Gretel Killeen

Gretel Killeen, host of Big Brother Australia

Cover of My Sister's a Nightmare

Cover of My Sister's an Alien

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

In between Big Brother commitments, Killeen is also working as a successful freelance writer and author, an ambassador for UNICEF and can also be heard on Sydney and Melbourne radio stations.

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, which quickly expanded to cover print and television, and 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 suffered nothing more than a bruised ego.

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.

Notably, Killeen was spotted several times in public with Big Brother series 3 (2003) contestant Daniel 'Saxon' Small. This led to intense media speculation the two were romantically involved. They have since split up.

Since Big Brother started, there has been critisism of Gretel's wardrobe, that it is not appropriate for her age. Along with this, her hair colour has changed from season to season, with the worst one being peroxide blonde.

Bibliography

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

Other books

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

External links

References