Gretel Killeen

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Gretel Killeen, host of Big Brother Australia

Gretel Killeen is an Australian author, newspaper columnist, and TV personality who is famous for hosting the Australian television series Big Brother.

In between Big Brother commitments, Killeen works as a freelance writer and author, and can also be heard on Sydney and Melbourne radio stations. She is also a national ambassador for UNICEF in Australia, receiving her appointment as such in 2001.

Killeen was born in 1963 in Turramurra, a suburb of Sydney. After dropping out of her law studies course, she returned to Sydney and studied communications. She also tried her hand at performing stand up comedy, something she continued for a few years. Killeen later moved into comedy writing, scripting and acting in the A Town Like Dallas recurring comedy skit satirising soap operas on The Ray Martin Show in 1989. Her work quickly expanded to cover print and television, and she also appeared as a regular panelist on Beauty and the Beast, an Australian TV panel advice and discussion show.

Big Brother

Killeen's career break came when she was asked to host the Australian edition of Big Brother. Killeen has hosted other special events including the televised Australia Day-eve celebrations on 25 January, 2006.

In 2002, Big Brother viewers watched on as Killeen slipped on the stairs in the Big Brother House, falling and breaking her umbrella. A number of housemates rushed to her aid, but Killeen did not sustain any injuries.

Killeen also tripped as she ushered the very first evictee from the first series of Australian Big Brother (2001), the wannabe-dominatrix Andy, down the dark, smokey and mirrored corridor leading to the stage on her eviction night. In fact, Killeen cut the top of her finger open as she reached for a handhold on the mirrored wall, and reportedly sat through the rest of the show with her hand out of the camera's view, her fingertip hanging loose. When the show ended, she was rushed to hospital and the top of her finger was sewn back on.Killeen described her 2001 finger injury on a show called Big Brother Unforgettable, aired 1 May 2006 on Ten.

During late 2003 Killeen was seen several times in public with Big Brother series 3 (2003) contestant Daniel 'Saxon' Small.^{[[Citing sources citation needed]]} This led to media speculation the two were romantically involved.^{[[Citing sources citation needed]]}

In the sixth series of the show, during 2006, Killeen lauched a verbal attack at evictee Michael, over his claims the show's producer's had edited footage of his eviction clip making it seem as if he had kissed fellow housemate David. Killeen claimed during the live-to-air argument that she "...represents everyone who works on this show" and took personal offence to these comments. At the end of the show it was decided that the complete unedited scene should be shown, proving that Michael did not infact kiss housemate David. Australian print media has indicated that Killeen may not continue as "Big Brother" host into the future ^{[[Citing sources citation needed]]}, as her contract with production company Endemol Southern Star expires at the end of 2006. An online petition was started with the aim of getting Killeen fired.

Also on recent view polls on the Today Show have posted the question about if she is suitable as a host for Big Brother for the future.

Bibliography

• How To Live With a Sausage in a Bonnet (1991), ISBN 0091825830
• Baby on Board: A Beginner's Guide to Pregnancy (1991), ISBN 1863301062
• Every Girl's Geek Guide (1992), ISBN 0091826977
• Visible Panty Line (1998), ISBN 0140288910
• Cherry Pie (1999), ISBN 0091837499
• What'll We Get for Grandma? (1999), ISBN 009183869X
• You're Joking! (2001), ISBN 1740517725

Fleur Trotter series

• My Life Is a Toilet (1994), ISBN 0091828503
• The 'My Life Is a Toilet' Instruction Book: How To Make the Most of Your Pathetic Existence (1995), ISBN 0091832705
• My Life Is a Wedgie (2000), ISBN 0091839556
• My Life Is a Boob Tube (2002), ISBN 174051758X
• My Life Is a Girdle (2003), ISBN 1740518993

Eppie & Zeke series

• My Sister's a Yoyo (1997), ISBN 0091834791
• My Sister's an Alien (1998), ISBN 0091839025
• My Sister's a Sea Slug (1999), ISBN 0091839548
• My Sister's a Burp (1999), ISBN 0091839629
• My Sister's a Full Stop (2000), ISBN 0091839688
• My Sister's a Nightmare (2000), ISBN 0091840791

Hot Buns & Ophelia series

• Hot Buns & Ophelia Get a Bloke (2000), ISBN 0140299653
• Hot Buns & Ophelia Get Shipwrecked (2001), ISBN 0140299661

The Very Naughty Mother series

• The Very Naughty Mother Goes Green (2002), ISBN 1740517636
• The Very Naughty Mother Runs Away (2003), ISBN 1740517644
• The Very Naughty Mother Goes Invisible (2003), ISBN 174051906X
• The Very Naughty Mother Is a Spy (2004), ISBN 1740519078

References and footnotes