Aussie 'Big Brother' axed

The Australian version of Big Brother has been axed after eight years due to falling ratings.

The final episode of the long-running reality show will air on July 21 when the current season comes to an end.

The Aussie series has been dogged by controversy in recent years for its "racy" and "inappropriate" content. In 2006 two male contestants were removed from the house for an alleged sexual assault on a female housemate.

This year the show was relaunched with two new hosts to replace long-standing presenter Gretel Killeen, who was axed last year. Ratings have been consistently disappointing this season and only picked up briefly when Pamela Anderson was drafted in to stay in the house as a guest.

Network Ten, the show's broadcaster, paid tribute to its impact on popular culture. "Big Brother raised a number of issues which were meaningful and it highlighted some of the very real concerns of young people," said David Mott, chief programming officer at Ten. "The show has taken on topics of race, sex, homosexuality, eating disorders and alcohol abuse, many of which had been handled gingerly, if at all, on TV."

Ten plans to fill the hole in its schedule with more US imports and original commissions. Endemol Southern Star, producer of Big Brother in Australia, now plans to shop the show around rival networks.