Julie Chen Moonves hosts Big Brother on CBS.
By Nate Millado
Any true Big Brother fan knows it's not summer until The Chenbot says so! And with Big Brother 23's live 90-minute move-in premiere on July 7, we can officially kick-start the sun-drenched season. Cody Calafiore was crowned the winner of last year's pandemic-delayed All Star season, but this time around, it'll be 16 brand-new players (no returnees!). Here's everything else you need to know about the highly anticipated premiere.
Big Brother premieres Wednesday, July 7, at 8–9:30 p.m. (live ET/delayed PT) on CBS and Paramount+. Beginning Sunday, July 11, the series will air Sundays and Wednesdays (8–9 p.m. ET/PT) and Thursdays (8–9:01 p.m., live ET/delayed PT), featuring the live eviction show hosted by Julie Chen Moonves.
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This Season's Theme
During a recent Clubhouse chat, host Julie Chen Moonves teased this summer's theme: the BB Beach Club. "What I'm really looking forward to is for the Big Brother Houseguests to be going on vacation and all of us living vicariously through them." The house decor will be like a boutique hotel!
Go Big or Go Home!
In addition to the beach club theme, BB23 will lean into gambling elements as well. (In fact, the backyard will be transformed into a casino backdrop come premiere night.) "This season, our theme is full of risk-versus-reward dilemmas," executive producer Rich Meehan told Entertainment Weekly. "We're dialing up the risk, hoping and anticipating the Houseguests are faced with decisions they've never really had to make in the Big Brother house before." By the end of the premiere, Julie will make a double-or-nothing offer that may be too good to refuse.
As Always, Expect the Unexpected
Big Brother prides itself in big twists to keep the Houseguests guessing—and this season is no exception. To prevent one big alliance from steamrolling the house, the HGs will be forced to compete in teams! During the live premiere, groups of four will enter into the house and vie to be team captain (and secure their spot in the Head of Household competition). Each captain will then need to choose who to add to their teams.
Meet the Houseguests
The Houseguests competing for $500,000 will be the most diverse yet—thanks to CBS' new initiative that all reality show casts must be 50 percent people of color. Keep reading to get to know the HGs!
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Pregame Elimination!
Just days before the official premiere, early fan favorite Christie Valdiserri had to bow out of the game because she tested positive for COVID-19!
Claire Rehfuss
Claire Rehfuss
Photo: Cliff Lipson/CBS
Christie was replaced at the last minute with Claire Rehfuss, a 25-year-old AI engineer from New York City. Here are the other 15 HGs competing this summer...
Alyssa Lopez
Alyssa Lopez
Photo credit: CBS
Age: 24 (will turn 25 on July 17)
Hometown: Sarasota, Fla.
Current City: Sarasota, Fla.
Occupation: Swimwear designer
Azah Awasum
Azah Awasum
Photo credit: CBS
Age: 30
Hometown: Baltimore, Md.
Current City: Baltimore, Md.
Occupation: Director of sales operations
Brent Champagne
Brent Champagne
Photo credit: CBS
Age: 28
Hometown: Cranston, R.I.
Current City: Cranston, R.I.
Occupation: Flight attendant
Britini D'Angelo
Britini D'Angelo
Photo credit: CBS
Age: 24
Hometown: Niagara Falls, N.Y.
Current City: Niagara Falls, N.Y.
Occupation: Kindergarten teacher
Christian Birkenberger
Christian Birkenberger
Photo credit: CBS
Age: 23
Current City: Harwinton, Conn.
Occupation: General contractor assistant
Derek Frazier
Derek Frazier
Photo credit: CBS
Age: 29
Hometown: Philadelphia
Current City: Philadelphia
Occupation: Safety officer
Derek Xiao
Derek Xiao
Photo credit: CBS
Age: 24
Hometown: Baltimore, Md.
Current City: New York, N.Y.
Occupation: Start-up founder
Brandon "Frenchie" French
Brandon "Frenchie" French
Photo credit: CBS
Age: 34
Hometown: Camden, Tenn.
Current City: Clarksville, Tenn.
Occupation: Farmer
Hannah Chaddha
Hannah Chaddha
Photo credit: CBS
Age: 21
Hometown: Chicago
Current City: Chicago
Occupation: Graduate student
Kyland Young
Kyland Young
Photo credit: CBS
Age: 29 (will turn 30 on July 13)
Hometown: San Bernardino County, Calif.
Current City: Venice Beach, Calif.
Occupation: Account executive
Sarah Steagall
Sarah Steagall
Photo credit: CBS
Age: 27 (will turn 28 on Aug. 9)
Hometown: Boiling Springs, S.C.
Current City: Fort Myers, Fla.
Occupation: Forensic scientist
Tiffany Mitchell
Tiffany Mitchell
Photo credit: CBS
Age: 40 (will turn 41 on Aug. 5)
Hometown: Detroit, Mich.
Current City: Detroit, Mich.
Occupation: Phlebotomist
Travis Long
Travis Long
Photo credit: CBS
Age: 22
Hometown: Austin, Texas
Current City: Honolulu
Occupation: Tech sales consultant
Whitney Williams
Whitney Williams
Photo credit: CBS
Age: 30
Hometown: Portland, Ore.
Current City: Portland, Ore.
Occupation; Makeup artist
Xavier Prather
Xavier Prather
Photo credit: CBS
Age: 27
Hometown: Kalamazoo, Mich.
Current City: Milwaukee, Wis.
Occupation: Attorney
Big Brother premieres Wednesday, July 7, at 8–9:30 p.m. (live ET/delayed PT) on CBS and Paramount+. Beginning Sunday, July 11, the series will air Sundays and Wednesdays (8–9 p.m. ET/PT) and Thursdays (8–9:01 p.m., live ET/delayed PT), featuring the live eviction show hosted by Julie Chen Moonves.
SUBSCRIBE NOW: Enjoy 4 Digital Plus 2 Print/Digital Issues Of Watch Per Year— For Free!
