Teenage Boss: Next Level brings Aussie teens face-to-face with real financial dilemmas. Discover their budgeting strategies and challenges.
Emma Watkins, best known for her role in The Wiggles, is stepping into a new leadership position as the host of Teenage Boss: Next Level, a program that gives a group of Australian teenagers the reins over their families’ finances for a month. Across ten episodes, viewers will see how these teens handle the responsibility of household budgeting, confronting real-life financial pressures while finding inventive solutions to manage their expenses – all while having a bit of fun along the way.
The show is set to offer a mix of practical budgeting advice alongside the typical drama and missteps that come with young people tackling adult-sized problems. All episodes will be available for streaming on ABC iview from Friday, 11 October, with the series premiering weekly on ABC Family from Saturday, 12 October at 7:30 pm.
Teenage Boss: Next Level increases the stakes compared to its previous seasons. With older participants come more significant challenges. Under Emma’s guidance, the teens will face difficult decisions as they balance the complexities of managing a household budget against their own personal goals. Viewers will see them rise to the occasion – or stumble – as they strategise and adapt to the financial realities of modern life.
Against the backdrop of the current cost-of-living crisis in Australia, these teens will confront mounting pressures such as rising utility bills, mortgage or rent payments, and everyday expenses like groceries and fuel. Without much experience and relying heavily on their instincts – and Emma’s advice – they will face the real-world consequences of financial choices.
However, it’s not just household bills they need to think about. Many of the participants have their own aspirations and are also tasked with saving for personal milestones. These range from funding overseas gap years and purchasing their first cars to planning elaborate birthday parties. The teens’ goals reflect the heightened expectations and challenges that come with growing older, adding an extra layer of complexity to their financial decisions.
Each episode introduces viewers to a new family, and with them, a new teen boss. One standout is Jack (17), a confident soccer player who seems to navigate challenges with ease, though his decision to put his family on a sausage-only diet could spark a rebellion at home. Then there’s Lainie (15), an aspiring cattle farmer whose determination to save for a breeding heifer might come at the expense of her family’s comforts. Ethan (15), a budding radio presenter, has his sights set on buying his first car, but he’ll have to juggle that dream with the more immediate demands of family budgeting.
As they learn to budget for groceries, manage unexpected bills, and negotiate family needs, these teens are engaging in a real-world experiment in financial management that resonates with many Australians today. The show also highlights the ripple effects of economic pressure on families and how younger generations are stepping up to the challenge. Under Emma Watkins’ mentorship, the series aims to impart valuable lessons about financial independence, not only to its teenage participants but also to their families and viewers.
Alongside Teenage Boss: Next Level, ABC iview offers a range of family-friendly programming, including previous seasons of Teenage Boss, Hard Quiz Kids, and The Strange Chores.
Teenage Boss: Next Level is produced by McAvoy Media and commissioned by ABC with support from the South Australian Film Corporation (SAFC) and Screen NSW. Executive producer John McAvoy and co-executive producer Colin Thrupp bring their expertise to the production, with commissioning editors Mary Ellen Mullane, Margaret Ross, and Emma Rigney overseeing the series on behalf of ABC Children’s and Family programming. All3 Media International handles the show’s distribution, and the series is backed by the Australian Government’s Producer Offset, administered by Screen Australia.
Learning to budget is a skill that should be taught in schools rather than TV.
However based on the article, the exercises on budgeting are done in an educational and entertaining manner.
Two other aspects also need to discussed are how to handle debt AND investments.
Handling debt should consider instant gratification rather than paying for what you can afford.
Investments should be covered including the concept of risks involved in investments. For example the risks involved in long term and short term investments.
Investments should not involve “flogging” financial products.
The ABC program is heading in the right direction since mainstream media is and has been failing to educate its consumers on imprtant matters.
Saving on coupon codes and flybys has never made one wealthy.
Trish McBride