Benjamin Norris has won Nine’s Big Brother 2012 winning $250,000 and a new car -but he capped off his win with a proposal from Benjamin to his partner Ben live on stage.
“Since I met Ben all I’ve ever wanted is for him to be a part of my family. No-one’s going to tell us sitting on the couch at the end of the day pretending that we’re married that we’re not married,” he said.
The 32 year old Victorian accounts manager becomes the first gay man to win an Australian Big Brother Series. His mix of gossiping, analysis and humour saw him triumph over Layla Subritzky for the title. Fan favourite Estelle Landy was eliminated at the eleventh hour.
Final votes were Benjamin 40%, Layla 31% and Estelle 29%.
“I’ve never really won anything in my life,” Benjamin said. “I thought the only way I could win was to be myself.”
It was ten years since he had first applied for the series.
Runner up Layla Subritzky, branded as the “English Rose” of the series, proved to be a popular housemate with her vibrant personality, romantic storylines and occasionally ditzy comments. As the series runner up she won $10,000 on top of her previous prize of a new car.
Second runner-up Estelle Landy survived multiple eviction nominations but her exit on the Finale night mirrored 2001 third placegetter Sara-Marie Fedele. After being eliminated she remained resilient about her time in the house and defended her individuality. Upon being evicted she was trending worldwide on Twitter (#LegalizeGayMarriageInAustralia also trended in Australia) and took home the third prize of $5000 cash.
Nine turned it on with a dynamic finale with fireworks, dancing and surprises. It began with footage from former series on TEN and an opening number from evicted housemates. Choreographed by Tony Bartuccio, they performed Oats a la Layla and Gangnam Style (including a video appearance by Korean pop star Psy). They also led a congaline through the backstage area and the house.
All the evicted housemates also appeared on stage accompanying a montage of series highlights as glammed-up Sonia Kruger looked back on the series.
Peter Overton appeared in a news package bringing Layla and Benjamin up to speed on headlines (including Obama’s re-election just hours before) -always one of the most fascinating features of the finale.
Benjamin’s mother Jane also entered the house for one of the show’s most emotional moments as mother and son re-bonded. Sonia Kruger also snuck into the Diary Room to surprise Benjamin, by taking him to the eviction stage.
Despite the sudden departure of one housemate for personal reasons, Nine’s Reality series managed to avoid a controversy all season -a feat in itself given the show’s tarnished reputation. It has also performed well in advertiser-friendly Demos.
The show ended with Big Brother thanking Australia for watching.
“Big Brother will get back to you.”
I have just finished reading all the comments and am glad that I am not the only one who felt this way about Benjamin winning. I have watched every series of BB and have always loved watching the finale, as I enjoyed this years, until the winner was announced. I was so disappointed I promptly turned the TV off. I certainly didn’t want to see him grinning like Mr Potato Head and thinking all of Australia loved him. I have never wanted a housemate not to be in the house, let alone win, as much as I did him. I thought Layla had it in the bag. Josh would’ve won if circumstances had been different.
Ben’s quote from a recent interview:
Ben: Did you see when I threw [Estelle's toy] horse over the fence?
I did, but I wasn’t sure what that was about…
Ben: Oh no, I threw it over the wall and said, “Take your friggin’ horse that you rode in on!”
It doesn’t sound like he was being nice, and he is proud of it.
popsugar.com.au/Interview-Big-Brother-Australia-2012-Winner-Benjamin-Norris-25807950
@David Knox
It was clear Ben was a massive game player. This season has a stupid amount of collusion. When colluding, you cover your bases. Ben’s obvious strategy was to vote slightly out of the colluded bases target.
As I said below, go to BB fansites from during the seasons, many picked up and was right on his tactics.
As a BB fan who has seen a few international series, trust me. Ben winning is the end of what was great about BB Australia. It’ll now just be a show of people focused primarily on backstabbing to win, like so many international versions became.
@Menicci there is no such thing as being too sensitive. Everyone is an individual. Yelling at someone for something innocent like making a friend, a friend who then stood up for her, is inexcusable. Every bully always blames the victim. I am sorry blaming someone for crying when being harassed is inexcusable. You can try to justify it. However it’s just something which in my opinion is blatantly wrong.
He may have been throwing it to Estelle, but possibly with a “take your bloody horse with you” attitude. If you think all housemates voted for Estelle except Ben, you must have been watching a different show. BB reminded us he voted for her twice and then persisted in telling her he never voted for her.
I enjoyed BB this year but it wasnt a patch on the TEN series. Ben was a gossip and often spoke before thinking, but always admitted to going to far. I noticed that throughout the series Ben gave some pretty good advice and helped others like Zoe come out of their shell….. i noticed as usual people ignored this side of his personality. I voted for him to win and would have been happy if Layla took it out also. As for Estelle, what can I say, she played the zany card and lost. All housemates voted for Estelle but not Ben, there must have been a reason. As for the horse over the fence…. what a laugh! I think Ben was actually throwing to Estelle.
It’s a stretch to call any of this comments trolling.
I have read many comments on TV Tonight, directed at TV and media personalities, which were much harsher.
Some reality shows you are judged for your voice, some for cooking skills. On Big Brother, it’s personalities being judged. The contestants know what they’re signing up for. Don’t blame the editing.
Ben has 250,001 reasons to smile today.
Good for him. I’m sure any criticism isn’t going to make him lose any sleep.
@Dayman
I was watching the same show, I saw every single minute of it and I guess we’ll have to agree to disagree. From day one I found Estelle irritating and boring, a combination I didn’t think was possible until now. Whereas I thought Ben was hilarious. You can’t say Ben yelled at her till she cried. She was in my opinion too sensitive and unable to cope with the pressures of the environment. And from what I saw she cried a lot. The housemates knew her better than we did and they kept on nominating her so what does that say? Not just Ben but many others too.
Benjamin was a nasty, spiteful, two faced, backstabbing horrible personality.
@Menicci
What show were you watching? Estelle cried a handful of times through out the entire show.
When Ben had a go at her for being friends with Ava. Getting the most Nomination points. And literally a hand full of other times.
I love that Ben yells at a young girl for making a friend until she cries. Then his fans say he’s the hero and she’s playing the victim card. Come on!
I’m afraid to tell you, Ben didn’t care about anyone. He play acted for the camera’s more than anyone else.
The the main point is, not liking someone does not give you carte blanche to be horrible to them.
There was a divide in the house. Those that went in for a shared good time to get along with everyone. Those that immediately formed groups and due battle lines to fight each other. Ben played the game the hardest and he won. I and many others just don’t think there’s any excuse to treat others like that.
I think if it had been Ben v Layla then Layla would have won as Estelle voters would not want to see Ben win.
I wonder why it wasn’t down to two like in previous years.
Blake 444. On the contrary I think Estelle spoiled the show. Playing the victim and blubbering in nearly every episode. And when she wasn’t doing that she was banging on and on and on about how different she was. I didn’t see different, I just saw boring and what appeared to be put on zaniness for the cameras sake. The Lavender, the swans in the pool and the show jumping stuff all appeared to be disingenuous. You can’t call yourself “a bit different and crazy”, do a couple of silly things and expect people to believe that it isn’t done for the benefit of the cameras. On the other hand, Benjamin may have been opinionated and a gossip but he was entertaining and did seem to genuinely care for many of the housemates. Did he have to like everyone? In life do we all have to like everyone? If someone cries do you have to like them? No!
I would have preferred Layla to win but I am just thankful that Estelle wasn’t in the running, yawn.
My opinion is that Ben winning was a great result. He was far more entertaining and was smart enough to have worked it all out by the end. With the increase in exposure to the outside world this series, he nailed it with his ” you play the victim card so well” remark to Estelle on the last night.
Yes he talked behind housemates’ backs, but I too would have been driven to distraction by Estelle’s kookiness, multiple forced personalities and the whole annoying “I’m just different” act being worn as a badge of honour. Anyway, at least Ben confronted Estelle several times to discuss why they clashed. That was a good example to all the kids out there
It has been fascinating to see how impassioned the responses were to the winner. I was pretty happy to see those two in the final. I didn’t enjoy Estelle at all, and didn’t like Michael’s not so thinly veiled strategies. I enjoyed Benjamin immensely. He was quite transparent about his pot-stirring and when called on it, was able to admit that he had over stepped the mark. He made for good melodrama storylines for the producers, and he pulled focus for a lot of the series. Value per housemate, he was everything they could ask for. And he is the 2nd GLBT person this year to win a reality show – Margie on the Biggest Loser 2012 won too.
The Sara-Marie curse strikes again. The fan-favourite throughout the whole season, who always has the biggest total fan-base, is pipped at the post because of other fanbases combining forces to eject the favourite.
It happened to Sara-Marie in 2001
It happened to Vesna in 2005
It happened to Camilla in 2006
It has happened to Estelle in 2012
Because these women split audiences, (you either love them or hate them), they always have people voting against them (in this case, saving the other housemates) for them to lose, as opposed to voting for say Ben or Layla to win. Ben & Layla would of attracted a lot of save votes because they weren’t Estelle.
Shame really. Estelle took up 75% of this years air-time and debate. Like the above women, she essentially was the show.
@steviep it’s not trolling.
If you spend anytime in the BB online community you’d have seen there was a massive dislike for how Ben treated others.
I’m just happy that the comments here are negative about his personality and not his sexuality.
And as far as “trolling” comments – I think most of hte negativity is fairly tame (unless David has been holding back on the really bad stuff)
I didn’t warm to the guy – and many of my firends didn’t warm to Estelle.
For those that missed any of it, it’s being repeated on GO! tonight (Thursday) at 5.30pm. And for the record, I too am on the anti-Benjamin train…he wasn’t nice at all…(that’s me being polite)…
David, I agree with you allowing the criticism of Benjamin, particularly in this case.
Earlier on in another BB post you said to one person (not me) that if that they didn’t like the fact that BB didn’t have live streaming (or an up late show) that they didn’t have to watch it.
I felt similar to this person and after weeks of not getting to fully know the participants in the show (and not being able to see their personality beyond a brief 22 min snapshot divided by over a dozen participants per 24 hours), I gave up.
This was probably the first season of BB that I didn’t bother to watch the full season, whether that’s because I’m in my 30′s now or because of the poor editing or lack of access to the show (and it wasn’t like I watched live streaming in the past – I used to watch up late and FNG), I can’t see me coming along for the ride next year based on its current form.
But maybe I am not the target audience, as it seems to be aimed at family now and I haven’t got any kids that I know about!
2 things….its good to see the “bad guy” win, its good that the “bad guy” happens to be gay….another stereoype demolished…
Stevie: no it’s not the first time, go back and check comments on Deni Hines in Celeb Apprentice …again the show put it on the table, the audience responds. I agree others besides Ben were bitching, but that’s not what people are commenting on. I concur there is more to Ben’s personality than this, but people are making value judgements about rewarding the winner. When you enter a show like BB you are submitting your character for review, editing and voting circumstance. You become a character, of sorts, so in some situations you must accept the audience’s moment to judge you.
Amazing how the final announcement of a series can actually ruin it. As Ben had been himself and entertaining to watch I was happy he was in the final three ahead of the likes of Michael and Zoe, but leaves a bitter taste that one of the nastiest people in the house this year ends up winning it.
Also, to everyone else he got 40% of the vote. It was a thumping victory. If you all cared so much why didnt you vote? Personally I didnt vote because i didnt care enough to evoke hate regardless of the winner. They all “deserved” it, they all put their lives on hold and they all put their personality out there to be judged by millions of faceless voices.
The voting lines where open for more than a week so this was by no means a fluke.
@David. I disagree. I watched the entire series and yes he said things about peoples backs, but they all did. He was just not so discrete and was more to himself. I wasnt a big wrap for the bloke either, however, regardless of how it is edited, i have always been told and assumed unjustified ‘personal attacks’ has no home on this blog. I have been guilty of it myself at times and you have pulled me up thats why im stunned you allowed it here.
It is very clear that the vast majority of distaste on here is trollying, something ive never before seen on Tv Tonight.
Congratulations Benjamin! He was definitely one of the most entertaining housemates, closely followed by Layla. Yes, Estelle probably had the roughest time of any BB housemate ever, but that doesn’t make her a deserving winner. For the last 87 or so days, she did nothing, hardly adding anything other than to annoy other housemates. Funny how all those in the house found her so irritating yet Benjamin so worthy.
More than happy with the result and the final two. Gutted though that my PVR stopped recording just as Benjamin and his partner started embracing meaning I missed the proposal. Any chance there’s a clip of it somewhere?
What’s sad is, I’ve read many comments online how peoples kids were fans of Estelle’s because of how she dealt with the mob mentality. As they themselves dealt with it every day in the school yard.
So the king bully winning is not a good thing.
I don’t care if people say he was entertaining. He’s not a good role model.
Oh and FYI being horrible doesn’t make someone more real. It just means they are horrible.
I too thought Ben threw the horse for Estelle to get!
I am thrilled Ben won – I loved him!
We only saw what Nine wanted us to see – so many of the housemates wanted Ben to win and they lived with him so obviously they know him better than we do.
Every single one of them spoke nasty at some time about someone else – it’s human nature and it happens in the ‘real world’. Even the nicest person in the world will have a bitch about someone at some time!
This would have to be the worst Big Brother I have ever seen. Most nights I was left feeling negative and angry, not entertained at all. Ben is a manipulative man who everyone seems to make excuses for. Being locked up in a house for three months with people you don’t like just doesn’t cut it with me – learn to get on with others by accepting their differences. He is gay and should have some idea on how it feels to have certain groups call you names and segregate you. He did nothing but indirectly bully Estelle with the help of that stupid sidekick Stacey. Reecieboi, I hope you audition next year and get chosen because it is people like you, with respect for others and common decency that I will vote for. Best of luck.
I’m really glad that Ben won BB. Despite his bitchiness, he was definitely the most entertaining out of the finalists and well deserving of the win.
I actually think this may be the first time that an openly gay person has won any reality tv show by public vote in Australia … unless I’m forgetting someone?
I thought Ben didn’t deserve to win after throwing his glass of water at Bradley.
Didnt get to see anyone naked. Didnt watch
Granted, it isn’t ideal. In moderating I always try to ask myself “What is a fair and reasonable response to content?” BB has had 3 months of these storylines so it’s unreasonable not to allow the audience to respond. It’s only the second time I can think of a situation like this. I think it’s great that a gay man proposed to his partner live before a broad audience, it was emotive and powerful. But that doesn’t overlook the way he was edited in the show and that many viewers were troubled by his conduct. Reality shows cannot push storylines and then silence the audience. In my view these questions were put on the table by the show. That said, I don’t believe the best response to bullying and bitching is with more of the same.
I don’t care what anyone says but this has to be the worse big brother season of all time!
Not only did nine ruin it, but ppl actually rewarded this horrible and disrespectful person 250k????
What a shame!!
Only one thing can fix big brother…channel TEN!
this has left a sour taste in my mouth. The distasteful remarks are extreme and troubling. Its also ironic David is allowing his proud blog to be filled with such hate speech.
Ugh, this is awful. Any of the other housemates would have been better than Benjamin. I hope this terrible show never comes back. It infuriates me so much. Congratulations – you have made me hate Big Brother.
@newtaste I’m glad they had his partner come out to give him and hug and kiss when they could’ve easily blamed time and wrapped up quickly. And thanks to that because what happened next was amazing! Oh, and I completely agree with you about the A Current Affair / McCormack thing.
What are you guys talking about!! Benjamin easily deserved it. He was the Best and the most entertaining person, together with Michael!! Well deserved Winner, and Congratulations Benjamin!!!!!
Because it ran so far over time, my recording cut out at the start of the proposal, and by the time I switched to live TV it had finished. Good luck to them, hopefully something good can come out of this.
A vile narcissist with absolutely no class.
Interesting that some feel that Ben is the “worst winner ever”. I’m still trying to figure out why and how Jamie won over Camilla back in 2006. Alesha beating Zach back in 2007 was also a head scratcher. Australia has always loved nasty characters in soaps. BB really isn’t any different, except Ben isn’t a figment of some writer’s imagination. Maybe that’s why some people have a problem with it – he’s a real person, not a character. Also, various forums are in an uproar over Ben’s throwing Estelle’s horse over the wall. It didn’t even occur to me that he was being nasty until I read it online. I thought (and still think) that he was throwing the horse over the wall so that a crew member could give it to Estelle (he probably thought that it would go straight over to the walkway that leads to the eviction stage).
newtaste November 7, 2012 at 10:44 pm
I don’t watch ACA but a great comment on your part.
What a fantastic result for Ben winning Big Brother this year. Tragic I know but I had tears streaming down my face with Australia choosing Ben to win. When he went down on one knee and asked his partner to marry him I was a wet soppy mess. Could not be happier and I wish Ben and his partner all the best in a slightly less homophobic Australia than it was yesterday. Bless!!!
I also predict that if Ben wants a TV hosting career out of his BB experience then it is his for the asking. He truly has a natural Kennedyesque gift for entertaining in my opinion.
So happy that Ben won as he was one of the most entertaining and complex characters! Most BB winners are bland and forgettable – not this time!
Yes he was brutally honest at times (which i wasn’t a great fan of) but one of the few contestants that actually lived up to their video introduction.
People congratulating a gay guy for proposing on Big Brother, (which is fine by me), so marriage equality is getting a plug on Nine like somehow Nine is all new age and sensitive … yet just over 2.5 hours earlier on A Current Affair, Ben McCormack presented the most racist anti-Asian story I can ever remember seeing on Australian television. McCormack had Pauline Hanson on as sprouting her Asians are invading us rubbish. The McCormack fronted report was atrocious with it’s only aim seeming to be to stir up anti-Asian feelings in Castle Hill and other Sydney suburbs. … And tonight McCormack is tweeting how great it is that Obama (a person with dark skin) got re-elected, and celebrating the gay proposal on Big Brother. McCormack seems to only support some equality.
What a morbid season of Big Brother
Ben was a nasty horrible manipulative person
Sexuality has nothing to do with his awful character
David, don’t get me wrong… I have no issue with what you have approved/posted at all, as I am happy to see the other side of what would not normally be accepted. I am just amazed at all the ‘nastiness’.
I fully support where you are coming from with this David.
Cheers, K
I agree with the comments re Ben winning. It’s a surprise simply because he wasn’t often a decent person. But in a way, I think he will face a difficult time on the outside over the backlash of him winning. I don’t think this looks good for ch.9 and the next series of big brother.
@Kathy
No you’re wrong. People don’t like Ben because he was a mean, nasty, fake, two faced, compulsive liar. They don’t like him because of his personality.
It’s not sour grapes. Many people all season have been discussing how horrible a person he is. It’s nothing to do with him winning over Estelle or Layla or anyone else.
It’s just the fact many people saw his personality and his treatment of others as extremely repulsive. So it’s just unfathomable how people can turn a blind eye to it and vote for him to win.
Hell Ben has said he’s gone for extended periods of time living as fake people, with fake personalities because he’s such a compulsive liar. He said that on the show and no one raised an eye brow.
So yeah, I think with Ben there’s a divide of people who found his personality to be horrible. Then those that simply didn’t care how he treated others because he was entertaining.
Kathy as per my comment below, the comments are approved in light of the storylines. BB spent the whole season focussing on gossip / bullying / romance, and it asks viewers to choose heroes and villains. Where a network explicitly puts this on the table I think it’s reasonable that the audience expresses their reaction. One of the other times I approved more explicit comments was when Deni Hines was heavily edited into Celebrity Apprentice as a villain (not that I am suggesting Ben was on the same level). But it’s about context. Some of these comments would never get passed me in other situations, nor if a minor was involved. Thx.
Is it a full moon or something…. seems most of you have had a dose of the ‘nasty pills’ after reading some of the comments posted. I have been denied approval of one comment posted over the many years of following this website, and it was nothing like what I am reading here…
Ben won, get over it. If Estelle or Layla won, wonder what we would be reading in the comments. Much the same I guess but from different people.
The public voted… Now to 2013.
Estelle made a career out of being a ‘victim’ and almost got away with it…..Ben was the most entertaining housemate by far .
Best Big Brother ever.
Marriage equality tweets are now trending in Australia.
#LegalizeGayMarriageInAustralia
#AustralianGayRights
#gayrights
Normally I wouldn’t condone some of these comments on a blog post, but reality shows put storylines and characters on the table and ask people to pick a side, so in this context I think the audience has a right to express their passion.
I was really surprised by Bens win. I knew the save votes had flipped this series on its head (he would have gone first time up if it was evict votes for throwing water in Bradley’s face), and it would get him a fair distance but he actually won?
He was rude and harsh and disrespectful right to the end. He couldn’t even be respectful and choose to get along with those others who had also made it there. Even on final night, he was still being disrespectful!
Never have we had such a rude person in the final. They’ve all got along and played happy families in the past in the last days and this time there was awkwardness, and in previous years the good bloke who got along with everyone or funny girl won. I’m surprised Ben was rewarded for his rude and nasty behaviour.
He is a nasty piece of work and didn’t deserve a cent.
Sigh, like wtf?
This guy was horrible. He spent the season being horrible. He’s a self admitted compulsive liar. He instigated so much of the horrible, exclusionary, and yes bullying behavior that went on this season.
Why would people want to reward the most mean housemate in there?
I wanted Estelle to win but well done to Ben, he was a bit bitchy but good on him for winning.
Will 9 turn the wedding into a reality show?
Dreadful result.
Yeah I want it to be Renewed… David do you still think it will be???
I too cannot believe the rest of Australia gave 55c to Ben over Estelle (Estelle got my 55c)
“Big Brother will get back to you” is what was said at the end. Does that mean it’s renwed, or it’s a maybe? lol
OMG was not expecting that proposal!!
I have watched all seasons of BB Australia, and have never been so disappointed with who won!
To the last moment he showed his true colours, when Estelle left he threw her horse over the wall, disgusting behaviour, he has no control at all!
I’m so glad Ben won. Yes, he did gossip a lot, but at the end of the day – he was the most entertaining.
Ben is noy a bully. What do you expect? Locked in a house for more than 3 months, of course you’re going to talk about each other.
I agree with reesieboi, Benjamin was a nasty, spiteful, two faced, backstabbing person.
This is a win for bullies everywhere.
A bit disappointed that Layla didn’t win.During the final weeks Ben’s true colours started to show and I didn’t like what I saw.
oh im in perth i wasnt expecting to see that allready but i cant beileve a guy who sits there and bitches about peoplebullies them and is 2 faced to them wins that kind of money
whats wrong with australia or the 900,000 people watching it layla deserved it way more than ben
When it comes to voting in the last 24 hours, how could America get it so right, and Australia get it so wrong?
They better announce BB13 at the end, or I’ll be seriously disappointed. Promoting all these shows (WTF is Bake Wars?!) and not BB..
Yay Benjamin!
Oh wow. Wasn’t expecting that.
Peter Overton’s no Sandra Sully safe to say.
Overall, Ten’s Big Brother (except for the final year) left Nine’s for dead.
As a gay man, I’ve never hated a reality show winner so much in my life.
That…… deserves $250,000? That!? That attitude, horribly two faced, backstabbing, rudeness wins Big Brother?
I wanted to go on next year but, will the producers even let a gay guy from Melbourne go on again after Benjamin wins?
I honestly don’t understand who supports such….. a horrible personality.
I’m baffled.