Australia has spoken, with controversial publisher Michael Downs becoming the first housemate to be evicted on Big Brother. While his opinions were polarising for some viewers, he insists that he didn’t play a character for the camera, stating he knew he was the “villain” as soon as he stepped into Big Brother‘s “colourful prison”.
In case you’re out of the loop, Big Brother Australia has returned to Network 10 and its OG stomping ground of Gold Coast’s Dreamworld. Michael was the first housemate to be evicted, after he was nominated with 13 points to his name.
Throughout his (short) time on Big Brother Australia, Michael ruffled the feathers of viewers as well as some of his fellow housemates — specifically Mia, Coco and Conor — with his personal beliefs.
In fact, one of his most explosive moments of Week One was when he and Bruce clashed with Mia over gender roles and the gender pay gap — which he and Bruce don’t believe in. He was also caught on the 24/7 livestream making racist remarks, including stereotypes about Jewish people and “Asian money in Sydney”, alonside Jane.
The livestream’s audio was abruptly cut.
Outside of the house, Michael’s profession as a publisher also caused a stir, after Mumbrella reported that he’d been cast despite Big Brother having a “no media ban” for applicants.
Speaking to PEDESTRIAN.TV, the polarising publisher, responded to the hullabaloo surrounding his application, stating that he was open about his job from day dot with Network 10.
“I was open,” Michael said.
“I think media has changed so much in the last 20 years. It’s not like I run some multi-million-view website or anything. They’re just print magazines. And the delay in print magazines too. I can’t really get news straight out there.
“I’m on like a six-week lead, so I don’t really have the opportunity through my media to be influencing anything that goes on in there. So that was fine. Everyone knew what was going on. Nothing was hidden.”
Did Michael purposely play a character for the Big Brother Australia clout?
Reflecting on all the clashes, the comments, like “gender-fluid snowflake” (aimed at Mia), Michael admitted that he wasn’t playing a character for the drama. In fact he “knew [he] was playing the villain”.
“I knew I was playing the villain, but that’s because I am the villain, so I wasn’t playing the character. I was just being myself, and that was how I was cast,” he told PT.V.
“Obviously, I knew the kind of people I was going to encounter when I went in there, because they’re going to tick every single box, and I knew what box I was ticking. So no, I was under no illusions I was myself, and that was how it played out.”
While his presence has sparked quite the bitter reaction online — with many pleased with his departure — Michael says he wouldn’t have done anything differently in the Big Brother Australia house.
“If I did anything differently, I think I’d be disappointing Big Brother and the reasons I was put there in the first place,” Michael dished.
“I was always at very high risk of being nominated first week. Because even when people grow to like me, it generally takes them a bit of time, certainly more than a few days. I was pretty much a shoo-in to be nominated first up. And with the amount of views on TikTok, I was then pretty much a shoo-in to be first voted out.
“So I pretty much knew my fate, really going in, would have been lucky to survive more than one or two evictions.”
With Michael being evicted, we now only have 12 housemates left who will be in the running for the $100K prize and Big Brother Australia glory, and he thinks primary school Emily could be in for the running.
“I’m just gonna go with Emily. Now I’ve been saying Emily or Vinnie, but I know Vinnie shares my views, and I think eventually he won’t be able to bite his tongue. So I think Emily is gonna win,” he predicts.
You can watch Big Brother Australia on Channel 10 and 10Play, with a 24-hour livestream available on 10Play and TikTok @bigbrotherau.
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