Big Brother Australia star Merlin Luck has stunned fans by debuting his shock new look at a cast reunion, twenty years after appearing on the show.
The former reality star, 43, who was renowned for his windswept brunette hair, goatee and surfer boy looks, made headlines in 2004 for staging a silent protest against refugee detention centres on live TV.
However, the controversial reality star now looks completely unrecognisable from his TV days, and has traded in his youthful good looks to become a refined silver fox.
Merlin has said goodbye to the wavy brunette locks he once sported and in its place rocks a perfectly styled head of salt and pepper hair and matching beard.
He also now sports prescription glasses and a refined all-black business casual look, in contrast to the colourful baggy tees he wore on Big Brother.
Big Brother Australia star Merlin Luck has stunned fans by debuting his shock new look at a cast reunion, twenty years after appearing on the show. Pictured in 2004
The controversial reality star (left) now looks completely unrecognisable from his TV days, and has traded in his youthful good looks to become a refined silver fox
However, he still sports the same cheeky grin that made him a popular contestant back in 2004.
Many fans quickly took to social media to express their disbelief at Merlin’s stunning new look.
‘He has grown up so much. I wouldn’t have recognised him,’ one person wrote and another added: ‘I can’t believe Merlin’.
The former reality star, 43, who was renowned for his windswept brunette hair, goatee and surfer boy looks, made headlines in 2004 for staging a silent protest against refugee detention centres on live TV after being eliminated
‘Merlin is giving Jeff Goldblum vibes,’ a third person chipped in.
In 2016, Luck revealed a producer told him afterwards that the program ‘would have supported’ his bold political stunt – but only if he had told them about it beforehand.
He told News.com.au: ‘They got the best ratings of the season and weeks of PR. On the other had they lost control, which is any producer’s worst nightmare.’
Merlin continued: ‘I remember the executive producer being exasperated in the green room afterwards. He was almost yelling that, “You should have told us… we could have worked with you on this… we would have supported you”.’
Merlin has said goodbye to the wavy brunette locks he once sported and in its place rocks a perfectly styled head of salt and pepper hair and matching beard
However, he still sports the same cheeky grin that made him a popular contestant back in 2004
But Merlin, who is now a married father-of-two living in Sydney, claimed he would not have been interested in co-operating with the TV staff as it would undermine his message.
Merlin staged the now-infamous protest during his exit interview with host Gretel Killeen in June 2004, on the fourth season of Big Brother Australia.
He walked onto the studio stage and unexpectedly placed black tape over his mouth and held up a sign reading, ‘Free Th Refugees’ (sic).
Merlin did not answer any of Gretel’s questions and his legs were visibly shaking as the crowd booed and cheered in the background.
