Julie Chen to Miss First 'Big Brother' Live Eviction Ever After Testing Positive for Covid, Jerry O'Connell Will Fill In

The longtime 'Big Brother' host has never missed a live show.

By Megan Behnke

For the first time in Big Brother history, Julie Chen Moonves will be missing a live eviction. The longtime host of the CBS competition reality series took to Instagram on Thursday to reveal that she will be sitting out the live eviction, airing tonight, Sept. 12. "Friday morning I woke up with a sore throat and went to see my good friend who is an ENT," Chen Moonves wrote. "That night he called to say I have Covid. Thankfully this is only the second time for me and it's been very mild! No fever and just a sore throat."

"Unfortunately I am still testing positive as of this morning… despite feeling good, strong, and my cough being gone, I must sit tonight's Big Brother live eviction show out," she continued. She revealed that actor and The Talk co-host Jerry O'Connell will be filling in for her. "I hope Jerry fits in to my dress, has a ball and tells the houseguests I miss them but will be watching from home," Chen Moonves shared. "See? Chenbot is human after all! Love one another and enjoy tonight's how."

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(Photo: Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images)

Chen Moonves has hosted Big Brother since the show's inception in 2000, with tonight's live eviction being the first time she has ever missed a live show. While she still hasn't recovered from COVID, it does sound like she is doing fine, which is certainly a good thing. Depending on how she feels by the next live eviction, Chen Moonves should be back. COVID can be unpredictable, but at least she's feeling good.

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Meanwhile, it should be interesting to see how Jerry O'Connell does in her place. While he hasn't done Big Brother in the past, he has been co-hosting The Talk since 2021. During Thursday's episode of The Talk, Chen Moonves called in to the show to deliver some sage advice to O'Connell as he hosts the live eviction episode, which fans can see here. 

One can only hope that Chen Moonves recovers from COVID as quickly as she can, because who knows what Big Brother will look like if O'Connell continues to run the show. In the meantime, though, fans can still tune in to the live eviction during Big Brother 26, airing tonight, Sept. 12, at 8 p.m. ET on CBS to see who is going home and how O'Connell does.

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