It’s the sexy – and “spiritual” – new reality TV show everyone is talking about: Byron Baes. Set to premiere soon, let’s take a look at the hottest new Netflix series.
A selfie? With crystals? We love to see it. Not sure the locals will.
(Image: Netflix)What is Byron Baes about?
Byron Bay was once known as a sleepy coastal surf town. Nowadays, it would more likely be described as the home of Hollywood stars like Chris Hemsworth and Elsa Pataky, as the place teenagers head for schoolies, or as an influencer haven – much to the disapproval of locals.
In fact, many such locals were furious when Netflix announced they would be filming a new dating and lifestyle series called Byron Baes.
They slammed the show as “tasteless” and looked to ban the cast and crew from their town. But, in the end, the show went ahead and now it’s ready for us mere mortals who don’t live by the beach to binge-watch.
Described as a “docu-soap” by Netflix, Byron Baes follows a tight-knit circle of friends as they navigate life, romance and career. The first teaser hints at love triangles, work dramas and friendship woes – along with a spiritual sound bath or two.
When the show was announced, the cast members were referred to as “hot Instagrammers” and “influencers” – and they weren’t happy about it.
Netflix’s Director of Content in Australia and New Zealand, Que Minh Luu, revealed they had to apologise to the budding stars, while also taking a dig at the “locals” who were furious over the show, despite having also moved to Byron themselves.
“Most of the cast hated the press release too! Did a lot of apologising that week. Fired the PR team (lol joking about firing, we’re all learning together),” she wrote on Twitter following the backlash.
“The participants number in the double digits, a quarter born/raised in the area, most have lived there a meaningful length of time, a few newer to the area… kinda like how Byron works,” she continued.
“They are artists, musicians, entrepreneurs, business owners, models, on a spiritual journey and more. They understand the power of influence. They are part of Byron. They understand the creative vision of the show that has been developed with them over several months.”
Sounds good to us!
A glimpse into the “creatives” of Byron Baes.
(Image: Netflix)When and where can you watch Byron Baes?
The docusoap is set to premiere on Netflix on March 9, with all eight episodes available to stream at once.
Nathan Favro and Elias Black on Byron Baes.
(Image: Netflix)Who is in Byron Baes?
“Byron is one of the most beautiful places in the world,” one of the show’s new stars says in the trailer. And if you’re thinking he looks familiar, it’s because his name is Nathan Favro and he appeared on The Bachelor Australia and Bachelor In Paradise, where he hooked up with Tenille Favios.
He’s not the only familiar face in the line-up.
While the stars themselves were furious over the “hot Instagrammers” and “influencers” labels, it’s kind of the reality of this reality TV show that the people in it are all over social media already.
As Netflix’s Que Minh Luu put it, the term influencer can mean many things.
There’s Hannah Brauer, the brand manager of Bisque Traders, Jessica Bell, a fashion designer, and Elias Black, who previously appeared on Love Island Australia in 2018. All up there are 12 wonderful creatives who will grace our screens next month.
Byron Baes premieres Wednesday, March 9 on Netflix.
This story was originally featured on our sister site, Who Magazine.
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