A massive drop in ratings has led to fears within the production unit the Channel 10 show won’t return next year.
In this edition of Media McKnight:
- Big Brother ratings crisis
- Meghan Markle Junior MasterChef petition update
- Jackie O v ARN: the sacking timeline, with Michael Byrnes
- McKnight Was Right: Australian Survivor: Rivals
You can watch the video edition of this article in the YouTube player below:
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BIG BROTHER IN BIG TROUBLE
Ratings for Channel 10’s 2026 season of Big Brother are is significantly down. 35% year-on-year in fact and sources tell me production company Endemol Shine Australia is worried the show will not return next year.
On Monday the show rated lower than Channel 7’s Sunrise, which drew in an average audience of 433,000 for its two-hour 7am block, compared to 431,000 for Big Brother and its 1-hour and 10-minute slot.
To make matters worse, Thursday’s nomination show fell below 395,000 up against weak competition.
As such, I’m told high-level meetings are being held on how to draw viewers in – quickly.
Intruders are likely to be sent into the house much sooner than planned, along with twists that can drive engagement and conversation.
While the season has been carefully laid out, all bets are off, and viewers can expect a LOT of stunts over the coming week.
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MEGHAN MARKLE PETITION UPDATE
Last Wednesday on McKnight Tonight, I covered the ‘review’ taking place on a petition at change.org calling for Meghan Markle to be removed as the host of 10’s upcoming series of Junior MasterChef.
I also shared the story on the TV Blackbox website, which drew hundreds of comments… and not in Markle’s favour.
At issue is what Meghan knew when about the concerning allegations levelled against her father, Thomas Markle Senior. International investigations are now taking place for child pornography.
Within 24 hours the petition had gained over 4-thousand signatures but was soon removed, with a message saying the petition was under review.
Change.org did not reply to inquiries, but this morning the petition went live again without explanation.
It’s one thing to review content, but should it really take almost a week to make a decision?
Personally, I don’t care whether Meghan Markle co-hosts Junior MasterChef – she certainly brought publicity to 10 when she appeared on the main show, so I totally understand why they would go down this path.
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But if you do want to sign the petition, you’ll find it here.
COURT DOCS REVEAL THE TIMELINE OF K&J’S SACKING
While the court case between Jackie O and ARN has been delayed until April next year, new documents have revealed new insights on how things played out when ARN made the decision to sack Kyle and Jackie O.
A board meeting was arranged for 2 of March to talk through the situation and get legal advice.
On the 3rd of March the CEO of ARN – Michael Stephenson – sent a memorandum, saying in part:
ARN has received a letter from solicitors acting for Jackie and her services company, Henderson Media. That letter states that she “cannot continue to work with” Kyle and “direct contact with Mr Sandilands is now untenable”. The letter also “requires” the Group to propose an alternate daypart for her to work and states that Ms Henderson “will not be able to return until a suitable alternate day part is found”.
Stephenson then laid out the case, saying:
Given that:
Henderson Media is engaged to present (through Jackie) a breakfast program with Kyle;
the letter makes it clear that Henderson Media and Jackie will not present with Kyle; and
the letter makes it clear that Henderson Media and Jackie will not present a breakfast program,
I recommend that ARN (through resolution of its Board) resolves to cause [CBC] to accept the repudiation of the services agreement by Henderson Media and Jackie and terminate that agreement accordingly.
Employment lawyer Michael Byrnes from SWAAB explained in the video above this is part of the legal argument used to cancel Jackie’s contract.
“Part of Jackie’s case is built on this notion that it was for a prohibited reason under the Fair Work Act.
“Jackie had repudiated the services agreement and she was engaged to present the breakfast programme. The letter made it clear that Henderson Media and Jackie… weren’t going to present with Kyle, weren’t going to present a breakfast programme, repudiated the agreement, and therefore we accept the repudiation”.
Stephenson then outlined the value of Kyle and Jackie O as a team, rather than two individual presenters:
The strength and commercial value of the Show derived specifically from the combination of Mr Sandilands and Ms Henderson together. It was the “Kyle and Jackie O Show”, and that combination was ARN’s key commercial asset. Without Ms Henderson’s willingness to work with Mr Sandilands, there would be no “The Kyle and Jackie O Show”. If Mr Sandilands continued to present a breakfast show without Ms Henderson, that show would not have delivered the same audience the Show had done historically. It would not have been as successful.
Personally, I agree with this assessment – to a point.
While I believe the show would have gone on just fine with just Kyle I don’t believe Jackie flying solo would pull in the same audience.
Stephenson also makes the point that Jackie can’t expect to stay on her $10m per year wage if she moved into another daypart as the revenue would not justify that wage.
As Michael explains:
“The contract doesn’t permit Jackie to demand a different day part. That is something that can be agreed between the parties, but not something that can be insisted upon,
“You can’t say, “Well, I, I can’t work with Kyle and I don’t wanna do breakfast and won’t do breakfast, so allocate me a different day part and show me the money. Continue paying me $10 million a year.””
The case continues in April next year.
#McKNIGHTWASRIGHT
Before we go, a quick update from the McKnight Was Right Files.
You might remember I shared inside info about where Australian Survivor would air next year up against the Australian Open, in the old slot formally occupied by I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!.
I shared that news back in September.
Well, at their Upfront event last week, Channel 10 announced the premiere date of Australian Survivor: Rivals will be Monday 11 January – up against the Australian Open.
As always, you heard it here first.
Media McKnight uploads every Tuesday at YouTube.com/@McKnightTonight. Paid members get each episode as soon as it’s available, without waiting for the public release. Send your tips to [email protected].
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