Under a roof and ready to reign: Mel Tracina returns to host Big Brother 2026

A storm of biblical proportions and rain that failed to let up: if you were watching the first episode of the rebooted Big Brother last year, you’d know the show’s new host, Mel Tracina, was going through it — big time.

“Ha, yes! I was out there thinking, ‘This is baptism of fire if ever there was one!’” says Tracina, who is speaking with PLAY ahead of the launch of the new season.

It was Tracina’s first time hosting the show, which returned to Ten in 2025.

And though she was prepared for anything, being soaked to her skin while doing live television wasn’t on her bingo list — but she hit the ground running.

“I think the rain, in a weird way, kind of shook the nerves off everyone,” she explains.

“I feel like it was a slight blessing, all of us wet on the stage. It was the start of my Big Brother experience and it just showed that on this show, anything can happen.”

As we head into the second season, it’s the calm before the storm for the TV host, though this time around not in a literal sense.

Producers have built a roof over the Big Brother stage to help mitigate the effects of any unexpected weather events, and for that Tracina is eternally grateful.

“I have had random people approach me in the street, not to say hi, but to ask: ‘Are they giving you a roof this time?’ which is so nice,” she laughs.

“So thank you to the people of Australia — your voices have been heard!”

This time around, the house, and the show, is headed to Brisbane, the custom-designed space — complete with cameras, one-way glass, secret hidden nooks and outdoor areas — undergoing its final tweaks before filming commences.

“Big Brother last year was at Dream World, which was the perfect location,” Tracina says.

After 17 years on rival networks Seven and Nine, the show headed back to its roots, “and there was a lot of nostalgia for all the OG (original) Big Brother fans,” Tracina explains.

It worked well, with the show landing not only with its sought-after younger demographic, but also with older viewers, who tuned in for a reminder of the show they’d watched and loved while growing up.

“We wanted audiences that watched the original to come back to watch it again,” Tracina explains.

“But we also got this new audience, because we were live streaming it via TikTok.”

Overseas viewers discovered it, too.

“And (last year) I had people on my social media going, ‘Hey, I’m from Canada! I’ve been loving watching the show!’ which was great.”

The move to Brisbane is mixing things up, and as Tracina explains, “it’s a nice reminder that you can’t ever expect anything from (Big Brother), because he will literally pull the rug from under you, pack up shop and move!”

Big Brother fans have been watching the house build take shape via the show’s social media accounts and through TikTok Live, which has allowed viewers to tune in as work is being done, to weigh in on decor choices and house colours.

It’s an ingenious use of the technology.

“This year, the theme is ‘luminous luxury spectacle’ — gotta love those buzz words!” Tracina says.

“So expect lots of rich textures, bougie lighting, sculptural architecture — it’s going to be the core of Brisvegas.”

The house is always a draw, but it’s the contestants that viewers really tune in for.

Last year, casting directors hit the jackpot, casting people from all walks of life.

This year they’re hoping lightning will strike twice.

“Last year, nothing was predictable, and this season will be exactly the same,” Tracina says.

“Because our housemates always bring us the drama and the conversations and the funny moments, none of which we can script or prepare for.

“I feel excited because I had so much fun last season, so I can’t wait to have a go at it again and to meet another bunch of housemates.”

It takes considerable skill to handle the live crosses and unscripted chaos of a show like Big Brother. Tracina, a regular on The Cheap Seats and a Nova radio presenter, handled it with aplomb.

A natural in front of the camera, she was a worthy successor to Gretel Killeen, the much-loved host for the show’s first seven years on Ten.

“I think what I loved about last season was how diverse the housemates were, and the conversations that came out of (that diversity),” Tracina explains.

“I am looking forward to more conversations with housemates discussing topics we all want to talk about.

“One of the things that is so great about the Big Brother house, which is so different to our lives, is that in there you can’t just block someone when you’re in that house.

“If you are having a conversation, you are locking in and hearing each other’s opinions, and it just gives everyone an opportunity to voice an opinion.

“Whether or not you agree with it, you get to hear from other people.”

Tracina’s time hosting the show was all-encompassing, and she admits that when things finished up last year and that stream went quiet for the first time, she felt a tad adrift.

“If I am being honest, I cried when the season finished,” she says.

“I just had the best time and I loved watching it.

“I was also crying because the live stream was over and I didn’t know what to do with myself.

“What do I do with all this spare time?

“It was so fun, and I felt like I lived on that high for ages afterwards. I can’t wait to do it all again.”

Big Brother returns Monday October 26 at 7.30pm, airing six nights a week at 7.30pm Monday to Friday and 7pm Sundays.