'Celebrity Big Brother' to Return for Season 3

Big Brother: Celebrity Edition is returning for a third season in winter 2022 on CBS, Deadline confirmed Thursday, two years after the most recent season aired in 2019. The celebrity spinoff of the long-running competition reality show will see Julie Chen Moonves return as host, and the season will also be available to watch on Paramount+.

Also included on the streaming service will be the live feeds, which give fans a look behind the scenes of the happenings in the house thanks to the 94 HD cameras and 113 microphones hidden throughout. The first season of the U.S. celebrity edition aired in 2018, bringing in stars like Omarosa Manigault Newman, Mark McGrath and Shannon Elizabeth to compete for the $250,000. Marissa Jaret Winokur walked away with the win in Season 1, while Tamar Braxton ended up winning Season 2, which also featured Anthony Scaramucci, Dina Lohan, Tom Green and Ryan Lochte.

Braxton told Entertainment Tonight after her win that it was "a big dream come true," adding after the houseguests unanimously voted for her over runner-up Ricky Williams, "It's a blessing on top of a blessing, and it means that my friendships in the house are really real. I'm grateful for that too."

Season 23 of Big Brother is currently airing on CBS. The Cookout alliance, comprised of African-American houseguests, has been running the game so far as the houseguests involved have been working together to have the first African-American winner in non-celebrity Big Brother history. Asked by Entertainment Weekly what she thought of the criticism that the Cookout is racist, Julie Chen Moonves said in her "humble opinion, it is not."

"I think it's hard for some people who are not of color to understand the importance of the Cookout making it this far," Chen Moonves said. "I have heard some call the formation of the Cookout a form of racism. In my humble opinion, it is not." She continued, "As a fan of the show, it's impressive to see an alliance this big make it this far," she continued. "That rarely happens." With only non-Cookout members Alyssa and Claire remaining in the game before the alliance makes it to the final six completely in tact, the Cookout has already become one of the most successful alliances ever in the game, and made history by forming a jury with no white men on it.