On June 13, 2023, the highly anticipated reality game show Million Dollar Island premiered on Seven, with 409,000 viewers tuning in. Hosted by Ant Middleton from SAS Australia, the show featured 100 contestants competing for a chance to win $1 million. Each contestant was given a bracelet worth $10,000 and the goal was to stake their claim to the large cash prize. The premise of the show was every person for themselves, as contestants raced to rip open wooden crates to gather supplies.
Meanwhile, Nine’s A Current Affair detailed the story of Brett Button, who was charged over the fatal bus crash in New South Wales that left 10 dead and 25 in hospital. The show also featured a tribute to reporter Brady Halls, who is retiring after 30 years of reporting on unusual subcultures and dodgy palm readers. Parental Guidance Australia saw Team Parents Mark and Leanne removed from the Parent Lounge after a heated debate over how to settle a crying child.
In sports news, Collingwood beat Melbourne 9.8 (62) to 8.18 (66) in front of 559,000 viewers. The AFL match saw the Demons go up against the Magpies.
In other TV ratings news, 1,017,000 watched the Battle of the Bands on Seven’s Home and Away, up 20%. Parental Guidance on Nine saw 951,000 viewers tune in for the season two premiere, with 32% more viewers tuning in during an online gaming challenge that left one of the moms in tears. Have You Been Paying Attention on Network 10 also saw a rise in viewership, with 989,000 tuning in, up 29%. MasterChef Australia on 10 also saw a viewership increase of 30%, with 787,000 tuning in for the first night of Home Cooks vs Pro Cooks Week.
Overall, Nine won Monday night with a primary share of 20.9% and a network share of 28.6%. Seven’s Million Dollar Island was the highlight of the night, with many viewers tuning in to see which contestant would claim the coveted $1 million prize.
