the latest incarnation of Big Brother is struggling to make an impact for Seven this year — and grumbles around the network suggest casting could be the culprit.

Specifically, the lack of “eye candy” compared with previous seasons, with producers opting to embrace an “all ages” mantra this year as opposed to the “young, hot singles” formula of seasons past.

Big Brother 2020 contestant Chad Hurst.

It appears viewers are nonplussed, with BB averaging just 500,000 per episode and placing far behind timeslot champ Lego Masters (Nine), which is nudging an average of 700,000 viewers.

“When something underperforms like this, obviously fingers get pointed and there is a lot of chatter that the casting just wasn’t right,” said one network source.

“I think there is some thought that that show could have benefited more from a cast that reflects something like Married At First Sight.”

Hurst’s romance with Sophie Budack was a centrepiece of last year’s season.

Interestingly, MAFS and Big Brother are both produced by Endemol Shine Australia, with BB host Sonia Kruger telling Confidential prior to the season launch that there was a conscious decision to steer the show away from a MAFS-style remake.

“I don’t think (Endemol Shine) were interested in cannibalising their own formula which has been such a success with MAFS,” Kruger said.

“I think that’s why Shine is such a great company. They have a great ability to characterise each show differently.”

A centrepiece to the last BB season was the love story between underwear model Chad Hurst and gymnast Sophie Budack, who went on to run first and second