Earlier this month, it was announced that popular reality television shows The Masked Singer Australia and The Bachelor had been cancelled.
But it seems these cancellations aren’t the only shake up happening in the world of reality TV, with sources claiming that some fan-favourite hosts are set to be replaced.
After 11 seasons, Ten officially announced that The Bachelor would not be returning to screens in 2024. The news comes after last season attracted the worst ratings yet.
But should the network decide to revive the reality series, there are talks of making The Golden Bachelor – a spin-off featuring seniors searching for love – which is popular in the US.
However, in a shock snub, network execs are considering Studio 10 favourite Tristan MacManus, 41, for the hosting gig rather than Osher Gunsberg, 50, who has hosted every other Bachelor series to date!
“Ten has a soft spot for Tristan, and if there were any new shows being cast, he would quickly be plonked into an appropriate role,” says an insider, adding that his popularity on I’m A Celebrity only impressed network chiefs.
“He has what it takes to host his own reality show, and it is really sad that no one has snapped him up since Studio 10 was axed.”
With The Block judge Neale Whitaker stepping down from his role on the hit reno series and foreman Keith Schleiger only making irregular appearances this season, network executives think this is the perfect time to shake up the show’s usual talent roster.
That means potentially saying goodbye to longtime judge Shaynna Blaze. The interior designer, 61, has been part of the series since 2012, but there has been fan interest in recruiting former contestant Georgia Caceres, 40, to take over her role.
Woman’s Day hears whispers that, for the first time, execs are seriously considering the move.
What’s more, Shaynna has recently relaunched her singing career with the release of her single Warrior – hinting that she may also be considering whether it’s time for a change.
“[Singing] was something I squashed for a long time, but now it’s time to bring the vocal cords back out again, I think,” Shaynna said after appearing on The Masked Singer Australia last year.
Callum Hole quickly became a fan favourite for his cheeky personality on Love Island Australia in 2022 and once again captured hearts on I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! this year.
Now, Callum’s name is being thrown around as an option to replace Sophie Monk, 44, as host of Love Island Australia, with Nine also said to be making big budget cuts.
“The focus is on Ten at the moment, but even Nine’s Love Island Australia is facing future cutbacks in budgets,” an insider says.
“The idea to include Callum has been a conversation for a couple of years. At the moment, it could be a side show that the ‘love rat’ could host, but if Sophie outprices herself, I think he could hold his own hosting that show.”
“The amount of money Sophie and stars like Julia get paid is huge,” an insider tells Yahoo!. “They have been around since the golden era of television – when stars were paid six-figure salaries to host big tentpole shows.
“That kind of money is not sustainable. Even though they are extraordinary at their jobs.”
And for a newbie like Callum, 26, with a big online presence, the network head honchos could get away with paying considerably less, adds the source.
Julia Morris and Dr Chris Brown were synonymous with I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!. However, the success of Robert Irwin as Chris’ replacement on the latest season has reportedly left execs questioning 56-year-old Julia’s role on the show.
“Julia Morris and Robert Irwin really worked overtime to make sure audiences bought the hard sell of replacing Dr Chris Brown, but as audiences barely blinked at the reshuffle, it seems more likely that Ten will be rethinking the amount of money it costs to have Julia back in 2025,” says an insider.
Now, there are whispers she could be replaced with this year’s winner Skye Wheatley.
The 30-year-old lifestyle influencer not only won over the nation during the show when she was crowned as jungle queen, but she would certainly be a good fit alongside Robert..
“Fans obviously love Skye, as they voted for her, and her lovable, goofy nature could be the perfect blend with Robert’s more serious wildlife credentials,” adds the source.
“TV execs often use reality shows to test out new talent, and it seems like Skye could be the next star!”
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