Mel Tracina is packing up her Melbourne life to chase her dream gig on the Gold Coast: hosting the highly anticipated return of Big Brother Australia.
The 36-year-old Nova presenter and The Cheap Seats’ beloved cultural correspondent can barely sit still at the thought of reviving the show that raised a generation of Aussie reality television devotees.
“I’m feeling as excited as every other OG fan,” she says with a laugh. “There’s that moment where I have to remind myself that I don’t get to sit at home and watch it – I’m working!”
Mel says she loved the magic of the original series that came with 24/7 live filming and multiple unplanned iconic moments that glued us to the couch – and is hoping there will be plenty more of those moments.
“It just takes somebody being organic,” Mel says when reflecting on Sara-Marie Fedele’s famous bum dance. “At the time, you didn’t know it would become a part of Aussie culture, like the saying: ‘Game on, moles.’ That authenticity is what we latch onto.”
Another part of the original series she loved were the romances that formed when the housemates spent so much time in close proximity to one another.
“I loved the love stories,” she reminisces. “There was Tully and Drew, Jess and Marty did a spin-off series where they got married, Trevor proposed to his partner at the finale – I’d love to see some love stories come out of this season.”
With the new job comes a temporary move north to Queensland’s Gold Coast, where the series will film at its original location of Dreamworld. Her relocation was okayed by the powers that be at Nova, where she hosts Nova’s workday segment from 9am to 2pm.
“I’m a Melbourne girl, so I’m excited for some sun and to add some colour to my wardrobe,” Mel jokes. “Nova’s been very gracious in letting me have time off so I can focus and watch the housemates – which sounds creepy but is literally the point.”
Mel’s loved ones are also beyond excited about her new gig. Her mum and friends are especially keen – even turning into crisis-control producers to prepare her for the role.
“When I told Mum, she was on the way to the shops and went, ‘If you hear anything in the news, it’s me, I’ve fainted and collapsed at the shops!’” she says with a laugh. “Then, my best friend peppered me with scenarios. ‘What if a Merlin comes out? What if there’s a blackout?’ They’ve been so supportive.”
Merlin Luck was a contestant on the series in 2004 who staged a silent protest during his live eviction. He taped his mouth shut and held up a sign saying, “Free the refugees,” to protest Australia’s mandatory detention policy for asylum seekers.
It’s those controversial moments that sent shockwaves across the country as ratings skyrocketed. While Mel embraces the adrenaline of the unknown that comes with live filming, precautions are being put in place by producers to avoid viewers being exposed to anything that goes “too far”.
“The fun of live television is that none of us knows what’s coming next,” she explains. “But I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous. There’s someone moderating the stream at all times. Anything indecent will be filtered and anything that puts housemates in danger will be dealt with. The safety of the housemates is always the first priority.”
As for who those housemates will be, the casting net was set wide, with over 20,000 applicants.
“Ages range over five decades,” Mel reveals. “I’ve heard there’s a grandma in the mix. There’s a barber – I already feel sorry for him because everyone will want free haircuts. Someone confessed to showering five times a day – I’m curious to see how that goes down if Big Brother rations water. There’s a single mum, as well as a musician – no word on if they’re any good, though.”
When it came to preparing for the role, which was filled by the likes of Gretel Killeen from 2001 to 2007 and Sonia Kruger from 2012 to 2014 and then 2020 to 2023, Mel hasn’t swapped notes – yet.
“Gretel is now hosting The Traitors and she just finished up on The Amazing Race with her daughter, Epiphany,” she says. “She’s been a busy lady, but I’m hoping to see her at the 10 Christmas party so we can share stories.”
But Mel might not need many tips prior as she already has a solid CV, having worked across radio, live TV, podcasting and countless red carpets – but not every moment has been smooth.
“There was a moment when Jamie Lee Curtis was Down Under for the Freakier Friday premiere,” Mel recalls. “I was lining up to chat with her, and she had just come from the ABC, where a reporter asked such a great question that Jamie Lee praised her, thanked her and then hugged her. Then, she came over to me, and my question was the lamest to follow up that. She said, ‘It’s fine, I know that you’re going to ask mundane questions.’ Mortifying!”
Having had such a fulfilling career already, the journey to get here isn’t lost on Mel at all, but there’s plenty more to come. Could it be entering the Celebrity Big Brother house as a contestant or one day hosting the TV WEEK Logie Awards?
“Hosting Big Brother is a huge honour,” she gushes. “I straddle between thinking, ‘I can’t believe this has happened,’ and then remembering, ‘Hang on, I’ve worked really hard for this.’ But I’m a theatre girl, I grew up trying to be a triple threat, so I’d love to do theatre.
“And I wouldn’t do Celebrity Big Brother unless I wanted Australia to hate me. And if I wanted to host the Logies, let’s just say I wouldn’t want it to be any time after Sam Pang. I would need some space between. Kind of like how you don’t go right after the ABC journalist.”
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