Big Brother Australia VIP 2 is the second celebrity season of the Australian version of Big Brother. This is the first time since Celebrity Big Brother Australia 1 in 2002 that Australia has had a celebrity season of the show and the first time under the Channel 7 version.
"First Look" promo of Big Brother Australia VIP 2021.
During Big Brother Australia's Channel 10 era, Big Brother Australia has produced its first celebrity edition back in 2002, with Australian viewers electing TV and Radio host Dylan Lewis as the winner. Despite a successful celebrity edition, no succeeding seasons were made until Channel 10 axed the Big Brother Australia franchise in 2008. When Nine Network revived the franchise from 2012 to 2014, various rumors have circulated regarding a new celebrity edition, although it never materialized until Nine decided to drop the franchise in 2018 and was picked up by the rival network, Channel 7 the following year.
After the success of the first Channel 7 season, Channel 7 announced on March 30, 2021, shortly before the premiere of Big Brother Australia 13 that a celebrity season of the show would air in late 2021. After 19 years, Channel 7 decided to produce a new celebrity edition under a rebranded name, Big Brother VIP. Unlike Channel 10's Celebrity Big Brother, Big Brother VIP followed the new game format used by Channel 7 seasons, and was also pre-recorded. [1]
Casting
For this edition's cast, Channel 7 has chosen a mix of Australian and foreign celebrities, featuring actors, reality TV personalities, athletes, politicians, and influencers in its lineup. Similar to international celebrity seasons in the 2000s, Big Brother VIP's celebrity housemates would be playing for their respective chosen charities. [2][3]
The House
During the filming of Big Brother Australia 13, the show received an eviction notice from the National Parks and Wildlife Service over concerns regarding the local wildlife.[4] Further, a bushfire nearly reached the Big Brother house from its location in North Head Sanctuary in Manly, causing the production staff and host Sonia Kruger to evacuate the site just days before housemates arrived in the house. Due to environmental concerns, Channel 7 had to find a new location once the 13th civilian edition wrapped up filming.[5] Strong candidates were Sydney's Cockatoo Island as well as the original Big Brother compound in Dreamworld. However, Endemol ruled out both options, and White Pavilion in Sydney Olympic Park was chosen instead as the new location of the Big Brother Australia house.[6]
On October 10, 2021, various media outlets, such as the Daily Mail, released preview photos of the new Big Brother house. In the sneak peek teaser, Big Brother described this season's house as his Big Brother Hotel. The custom-made house within the Sydney Olympic Park used repurposed materials from the previous Big Brother houses. Compared to the civilian editions with a contemporary tropical style, the new house had a retro-glam feel, with shades of red, blue, and green as the dominant colors in the house. The new house kept the rooms and amenities seen in the past two seasons, such as the Challenge Arena, the Eviction Room, and more. [7]
On Day 2, Big Brother gave Caitlyn and Ellie a secret mission to break Imogen and Luke out of the half house, using a vent in the eviction room. In order to succeed, they would have to bring them to the bedroom without being detected. In addition to succeeding, they would earn a game-changing advantage. If they get caught, they would automatically be put up for the next eviction.
5-6
On Day 5, the housemates participated in a 24-hour shopping task, where they had to race to a media wall and smile at the cameras after an alarm rings. They all had to pose at the media wall before the time rounds out. If they do so, they would earn $20 for the shopping budget. If they don't make it in time, they would earn nothing.
$340
8
On Day 8, Big Brother gave Luke a secret mission to convince Thomas to write a letter to his sister Meghan Markle. Luke would also have the power to determine what Thomas has to write. In order to succeed, they had to complete the letter without the other housemates noticing.
2
11
On Day 11, Big Brother gave Imogen a secret mission, where over the next two hours, she had to retrieve animals from the laundry room and move them to the diary room without getting caught. She was allowed to ask one housemate to help her with the mission. If she successfully does so, the housemate would earn messages from home.
14-15
On Day 14, the housemates had to collect fan mail coming about of mailboxes for the next 24 hours. For every envelope caught, the housemates would earn $10 for the shopping budget. Throughout the day, the housemates would switch shifts and take turns catching envelopes.
$460
14-15
On Day 14, Big Brother gave Jessika a secret mission not to catch any of the envelopes during her shift in the shopping task. If she successfully did so without getting caught, she would receive extra food from Big Brother. Imogen was later a part of this secret mission.
3
18
On Day 18, Big Brother gave Thomas a secret mission, where in 30 minutes, he had to integrate three Aussie slang phrases into his conversation. If he successfully did so, the housemate would receive letter from home.
Key:
Secret Mission
Shopping Task
Competition History
Big Brother Australia VIP 2 Competition History
Week
Day(s)
Competition Description
Winner(s)
1
2-3
On Day 2, the housemates, excluding Caitlyn, Imogen, and Luke, who were living in the half room, had to climb on to a life-size gold award and hold on to it for as long as possible. Periodically, the housemates had to move up the award, making it harder to stay on. The last housemate still on the gold award would earn a major advantage in the game. Later in the night, it was revealed that the winner would have the power to bring back one housemate from the half house to the main house.
Ellie
4
On Day 4, the housemates, competing in teams, had to push against a giant star, attempting to knock down the other team's flag. The first team to do so would earn a point. The first team to earn three points would win the challenge. However, only the captain would receive nomination power, while the rest of the team would receive immunity.
Caitlyn
7
On Day 6, the housemates, once again competing in teams, had to stack 40 boxes in a line from a starting post to an ending post, only using their bodies. Each housemate on the team had to balance 8 boxes. If a housemate drops their boxes, the team would have to start over. The first team to successfully stack all 40 boxes would win the challenge and receive immunity. The captain of the team would earn nomination power.
Ellie
2
10
On Day 10, the housemates, competing individually, had to stand on an angled platform, hanging on to a bag of cash attached to a rope. Throughout the challenge, they would be lowered, making it more difficult to hold on to the bag. The last housemate still holding on to the bag would have the power to nominate three housemates for eviction.
Bernard
11
On Day 11, the housemates competing in a challenge, where they would have to stand at a buzzer and press it once they think 15 minutes has passed. The two housemates that are closest to 15 minutes have the opportunity to compete in another challenge, where they would compete for a game-changing advantage.
Bernard & Luke
On Day 11, Bernard and Luke had to build a staircase on a wobbly base using large boxes. They would then have to climb the staircase and pull on a gold ball. The first housemate to successfully do so would earn the power to save one of the nominees from the next eviction vote by sneaking them into a secret room.
Luke
12
On Day 12, the housemate had to race back and forth between two ramps, making sure the two balls do not fall from either ramp. If a ball drops on the ground, then they would be eliminated from the challenge. The last housemate with both balls on the ramp would have the power to nominate three housemates for eviction.
Josh
15
On Day 15, the housemates had to stand and hang onto Big Brother's magazine cover. Throughout the challenge, the magazine cover would gradually tilt forward, making it harder to hang on. If the housemates drop from the cover, they would be eliminated. The last housemate standing would have the power to nominate three housemates for eviction.
Jessika
3
17
On Day 17, the housemates, competing against voted out contestants Dayne and Ellie, had to race to assemble a line of dominoes along a winding track. Once they all had their dominoes place, they had to knock over all of dominoes. They first team to have two housemates successfully do so would win immunity for their team.
Main Housemates
18
On Day 18, the housemates, competing in pairs, had to stack champagnes glasses on a rack, sliding it from one end to the other. The first pair to stack a tower of glasses would have the ability to nominate one housemate for eviction.
Imogen & Jessika
On Day 18, the housemates, excluding Thomas, had to cross a red carpet suspension bridge while carrying puzzle pieces across. After they retrieve all the puzzle pieces, they had to assemble the puzzle the fastest. The first housemate to do so would have the power to nominate the second housemate for eviction.
Luke
20
On Day 20, the housemates had to walk on a beam and place five balls on a wobbly star. The first housemate to do so with all of the balls remaining on the star would have the power to nominate two housemates for eviction.
Ellie
21
On Day 21, the housemates had to leap up a platform, smash through a wall, and pull and drop a weight through a set of boards in order to retrieve a set of keys. They would then have to use a key to unlock a padlock, exposing a drum of water. They would have to use that water to fill a gutter to release five balls. They would have to balance fill balls down a series of target and attempt to land a ball in a glass cylinder. The first housemate to land two balls in the cylinder would have the power to evict the final housemate from the game, and securing themselves a spot in the finale.
Josh
22
On Day 22, the housemates had to spin around in a swing, attempt to knock over a trophy using a pole. Then, they had to retrieve keys in an ice bath, where they would have to unlock a padlock in order to retrieve another trophy. The housemates then had to dig through a pile of sand in order to retrieve their third and final trophy. Finally, the housemates had to stack three trophies and attempt to knock them over with sandbags. The first housemates to do so would earn $10,000 for their charity.