‘Big Brother’ 2021: What We Know So Far

It’s summertime, which means that it’s time for the next season of Big Brother. The CBS series is set to premiere this July alongside fellow CBS series Love Island. Considering that there has already been some information revealed about Big Brother 23, read on for everything you need to know about the upcoming season of the reality competition.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Big Brother premiered a bit later than usual in 2020. Instead of premiering at the end of June/beginning of July as it typically does, the show premiered in early August as the production needed a bit more time to assure that the cast and crew would be safe while filming the season. Big Brother 22 featured an all-star cast of returning players such as Janelle Pierzina and Tyler Crispen. But, when it comes to Big Brother 23, you can likely expect to see some new faces in the mix, as the show has been encouraging fans to apply over the past few months.

Fans won’t be able to see who will enter the house until the premiere date gets closer. Until then, check out everything that’s been released about Big Brother 23 so far.

Julie Chen to Return

There’s no need for fans to worry about the “Chenbot” come Season 23. Longtime Big Brother host Julie Chen will be returning for Big Brother 23. In late October, on the same day that the Big Brother 22 finale aired, Deadline reported that Chen signed a contract in order to continue hosting the reality show for another season. Her previous contract was only through the Big Brother 22 season. It’s not really surprising to see that Chen will be back for Big Brother 23. After all, what’s a Big Brother season without her?

Premiere Date

Big Brother 23 will, once again, premiere in the summer. After the last season, subtitled All-Stars, was delayed due to the pandemic, the upcoming season will get back to the show’s summer roots. Big Brother, and fellow CBS show Love Island, will premiere back to back on July 7. After its premiere, Big Brother will air on Sundays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET.

Casting Complete As Of Late May

In late May, Alex Stern, a Reality TV casting producer who works on Big Brother, wrote on Twitter that her work on the upcoming season was done, per Big Brother Network. She did clarify that her announcement did not mean that the cast was finalized, as changes could take place before the houseguests step in front of Chen. In other words, the final casting decisions now lay in the hands of the network and the show’s production team. 

Meet the Cast

On Thursday, CBS officially revealed the cast for Big Brother 23. The cast includes Alyssa Lopez, a 24-year-old swimwear designer, and Derek Frazier, a 29-year-old safety officer. Days before the premiere, CBS also revealed that there was a last-minute casting change. In a video posting on Big Brother‘s official social media pages, Christie Valdiserri, who was originally cast for Season 23, announced that she tested positive for COVID-19 and that she would no longer be able to compete on the show. As a result, she will be replaced by 25-year-old Claire Rehfuss, an AI engineer from New York City. 

The Twists

Ahead of the premiere, it was revealed that one of the twists for this summer would showcase the houseguests playing in teams. Additionally, Chen Moonves will also unveil a “game-changing” twist that will involve her offering one of the houseguests an offer that will be “too good to refuse,” according to producer Allison Grodner. She told Entertainment Tonight,  It is double or nothing, keeping within our theme. And I will just tease it and leave it at that. A game-changing offer right at the end of the 90-minute live premiere.”

The House

On Monday, CBS shared what the house will look like for the newest Big Brother houseguests. The theme of this year’s house is “part seaside cabana, part Monte Carlo and ALL about making big moves in order to get ahead.” The house includes a Shark Kitchen, a VIP cabana for the bathroom, and a glamorously decorated HoH bedroom. Disclosure: PopCulture is owned by ViacomCBS Streaming, a division of ViacomCBS.