When Are We Going To Stop Prioritising International Celebrities Over Our Own Citizens?

When I woke up this morning and read that The Masked Singer will star international celebrities that flew into Australia to film the show, I was livid.

We've already seen Caitlyn Jenner take up precious space in hotel quarantine so she could later gallivant around the Big Brother house. Now another overpaid star miraculously jets in to dress up as a burrito and sing.

While reality TV has been my therapeutic escape during the COVID-19 lockdowns, I'm not willing to accept that my entertainment comes before the thousands of Aussies left stranded abroad and unable to return home.

Around 34,000 Australians who've been trying to come back for over a year faced another blow last month when the government reduced the weekly cap on international arrivals from 6,070 to 3,035. We probably all know someone who's in that category. A parent, sibling, friend, neighbour, colleague.

Channel 7 has stated that the arrivals of international talent for Big Brother VIP do "not impact or impede on Australians returning home from overseas" as they "are on arrangements that exist outside of the flight cap on international arrivals and have been granted exemptions by the Government to come here."

Channel 10 echoed this in its The Masked Singer announcement, telling the Daily Telegraph that celebrities' "time in Australia was permitted under the government rules and regulations for international artists arriving in Australia, and these arrangements exist outside of the flight cap on international arrivals."

Sure, these celebrities are not taking up spots away from the flight caps, but has the government thought about the value in dedicating these extra spaces reserved by famous people to everyday Aussies desperate to reunite with loved ones on home soil?

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said last month that flight caps were reduced to "take some pressure off" the hotel's quarantine system. However, many overseas stars, like Caitlyn Jenner, have still occupied rooms in hotel quarantine. Some even checked in and then mocked the country's COVID crisis, like Katie Hopkins who was dropped from Big Brother VIP after she flouted quarantine restrictions.

I acknowledge the TV networks have said that bringing A-list talent into the country will fuel the economy.

“Much like the arrival of world-class international actors bolstering Australia’s film industry at present, these artists are contributing to the making of leading TV productions, creating jobs for many people at a difficult time for the creative and production sectors," a Seven spokesperson told news.com.au.

But I find it terribly hard to believe that we need Thomas Markle Jr. bad-mouthing his famous sister on Big Brother in order to make quality television and give Australians in the entertainment industry a job. We have our own fair share of controversial characters (shock jocks, retired politicians, Youtubers) if that's what producers are desperately sniffing around for. And as for The Masked Singer, there are plenty of local musicians struggling without live performances who could do with a reality TV paycheque right now.

I live in NSW and this current lockdown (we're seven weeks in now) has been tougher than the last. I know most people are doing the right thing. We're abiding by stay-at-home restrictions, getting vaccinated and accepting the fact we can't travel and we won't be reunited with many loved ones who aren't Australian citizens for a very long time. In my case, I won't see my grandparents at my wedding in December. It sucks, but I know why those border controls are in place. But when there are Australian citizens stuck overseas while international A-listers sneak into the country, there's a problematic double standard at play that needs to be addressed.

I say, give our local celebrities a job on TV, and in turn, give the plane tickets to the Aussies who deserve to come back home.