When Anita stepped onto the Big Brother stage, diehard fans immediately recognised her.
The 47-year-old travel agent is the younger sister of two-time winner Reggie Bird.
Reggie won the show in 2003, and returned to the franchise in 2022 to be the last housemate standing once again.
While many Big Brother fans immediately recognised the family connection as soon as Anita began to talk, not all of them were happy that a former winner’s family member was given a shot on the show.
“I’m a fan of Reggie’s but how is family connections allowed in? Did she audition, go through the same process or get advantages? Her or Ebony hope to be first two out, sorry my thoughts,” one person wrote on the communityPete Facebook page.
“Out of all the people who applied!!! Quite obvious a free ticket to get on the show…” added someone else.
“Because out of thousands of applications – choosing people close to previous contestants was the best choice?” another person asked.
While someone else said the move made them worry the show is “rigged”.
“Oh dear. Why not give someone who isn’t related to previous cast a turn. I see a rigged show,” they wrote.
However some fans, especially those who have followed Reggie’s journey since 2003, were happy to see Anita have her time in the spotlight.
“Makes sense to have her on the show. Reggie was super popular so having the sister on the show just might save it cause let’s face it, that show is in its last legs,” one person put it bluntly.
“As soon as she stepped out the car I knew it was Anita,” added someone else. “Can’t wait to watch her in the house. She is so different to Reggie in a lot of ways.”
This morning Reggie posted a reel to her Instagram page, throwing her support behind her younger sister.
“Wishing my sister Anita all the best in the Big Brother House 🏠 👁️,” she wrote in the caption. “Who would have thought aye she would have done this!
“I’m so excited for her and if ya missed last nights episode go back and watch it on 10 Now 🤗,” she continued.
“I hope she has an absolute blast and manages to survive this crazy experience till the end 🙌 Go Neats.”
Reggie took home $1 million when she won the series in 2003 but she’s been open about the health and financial struggles she’s faced in the years since.
After the show she left her ex-husband Adrian and moved to Sydney for a fresh start but was later defrauded by a fake TV producer.
“I left everything to Adrian and moved to Sydney. I couldn’t get a job for about two years after the show because no one would take me seriously,” she told the Not Here To Make Friends podcast last year.
“I spent all the money I had left on rent and getting ripped off by that a–hole who made out he was a TV producer.”
She later married her second husband Dale Sorensen and the pair welcomed a daughter Mia, and a son named Lucas, who was later diagnosed with cystic fibrosis.
Reggie has also opened up about facing a degenerative eye disease and being stalked.
“I’ve gone through heaps in my life – two divorces, being a single mum, our son Lucas’ cystic fibrosis fight, near financial ruin on several occasions, stalkers, impaired vision and other health problems. But I stay positive,” she told Woman’s Day last year.
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