Gretel Killeen is back where she belongs – hosting reality television on The Traitors Australia. And despite overseeing 22 charming and chaotic celebrities as the manor’s host, she admits she may have been the biggest diva on set.
“They all were divas – I was astounded,” Gretel, 63, tells TV WEEK.
“There was no humility. But I am the biggest diva; everyone else is a close runner up.”
Set in a historic manor, The Traitors Australia brings famous faces together for a deliciously deceptive game of strategy, suspicion and betrayal. As the Faithfuls attempt to uncover the secret Traitors hiding among them, one wrong move could hand the prize money to the enemy.
The format already has a worldwide cult following, but Gretel – a bestselling author and award-winning comedy writer – is adamant the Australian version has its own identity.
“I created a scrapbook of how I would like to play the character, and I don’t believe anyone else in the world has ever done that,” she says. “No one has made their host a character who has a backstory with a history of crime and manipulation. We’re not an imitation of another program or another nation’s version. We’re making this our own and I think that’s really joyful.”
While Gretel recently appeared on The Amazing Race: Celebrity Edition alongside daughter Epiphany, she remains best known as the original host of Big Brother Australia, a role she held from its inception in 2001 to 2007.
“In those days there were only four television channels,” she recalls. “There was no social media. Everybody watched Big Brother. That level of fame and recognition was so enormous. It was a phenomenon. Having said that, I think the new iteration is really great.”
She believes audiences are increasingly nostalgic for that era of television – and for the personalities who defined it.
“People are nostalgic for that time and for what that time represents to us,” she says.
“There was a stability. There was a comfort. Perhaps we were allowed to say what we thought a lot more and so there was a level of authenticity and trust, and people just like watching someone have a bit of a hoot.
“It was great for people to have a woman on television who was outspoken because in those days women were always the sidekicks – it was very symbolic to have a woman up front.”
Now, stepping into the manor and her next chapter, Gretel reveals how The Traitors changed how she thinks about the future.
“I’ve led a lot of my life by myself in a way – as a single mum, and hosting – it can feel solitary sometimes,” she reflects.
“On this show though? No. I felt like part of a team. The idea of other career pursuits where you’re part of a team is really fun.”
Share this post