“The Challenge Australia” – featuring a host of reality TV staples, sports stars and media identities – premiered on Channel 10 last night to 358,000 viewers across the country. Of that, 257,000 came from the metro markets of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth.
The show already has 38 seasons under its belt internationally, but this is its first outing in Australia. It pits stars of previous reality shows against each other in “the most unpredictable and demanding game of their lives”.
The Australian version is hosted by Brihony Dawson and features the likes of Emily Seebohm (Australian Olympic swimmer who has also appeared on “I’m A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here”), Brittany Hockley (podcast and radio host and former contestant on “The Bachelor”), and reality stalwart Jack Vidgen (“Australia’s Got Talent” and “The Masked Singer Australia”).
Up against “The Challenge Australia” on Monday night in the key 7:30 p.m. time slot was Channel 7’s Tina Arena special “This Is Your Life”, which had 532,000 in the five metro markets and a total of 860,000 across the country.
The show’s host, Melissa Doyle, surprised Arena with the “This Is Your Life” treatment at the Women in Music Awards in Brisbane in May.
The episode featured performances and untold stories, as well as special guests including Darren Hayes, Kate Miller-Heidke, Melissa George, Natalie Imbruglia, Ian “Molly” Meldrum, Mary Coustas, Manu Feildel, Jessica Mauboy, Yvie Jones, Shaynna Blaze and Matt Corby.
Channel 9’s “My Mum, Your Dad” had 368,000 in the metro markets, and 135,000 in the regions (503,000 total), with an additional 53,000 watching on video on demand service 9Now.