NEED TO KNOW
- Rumours about Bondi Rescue’s cancellation have been running rampant ever since Channel 10 did not mention it at its media upfronts.
- Former star Harrison Reid has spoken about his decision to step back as a lifeguard.
- The show aired in Australia in 2006.
One of Bondi Rescue’s most prominent faces has reflected on not returning as a lifeguard, amid rumours the show has been axed.
On December 2, Harrison Reid, who also competed on I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! this year, took to Instagram to reflect on his decision.
“With today being the first day of summer not putting on the blue shirt, it feels real that I’ve officially stepped away from my role as a Bondi lifeguard,” he began.
“Not many people get to say they landed their dream job at 18 and lived it for 12 years.”
In May, he revealed that he returned to Christchurch, New Zealand, to work as a licensed real estate sales consultant.
“I’ve seen thousands of stunning Bondi sunrises and sunsets, witnessed the best in humanity, and also the horrific and confronting situations only frontline personnel truly understand,” he continued.
“A special thank you to the paramedics, police, volunteers, and the Bondi locals I’ve come to know and work alongside over the years. And to my parents, thank you for letting me chase my dream from day one.”
In the post, he also thanked his fellow lifeguards.
Is Bondi Rescue coming back?
Fans were worried when Channel 10 did not include Bondi Rescue in its slate of TV shows returning in 2026, but the network has sent the record straight last month.
Initially, it was not mentioned when the network hosted its Upfront event on November 6, leading to fears it has been cancelled.
Find out what they said below.
Did they stop making Bondi Rescue?
Paramount has revealed that there has been no “decision” about bringing Bondi Rescue back to air, but said there is always space for them to return in the future.
“There’s always a there’s always a window open for them to come back at some point,” Paramount Australia’s Vice President, Content, Tamara Simoneau told TV Tonight about the show, and Shark Tank Australia.
“It’s just that there’s no decision.”
The show was last on air in 2024.
Earlier in November, New Idea heard that, after being ‘rested’ in 2025, Bondi Rescue had been axed after it was not mentioned at the 2026 Upfronts.
“There was absolutely no mention of the much-loved surf-lifesaving program at the event,” a TV insider told New Idea.
“That suggests that it is unlikely to return at all.”
At the upfront event, a Network Ten spokesperson stated that 2026 would be “the year of new eras, reinvigorated favourites and returning comfort shows,” at the network.
But with no mention of Bondi Rescue, all the signs pointed to its cancellation.
However, in July, CJZ creative director and co-founder Michael Cordell, said there were no plans to shelf it indefinitely.
“Season 18 was widely regarded as the best we’ve ever made and there’s still plenty of important stories to tell about Bondi’s professional lifeguards and the extraordinary work they do,” he said in a statement, which was published by the Daily Telegraph.
The fan-favourite television show filmed on the well-known Bondi Beach has been airing since February 2006 and is often referred to as an Australian classic.
The show has also been broadcast in more than 100 countries across the globe, making it one of Australia’s most famous TV exports.
Bondi Rescue has aired a total of 18 seasons over the past 19 years.
The show took a year-long hiatus in 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic but quickly returned for new seasons in both 2023 and 2024.
Despite the potential end of Bondi Rescue, the lifeguards will continue to carry out their vital work patrolling Australia’s most famous beach.
“One of the very best things about being part of Bondi Rescue, is showcasing what we do as lifeguards,” Bruce ‘Hoppo’ Hopkins, told New Idea in 2023.
“We’ll still be here, even when the cameras stop rolling.”
