‘Big Brother’ Alums Support Julie Chen After Her Exit From ‘The Talk’

Former Big Brother contestants came out in full force to support Julie Chen, as she announced her departure from The Talk.

Chen had been absent from her seat on The Talk for a week before she officially announced that she was leaving on Tuesday. She said goodbye to her co-stars, the crew and the audience in a pre-taped video, though she could not stop herself from tearing up. Many fans were glad to hear that Chen will apparently continue hosting Big Brother — among them are several former contestants on the reality show.

Season 19 winner Josh Martinez was one of the first to reply, writing, “God bless” beneath Chen’s announcement video on Twitter. He added a heart emoji, and later retweeted her video, adding, “We love you Julie.”

Rachel Reilly, who won season 12 and 13 of Big Brother, also responded to Chen. She did not mention Big Brother, however, focusing instead on The Talk.

“We LOVE YOU,” she wrote, “thank you for making us all laugh / cry and just enjoy the middle of our days a bit more your the reason we all showed up to watch.”

Reilly’s sister, Elissa, had been sending Chen loving tweets even before the announcement was made. Elissa was on season 15 of Big Brother, and judging by her live tweets, she still watches the show to this day.

“Julie is such goals – strong – confident – smart -loyal – she has it all,” she wrote.

Finally, Jessie Godderz — better known as Mr. Pec-Tacular — replied with a photo of himself standing side by side with Chen. He wrote that she was “legendary,” extraordinary,” and that he had the “utmost respect and admiration” her for.

“Most importantly, #Friend,” he added, tacking on a couple of choice tags at the end. “#BBFamForLife @TheTalkCBS #BB20.”

Most assumed that Chen’s departure from The Talk was related to her husband, Les Moonves, and his recent resignation from CBS as CEO following sexual misconduct allegations. While Chen’s position on Big Brother appears to be safe, she said a heartfelt goodbye to the talk show she has spent nearly a decade on.

“I have been at The Talk since the day it started nine years ago, and the cast, crew and staff have become family to me over the years,” she said. “But right now I need to spend more time at home, with my husband and our young son, so I’ve decided to leave The Talk. I want to thank everyone at the show for the wonderful years together.”

There is just a week left of Big Brother season 22, with the finale scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 26 on CBS.