Major Change to the 'Celebrity Big Brother' House Revealed

There are some major changes being made to the Big Brother house to get it ready for its first celebrity edition in the U.S., host Julie Chen revealed just prior to the show's premiere Wednesday.

Giving CBS viewers a quick tour of the new house, which is decorated with jewel tones and a depiction of the Hollywood skyline, Chen pointed out the different tone the house has taken on in preparation for its star guests.

"It looks much more sophisticated, much more grown up and much more glam, because we are having celebrities live here," Chen said.

A telescope is also featured prominently in the house, "because we want to remind all the celebrities this is all about spying, voyeurism," Chen continued. "The public is watching them live 24/7."

On a less nefarious note, Chen also mentioned that this season is the first time a specialty coffeemaker will be allowed in the house.

"Celebs like their lattes, what can I tell you?" Chen said.

But the biggest change is the almost nonexistent backyard, which is a big change from the house's normal sprawling outdoor area.

"Now the backyard is much smaller than what you're all used to seeing," Chenadmitted, "and that is because the majority of the backyard is constantly being torn down and rebuilt for competitions."

But don't fear, celebs. There will still be a hot tub and fire pit for plenty of outdoor activities after hours.

After the season premiere, episodes of Celebrity Big Brother will air on Thursday, Feb. 8 and Friday, Feb. 9 with no episode on Saturday.

From then on, fans can catch the show on Sundays, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays with the exception of Saturday, Feb. 24.

The famous contestants on Celebrity Big Brother will be:

• Omarosa Manigault: The two-time Apprentice contestant and Donald Trump aide is trading the White House for the Big Brother house.
• Mark McGrath: The Sugar Ray frontman is no stranger to reality TV. He also appeared on Celebrity Apprentice, Celebrity Wife Swap, and served as a guest judge on American Idol prior to coming to the Big Brother house.
• Shannon Elizabeth: The American Pie actress has also appeared on Dancing with the Stars.
• Metta World Peace: The former Ron Artest won NBA Defensive Player of the Year honors as well as an NBA title.
• Brandi Glanville: The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills alum also appeared on Celebrity Apprentice when not feuding with the other Housewives.
• James Maslow: The Big Time Rush star also won fourth place on season 18 of Dancing with the Stars.
• Keshia Knight Pulliam: Rudy Huxtable will once again be gracing the television screen after a brief stint on Celebrity Apprentice.
• Marissa Janet Winokur: The Hairspray Broadway star will have an instant friend in the Big Brother house, appearing on the same season of Dancing with the Stars as Shannon Elizabeth.
• Ariadna Gutierrez: The pageant queen was Miss Universe in 2015 for about three minutes before it was revealed that Steve Harvey had read the wrong name.
• Chuck Liddell: A former mixed martial artist, this will be Liddell's first appearance on reality TV.
  Ross Matthews: The former Tonight Show intern is a judge on RuPaul's Drag Race.

Celebrity Big Brother premieres Feb. 7 at 8 p.m. ET.

Photo credit: CBS