As Big Brother struggles in the ratings, 2004’s million-dollar winner, Trevor ‘Big Trev’ Butler, reckons he knows why. He thinks the show should return to its roots – and he’s not talking hot ’n’ heavy fun and games!
“I think it was a mistake making it the House of Love this year,” Trevor tells New Idea. “They have got all of these pretty people in there – a whole lot of glamorous influencers – and they seem to be going for that Survivor, MAFS vibe with all of that artificial drama and excitement. That’s why it’s doing so badly.”
WATCH NOW: Trevor Butler proposes on the Big Brother live finale in 2004. Article continues after video.
According to Trevor, Aussies liked the show “better” when it was “old school” and grouped a bunch of “ordinary people together” to see how they got on – or didn’t.
“It was more about the social aspect,” he says.
Big Brother’s latest series failed to hit 300,000 viewers nationwide when it launched this month, and quickly slumped to a new low of 214,000.
In a bid to boost its audience, Channel Seven has bumped Big Brother from 7.30pm to 8.30pm.
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Disappointed fans were quick to complain about the reinvention via social media.
“Don’t think anyone wanted a Love Island/Big Brother mash-up,” wrote one. “The best thing about the original #BBAU was the diverse cast: age, race, interests,” said another.
Father-of-two Trevor adds, “It has changed so much from when it was just people reacting with each other. We live in an age where everyone is immersed in social media. Why wouldn’t they just take advantage of people-watching 24/7?”

Next year will mark two decades since Trevor, a popular housemate from Broken Hill in New South Wales, won Big Brother Australia’s biggest-ever prize.
“No-one in the house knew it was $1 million,” he says with a smile. “We all thought we were going in to try to win $250,000!”
For Trevor, the best reward was proposing to girlfriend Breea Forrest live on the eviction stage.
“I had this poem in my head and practised on a couple of girls in the house,” he recalls. “They started crying, so I thought it would work. I was quite confident about asking Breea to marry me on air. But if she said ‘no’ I don’t know what I would have done!”
Still happily married and now living in Tweed Heads, Queensland, Trevor, 50, has managed to tick another goal off his long lifetime bucket list.

“I worked in Hot Tomato radio promotions for quite a few years, but I wanted to have my own show and be on billboards and buses,” he tells us.
“I finally got my chance to co-host alongside Moyra Major and two years in, we are doing really well.
“We’ve been number one on the Gold Coast in our time-slot for about
18 months now.”
His next ambitions are to purchase a ’67 Ford Mustang, write a children’s book and appear on I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!
“Some people say that I’ve been kissed on the a–e by a fairy,” he says with a grin. “I think that it’s just good luck.”
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