And the Reviews Are in! Here’s What Everyone’s Saying About Netflix’s Byron Baes

After months of controversy and uproar from locals, Byron Baes is finally streaming on Netflix. The new reality TV series, which takes viewers into the lives of influencers and entrepreneurs on the northern NSW coast, premiered on Wednesday (March 9) and it’s already taken social media by storm.

14 men and women have chosen to take part, including former Bachelor and Bachelor In Paradise contestant Nathan Favro, Kyle Sandilands‘ assistant-turned-talent manager Alex Reid and Gold Coast singer Sarah St James. Of course, no show based on Byron Bay would be complete without freethinkers which is why you have Simba and Jade, who consider themselves to be a “Spiritual Coach/Fire Performer”.

So far the general consensus on Twitter has been that the show is so bad that you cannot stop watching. 

Despite protests from locals, the streaming service decided to go ahead with the controversial show. Ben Gordon, a Byron Bay resident, told the Today Show that the situation was a “very serious” issue for the community.

“There was absolutely no consultation whatsoever,” he said. “They are proposing to drag our name through the mud and make millions of dollars without offering anything back to the community and completely misrepresenting who we are, and it’s totally wrong.”

As the voices grew louder, Netflix ANZ director of content Que Minh Luu issued a statement.

“The show is authentic and honest, and while it carries all the classic hallmarks of the form and embraces the drama, heartbreak and conflict that makes for such entertaining viewing, our goal is to lift the curtain on influencer culture to understand the motivation, the desire and the pain behind this very human need to be loved,” she said.

“The reason behind choosing Byron Bay as a location was driven by the area’s unique attributes as a melting pot of entrepreneurialism, lifestyle and health practices, and the sometimes uneasy coming together of the traditional ‘old Byron’ and the alternative ‘new’, all of which we’ll address in the series.”

So, Where Can You Watch It?

Byron Baes is currently streaming on Netflix Australia with all eight episodes available to binge-watch now.