It is based upon the Dutch series of the same name, it premiered on Network Ten on 23 April 2001 and lasted twelve weeks until the live finale on 16 July 2001.

Ultimately, Housemate Ben Williams was later announced as the winner of the series, with Blair McDonough becoming the Runner-Up.

Big Brother revolves around ten strangers living in a house together with no communication with the outside world.

A Housemate can be ejected from the show for breaking rules, such as discussing nominations when not permitted.

[1] Shortly before the premiere of the season, a special entitled Big Brother Revealed aired, featuring information on the casting process and the development of the house.

[citation needed] The contestants were recorded 24 hours a day[3] with cameras fixed around the house, and had to wear portable microphones.

This was an hour-long special that aired on Saturday evenings, with Gretel Killeen presenting an overview of press discussions of the series that week.

The Diary Room in this season featured yellow walls and an orange chair, and had a simplistic design.

The format used for Big Brother in Australia remained largely unchanged from that featured in other editions of the series, though some differences were incorporated.

Big Brother is a game show in which a group of contestants, called Housemates, live in isolation from the outside world in a custom built "house", which includes everyday facilities such as a fully equipped kitchen, garden, two bedrooms, and a bathroom.

The house is also a television studio with cameras and microphones in most of the rooms to record the activities of the Housemates.

The only place where Housemates can escape the company of the other contestants is the Diary Room, where they are encouraged to voice their true feelings.

The last contestant remaining in the house is declared the winner and is awarded a cash prize of $250,000.

Upon exiting through the house's front door, Killeen led the evictee into a studio where they met with their family and friends.

While in the studio, Killeen had an interview with the evicted Housemate, and showed their best bits - a video compilation of their time in the house.

They were also put to the test by their own ideals, prejudices and opinions against other people from different walks of life; something that has survived from the original "social experiment" of Big Brother 1.

If all food runs out in the House, Big Brother provides emergency rations of chickpeas and rice.

On 27 August 2001, a special episode of the Seven Network game show The Weakest Link went to air featuring nine contestants from the first season.