Big Brother Australia fans have been left reeling over Mia‘s crush on Edward, with some people going as far as describing her infatuation with her fellow housemate as a “humiliation ritual”.

In case you haven’t been keeping up with the shenanigans in the Big Brother Australia house, the show has kinda taken a Love Island route.

We’ve got Holly, 30, and Colin, 21, hooking up — whose romance has been theorised to be fake by some viewers — and looming around the corner, we’ve got Coco, 30, and Bruce, 25, and their platonic cuddles.

(Image source: TikTok / @bigbrotherau)
(Image source: TikTok / @bigbrotherau)

However, in an unexpected turn of events, it appears that a third romance could be blossoming in the Big Brother Australia house.

Earlier this week, Mia, 23, admitted that she had some romantic feelings brewing for 31-year-old Edward.

Mia first opened up about her feelings to Bruce and Jane during a shift at BB Eatz, where she talked about her bisexuality and that what turned her off men was their smell (relatable). However, when she met Ed, she said he smelt “incredible”, which kicked off her little crush!

While it appeared that it was all daisies and rainbows for Mia, her feelings for Ed turned into one of Dreamworld’s rollercoasters on Thursday night’s episode.

You see, things kicked off normally in the Big Brother house, with Mia discussing her crush with Allana and Emily. Fellow housemate Vinnie then joined in on the conversation, where he warned Mia that Ed hadn’t shown any signs of interest in her, which she laughed off.

Later in the episode, Mia decided to entertain herself and pretended to make a phone call to her sister. As she cackled and talked to the phone, as if her sister was really on the line, Ed visibly got the ick. He then left the room with Jane, who he’s handcuffed to due to a cheeky Big Brother challenge.

In the following scene, Jane, handcuffed to Ed, Mia, and Allana, are filmed having a chat around the Big Brother pond (yes, I’m calling it a pond) where they discuss Mia’s ‘call’ to her sister, with Ed popping off at Mia for playing pretend.

He then said that if she wanted to start dating when she’s back in real life, some folks might not be impressed with her fake phone calls, which sets her off.
God forbid Mia has fun while being locked in a house with strangers. (Image source: 10Play / Big Brother AU)
“If we’re talking about dating scenes, that’s gotta go,” Ed said, referring to Mia’s fake calls.

“I’m saying it’s bonkers.”

The conversation about Mia’s phone calls and her dating life reached a boiling point, with the 23-year-old housemate storming off. But, eventually, she decided that she wanted to hash things out with Ed — even if that included Jane, as they’re still handcuffed at that point.

Mia eventually pulled Ed (and Jane) for a chat, explaining why she felt so hurt over Ed’s comments. Jane then encouraged Mia to tell the truth, which eventually ended up in her admitting that she had some kind of feelings for her housemate.
MIA, IT’S JUST PROXIMITY I PROMISE. (Image source: 10Play / Big Brother AU)
“I think from the start I have felt a strong attraction to you and had feelings for you, and I’ve been honest with pretty much everyone except you,” Mia revealed.

“You saying that really struck a chord because when you’re saying that, that’s not a kind of girl you would want to date.”

The conversation led to the pair agreeing to be friends, with Mia and Jane stating, “he’s not interested”.

While this appeared to be the main storyline of Thursday’s episode, many viewers felt very awkward watching the ‘romance’ unfold.

Fans react to Big Brother Australia‘s Mia getting friend-zoned by Edward

Look, we can argue that the other two Big Brother Australia romances have caught some major flak, but folks had a lot to say about Mia and Edward.

Look, as a girlie who advocates for loving loudly, I am all for everyone shooting their shot. In the Big Brother house, though???? Yeah, maybe if it saved me from elimination… maybe.