There’s a crisis in Australia and it’s getting worse. Latest figures show 116,000 people have no place to call home*.
After sparking a national discussion on the homelessness crisis in 2017, Filthy Rich & Homeless returns for a second series. This time, five high-profile Australians with the potential to effect positive change will swap their privileged lives to discover what life is like for the nation’s homeless in the country’s most expensive city – Sydney**.
Produced by the award-winning Blackfella Films (First Contact, DNA Nation, Deep Water: The Real Story) Filthy Rich & Homeless airs on SBS over three nights at 8.30pm onTuesday 14, Wednesday 15 and Thursday 16 August, followed by a live special at 9.30pm on Thursday 16 August.
The five high profile Australians are: actor and broadcaster Cameron Daddo, charity fundraiser and Sydney socialite Skye Leckie, author and journalist Ben Law, politician and activist Alex Greenwich and singer and Instagram star Alli Simpson.
The five volunteers have agreed to swap their privileged lifestyles for 10 days of being homeless in Sydney. Their preconceptions about homeless people will be shattered as they find out what it’s like to go from having everything to having next-to-nothing.
With their phones, ID and money taken from them, the five participants will each be given second hand clothing, a sleeping bag – and nothing else.
Leading the five participants on the social experiment is celebrated journalist and passionate advocate for the issue Indira Naidoo, and social researcher and homelessness expert Dr Catherine Robinson.
For an eye-opening and life-changing 10 days, the group will be separated and each will experience different forms of homelessness – from sleeping rough on the streets, to crisis centres and temporary accommodation, including boarding houses.
They will meet those who live without a home every day, hear their heartbreaking stories of survival against the odds and gain a unique insight and understanding of the varied and complex reasons for how and why homelessness exists.
Blackfella Films Producer Darren Dale and Series Producer and Writer Jacob Hickey said:
“The facts are that more and more Australians are becoming homeless every day. The crisis is getting worse and that’s truly shocking. Blackfella Films believes in factual content that has a social conscience at its core and we hope that this second series builds on the first to inspire those who have the power and means to tackle this critical problem.”
SBS Director of TV and Online Content, Marshall Heald said:
“The second series of Filthy Rich & Homeless is an honest and compassionate exploration of what it’s like to be homeless in Australia today as it shines a light on a part of our society often overlooked and ignored.
“After SBS aired the series in 2017, homeless organisations saw an increase in volunteers and donations*** and it helped spark a national conversation – it exceeded our expectations. We hope to raise the bar even higher this time by introducing five high-profile Australians with the potential to elevate the national discussion and effect real change.”
FILTHY RICH AND HOMELESS airs over three nights – Tuesday 14, Wednesday 15 and Thursday 16 August on SBS from 8.30pm. A special live studio program will air directly after episode three.
Filthy Rich and Homeless is produced by Blackfella Films for SBS in association with Screen Australia and with assistance from Create NSW. It is based on a format created by Love Productions, broadcast by the BBC in the UK and distributed by BBC Worldwide.
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*Australian Bureau of Statistic: Census of population and housing: estimating homelessness, 2016
**14th Annual Demographia International Housing Affordability Survey: 2018
***The Exchange Study, Filthy Rich & Homeless 2017
