Oh god. Oh god. It's not often we break our weekend silence, but when we woke up to a text message saying "IT'S OFFICIAL, GRETEL'S BEEN GIVEN THE ARSE" we knew we had to let you know as soon as possible.

We'd heard whispers a few weeks back, but desperately hoped against hope they would prove to be untrue because her rumoured replacements were going to be two of the world's least likable television personalities. But our worst fears have been realised - not only has Gretel left the show, but they've signed Kyle Sandilands and Jackie O for the 2008 season.

Gretel Killeen has been dumped from Big Brother as Ten seeks to revamp the struggling show by introducing new hosts, radio duo Kyle Sandilands and Jackie O.

"Working on Big Brother has been an extraordinary, challenging and rewarding experience," Killeen said.

"I'm really proud of what we've achieved but I now have the seven-year itch and am busting to get on with a million new things, including my first feature film, which we're shooting in the new year."

After seven years, the show is in dire need of a change.

The 2007 series was criticised for its boring and predictable housemates, resulting in poor ratings and speculation the show might be axed.

But producers Endemol Southern Star have confirmed the show will return in 2008 in a "tighter, re-energised format".

WHY MUST TIGHTER AND RE-ENGERGISED MEAN KYLE SANDILANDS AND JACKIE O?

"I would like to see them shake it up, especially with the contestants because I think everybody is sick of the same old contestants going in," Jackie O said. "It actually gets really boring after a while. As a fan, I have always wanted a bigger variety of people in there and also to push the contestants more."

"I want that conflict, that real sense of drama rather than that frat house drama that we've seen over the last few years," Sandilands, who is also a judge on Ten's Australian Idol, said.

We don't know, Kyle. We recall times the house has been filled with a real sense of drama over the past few years, like when that fucking idiot in the Sean John cap had a tantrum and sooked his way off the show.

Don't be fooled by our open letter, we bloody LOVE Gretel Killeen. No, really. When she's good, she's good - it's just she's obviously not wanted to be there for the last couple of years, and it's made an already dying show even harder to stomach. We simply want the little lady to be happy with all the exciting new things going on in her life. Perhaps, as our gay and UK correspondent Will once suggested, she can be "Garretted through" the ranks of the Labor party and find herself a sweet position in Rudd's posse? In any case, we wish her well.

But Kyle Sandilands and Jackie O - seriously, Ten? As far as most viewers with taste go, the Austereo pair are the television hosting equivalents of a punch in the genitals. By all means, prove us wrong next year, but we fear this may be the final nail in the coffin for our Big Brother addiction.

On the upside, at least we'll start doing something productive with our Sunday and Monday nights in 2008.

 

Tags: big brother | channel ten | gretel killeen | jackie o | kyle sandilands | television