No sex please, we’re British: As Big Brother Australia shocks fans with VERY racy scenes, we take a look at how UK’s tame reality shows stack up against the wild offerings Down Under
The Big Brother UK reboot came to an end last week with Jordan Sangha being crowned the winner and walking away with the £100,000 prize.
The rebooted series attracted a loyal fanbase yet failed to set the ratings alive, with the housemates’ antics not proving wild enough to draw in some of its former fans.
On the other side of the world, however, Big Brother Australia is in full swing after launching series 15 last month featuring the ‘sexiest housemates in Australia’.
While the show is not available to watch in the UK, clips of the wild antics have been circulating online, with Brits shocked by their Australian counterparts’ wild actions.
Yet it’s not just Big Brother Australia that has been raising eyebrows, with the Aussie versions of shows like Married At First Sight, Love Island and Real Housewives also intriguing British audiences with their drama, scandals and saucy scenes.
Now MailOnline takes a look at the key differences between British reality shows and their Australian counterparts.
No sex please, we’re British: As Big Brother Australia shocks fans with VERY racy scenes (pictured) we take a look at how UK’s tame reality shows stack up against shows Down Under
Big Brother UK
The British Big Brother was yanked off air in 2018 after the public fell out of love with the show and ratings plummeted.
Over its 18 years history the show aired many scandals, from the notorious Jade Goody racism row to Makosi Musambasi’s pregnancy scare and the infamous Fight Night but in its latter years the show was criticised for casting ‘fame hungry’ contestants and losing its authenticity.
This October, after a five-year hiatus the show was revived by ITV, but in a bid not to repeat mistakes of the past, the housemates took part in ‘respect and inclusion training’ to ensure their behaviour in the house was acceptable.
The series was also accused of ‘going woke’ and after an initial interest, viewership swiftly began to decline.
Keeping their clothes on: Big Brother UK was accused of ‘going woke’ when it was revived this year and viewership swiftly began to decline (pictured: Dylan Tennant and Kerry Riches)
Crikey: On the other side of the world, however, Big Brother Australia is in full swing after launching series 15 last month featuring the ‘sexiest housemates in Australia’
Big Brother Australia
Similarly, Big Brother Australia was also temporarily canned, being rested twice before the current revival in 2020, but unlike the UK version, there was no attempt to hide away from the controversy.
Spin-off show Big Brother Uncut – which often depicted highly sexualised adult themes – was brought back this year after it was axed in 2006 following a slew of complaints.
Audience complaints prompted the Australian Communications and Media Authority to launch an investigation into the X-rated show, with the controversy peaking in 2006 when Camilla Severi was ‘turkey slapped’ (hit in the face with a flaccid penis) by two male contestants, which led to them both being removed from the show.
Yet this year’s revival was dubbed the ‘spiciest’ season yet by Channel Seven, with the series featuring full-frontal nudity and X-rated scenes.
Married At First Sight UK
When Married At First Sight (MAFS) first launched in 2015 the low-key show saw brave singles fully commit to marrying a stranger, with a handful of couples allowing the cameras to document them adjusting to life as newlyweds.
Yet during lockdown the Australian format was screened to fans and proved to be a ratings hit, as viewers were left hooked by the by explosive arguments, couple swapping and bed hopping.
The UK series has been revamped to follow their format, and rather than legal marriages, the couples made a ‘lifelong commitment’ to one another at a glamorous ceremony, overseen by a wedding celebrant, that includes guests, bridal gowns, dancing, speeches and cake.
No-nonsense Married at First Sight Australia expert Melanie Schilling and Sex and Relationship Therapist, Charlene Douglas were also drafted in to join returning star Paul C. Brunson (Celebs Go Dating) as experts on the series.
Love at first sight: When Married At First Sight launched in 2015 the low-key show saw brave singles fully commit to marrying a stranger (pictured Owen Jenkins and Michelle Walder)
Catfight: MAFS Australia never legally married the participants, allowing a broader range of applicants and those looking for exposure (pictured: Cyrell Paule and Martha Kalifatidis)
Married At First Sight Australia
In contrast to the UK version, MAFS Australia never legally married the participants, allowing a broader range of applicants and those looking for exposure more than love.
Since launching in 2015 it’s gone on to become one of the most controversial shows on TV, with countless scandals over the years, from gaslighting grooms and cheating brides to physical brawls and wine throws.
Yet if viewers thought previous seasons of Nine’s social experiment were dramatic, next year’s couples are set to take things to a whole new level.
Daily Mail Australia revealed that the upcoming season has been the most chaotic series to film with the show rocked by a cheating scandal, multiple cast members walking out and another ‘revenge porn’ incident.
The MAFS 2024 cast are said to be the ‘worst behaved cast to date’ – or so they’ve been told – and were scolded by producers on a number of occasions.
Love Island UK
When Love Island first hit screens in 2015, viewers were left shocked by the racy antics, with stars seen romping in front of the cameras, discussing their X-rated antics in the smoking area and even coming to blows.
The ITV2 show has received thousands of complaints every season, with viewers shocked at the treatment of Islanders by the producers and by each other.
However, in 2019 ITV revealed key changes to their duty of care processes including enhanced psychological support and social and financial training following the deaths of 2017 contestant Mike Thalassitis and 2016’s Sophie Gradon, both of whom died by suicide.
In 2020, the show’s host Caroline Flack tragically also took her own life.
After rebooting their protocols, Love Island decided to stop showing footage of couples having sex in the villa, while also moving the smoking area off camera.
Tamer: After rebooting their protocols, Love Island UK decided to stop showing footage of couples having sex in the villa (pictured: Kai Fagan and Sanam Harrinanan)
Crikey: Just as Love Island UK began to pull back on their racy content, Love Island Australia ramped up the action (pictured: Tayla Damir )
Love Island Australia
Just as Love Island UK began to pull back on their racy content, Love Island Australia ramped up the action, with scenes so raunchy that she left viewers around the world asking, ‘Can they show that on TV?’
The racier aspects of the show have raised eyebrows among viewers who are used to couples taking it slower in the first few weeks.
While producers have no problems airing the X-rated scenes, they recently introduced a new ‘consent’ system to keep lusty islanders in check when jumping into bed together.
In a world first, the Love Island Australia’s villa in Majorca, Spain, features a small love-heart shaped ‘Consent Heart’ button next to every bed this year, allowing couples to announce they are both comfortable with whatever is going on between the sheets.
Only if both buttons are pushed, and if the heart is complete in infrared, are the pairs left to their own devices. If anyone starts kissing or touching each other in bed, producers will physically walk into the bedroom and tell them to switch their Consent Heart on.
Only at that point are they both consenting adults and producers leave them alone.
The Real Housewives UK
Long after the American franchise became must-see TV, the UK created their own version in 2015, The Real Housewives of Cheshire.
However, they quickly came under fire, with those who tuned in to watch the ITVBe programme labelling the women thick’ and ‘vain’, after seeing their multi-million pound houses, designer wardrobes and WAG lifestyle.
Much like their American counterparts, the six maintenance WAGs spent their time lunching, diamond-shopping and squabbling.
As the series progressed, already established celebrities joined the cast, such as Natasha Hamilton and Christine McGuinness.
A second UK series, The Real Housewives of Jersey, launched in 2020 but was axed after just two series.
Famous faces: Established celebrities joined the cast, such as Natasha Hamilton (pictured) and Christine McGuinness have joined The Real Housewives of Cheshire
Shocking: The Real Housewives of Sydney was cancelled after being ‘too extreme’ Lisa Oldfield, Athena X Levendi, and Victoria Rees were axed for their behaviour
The Real Housewives Australia
In 2014, Australia launched their first version of the franchise, with The Real Housewives of Melbourne.
Three years later came The Real Housewives of Sydney but U.S. network Bravo, which airs the Real Housewives franchise, famously declined to air the Real Housewives of Sydney in the States after executives dubbed it ‘too extreme’ for an American audience.
‘A lot of the women in this show were nasty for nasty’s sake and have no redeeming features,’ a Foxtel boss said at the time.
The series was cancelled in 2019 after one season, however a revival was announced this year, with producers seeking less confrontational women this time around.
Real Housewives of Sydney star Krissy Marsh has since teased that a Perth and Gold Coast spin off could be in the works.
Source: Read Full Article
