Questions raised over new British TV show in Australian outback
A new reality show Outback Brits will send 12 backpackers Down Under for their 'rite of passage'.
A new TV show set to be filmed in Australia will see a bunch of young Brits dumped on outback farms in what its creators are saying is a series about a "rite of passage" made up of "parties, first loves and adventure".
And while the new show Outback Brits will no doubt help promote the Australian farming industry, which is still recovering from Covid-19 border closures, backpacker representatives have reservations over how the show and subsequent reaction will unfold.
British tabloid The Sun said the Channel 4 network, which will broadcast the series, was hoping the show will be a "Big Brother/ Love island fusion where contestants could potentially find romance, annoy the hell out of each other – or both".
A TV insider told the publication the show is a "real telly experiment". Channel 4 said the show would follow the group of 12 closely as they "work hard on the farms by day and let loose at night".
Matthew Heyes, founder of Backpacker Job Board, a portal for working holidaymakers to find employment, told Yahoo News Australia reports the show will have a reality TV focus makes him "nervous".
"The fear is we see a 'Big Brother' style reality TV show, where a cultural divide between young Brits and the farming community is exaggerated to create conflict," he said.
Mr Heyes said the show was "a great opportunity to showcase a remarkable part of Australia" in a year restrictions on Brits working in Australia should ease thanks to the Australia-United Kingdom Free Trade Agreement.
"This is a perfect time to really sell the working holiday program to young Brits. Fingers crossed they do an honest job," he said.
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Australian farms desperate for labour
Aussie farms remain desperate for workers amid a continued labour shortage. Yet with a cost-of-living crisis in the UK, some Brits are questioning whether they can afford to travel to the other side of the world. Others are deterred by stories of being underpaid and unfavourable conditions.
Working holiday visa holders in Australia from the UK, and several other countries, are required to undergo 88 days of regional work to become eligible to extend their stay. The trade agreement will see that requirement end for Brits, however it isn't expected until 2024.
Jo Scarratt-Jones, Managing Director of RDF West, who will produce the show, stressed the backpackers involved will not be enjoying "a holiday".
"I’m in no doubt this will be a life-changing experience for our young, dynamic and fearless Brits as they grab the farm work by the horns and grapple with the numerous tasks set before them," Anna Miralis, Senior Commissioning Editor added.
Mr Heyes said he imagines viewers will see the backpackers like "fish out of water" before they either struggle with the hard work or "learn the ropes quickly".
"Being a backpacker in regional and rural Australia is an amazing journey. So I hope the TV show does an accurate job of showing British people the incredible experience on offer," he said.
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