Following the premise of other versions of the format, the show features a group of contestants, known as "housemates" who live together in a specially constructed house that is isolated from the outside world.

The housemates are continuously monitored during their stay in the house by live television cameras as well as personal audio microphones.

Alternatively, housemates can also be removed from the house if Big Brother feels this is necessary and can voluntarily leave the show at any time.

Housemates are filmed 24 hours per day with edited highlights broadcast during prime time slots every evening.

Ten's chief programmer David Mott admitted the series had recently experienced "audience erosion" inherent with the show's long run.

Big Brother Australia was axed by Network Ten on 14 July 2008 with the broadcaster confirming that the 2008 season would be the last to air on the channel.

[10] A decrease in ratings for the daily shows was cited as the reason for Network Ten opting not to renew its contract for another season.

SBS Programmer Shawn White denied the show would be revived on their channel despite rumours with Nine CEO David Gyngell notably 'interested' in the idea soon after the cancellation, only to turn it down days later.

In the article, Chief Programming Officer David Mott stated that "...Ten have considered ways to bring the show back on a number of occasions'; however, was worried that audiences had 'moved on'.

Mott said; "It's a summer show for CBS, it doesn't play in the heart of the ratings season but it's done a pretty good job for them.

"[11] On 9 September 2011, it was reported and later confirmed that the Nine Network had signed a deal with Southern Star Group to bring the Australian version of Big Brother back.

[12] The first episode of the revived series premiered on 13 August 2012 with its daily show airing five nights a week at a family-friendly timeslot of 7pm.

[20] The reboot has been compared to Survivor - in which the politicking and strategising regarding the Nomination and Eviction processes is allowed (being disallowed in earlier iterations) and central to the format, with Housemates directly voting each other out of the house.

[21] Seven's Director of Programming Angus Ross confirmed that the revived format would be prerecorded and aired at a later date on 26 October 2019.

[35] On 16 September 2024, it was confirmed that Big Brother would be returning to Network 10 for its sixteenth season in 2025, with comedian and radio personality Mel Tracina announced as the new host.

[37] The first Big Brother House was located at 27°51′32″S 153°18′53″E / 27.85889°S 153.31472°E / -27.85889; 153.31472 near Dreamworld, a theme park in Coomera, a northern suburb of the city of the Gold Coast, Queensland.

The auditorium was an existing facility at Dreamworld used for live stage shows prior to the first series of Big Brother.

Two separate houses were built for Big Brother 2003, and they were merged twenty-three days into the series when previously hidden connecting rooms were revealed.

During production on the series, visitors could access the Big Brother auditorium and view live footage from the house.

In 2008, the theme music was retooled into an electric amplified remix, in counterpart of the format changes that were made that year.

[42] On 14 July 2020, it was announced due to low ratings, the show would be moving into a later timeslot and would drop to airing two episodes per week.

[51] After the 2005 series, complaints prompted the Australian Communications & Media Authority to launch an investigation into Big Brother: Uncut.

[52] The main complaint was that Network Ten had breached the industry code of practice by broadcasting footage that went past the maximum MA15+ rating for Australian commercial television.

Included in those requirements is a commitment by Network Ten to compile episode footage early enough for censors to evaluate it.

Late Night Feast, an adult-oriented show first aired in the 2013 season, was rated M for moderate sexual references, (non-graphic) nudity and coarse language.

On 1 July 2006 two housemates, Michael Cox (using the alias Ashley for the show) and Michael Bric (using the alias John), were removed from the house for allegedly sexually assaulting, "Turkey slapping" female housemate, Camilla Halliwell,[55] in a season of the series that had already attracted significant controversy.

[57] Then Australian Prime Minister John Howard asked for Big Brother to be cancelled, saying, "Here's a great opportunity for Channel 10 to do a bit of self-regulation and get this stupid program off the air"; Leader of the Opposition Kim Beazley and Senator Steve Fielding supported this view.

While there are housemates who are "unique" and reflect many diverse people in Australia, there has been a high number of individuals in the latter seasons who come from a modelling background which has alienated them from the public audience.

In the 2007 season, to lower censorship controversies that stemmed from the housemates' generally salacious and revelling personality types from the previous seasons, producers selected more sophisticated, reserved and modest type of housemates, such as Rebecca Dent, a devout Mormon, and Jamie McDonald, a computer geek.

[59][60] On 8 July 2003, a DVD entitled Big Brother: Unseen/Uncut/Unreel by Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment, featuring risqué moments from the series was released and became marginally successful.