Channel 7 announces Big Brother VIP with Aussie celebrities

Viewers will this year get a season of Big Brother filled with Australian celebrities – just don’t call it Celebrity Big Brother.

Viewers will this year get a season of Big Brother filled with Australian celebrities – just don’t call it Celebrity Big Brother.

The Seven Network today announced a new series called Big Brother VIP will air later this year, hosted by Sonia Kruger and featuring “some of Australia’s best-known celebrities”.

No word yet on who’s involved – but it’s almost 20 years since Australia last aired a celeb version of Big Brother, with TV presenter Dylan Lewis taking out the win during the sole season of Celebrity Big Brother on Ten in 2002. Actor Jay Laga’aia and radio host Kyle Sandilands rounded out the top three.

Big Brother VIP will air later this year.

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The Big Brother franchise had been dormant for several years until Seven resurrected it last year, changing the show’s location and format.

So which Aussie celebs can we expect to take part? We’re betting Schapelle Corby might make an appearance – the convicted drug smuggler is hot property at Seven, having appeared on SAS Australia last year and competing on the upcoming season of Dancing With the Stars.

And could Seven personality Sam Armytage make an appearance, now she’s off Sunrise?

We’ll have to wait and see. Big Brother VIP will air later this year, after the network’s second season of (normal, non-VIP) Big Brother, set to air very soon.

Sonia Kruger will host this new iteration of the franchise.

“With anticipation for the new season building, the time is right to commission Big Brother VIP,” Seven Network programming director Angus Ross said in a statement today.

“The celebrity format is a proven success around the world. It was a hit here in Australia almost two decades ago and we’re looking forward to introducing a whole new generation of celebrities to Big Brother.”

It’ll be interesting to see if Seven can finally fulfil the potential of a celeb-filled Big Brother season here in Oz. While Ten’s attempt lasted only one season, in the UK Celebrity Big Brother became an institution, lasting for 22 seasons and birthing arguably some of the most iconic reality TV moments of the 21st century: