Big Brother host Julie Chen Moonves is opening up about the show’s all-star cast two days before the Season 22 premiere is set to air live on CBS.
In a new interview, the longtime TV host dropped clues about the still-unannounced roster of past players who will return to the CBS summertime reality show. The cast won’t be revealed until Wednesday’s live move-in episode.
“Each person has something to prove,” Julie told ET Canada . “We have past winners who have to prove they deserved to win. We have past winners who got out of the house and went on the internet and saw a lot of people say, ‘You didn’t deserve it!’”
The Big Brother host also revealed that others who were voted out “way too early” during their first go-around will also get another chance in the game, as well as runner-ups who just missed taking home the $500,000 grand prize.
“We have people who made it to the final two, for whatever reason, couldn’t secure the votes to take home the win, to take home the half-million dollars,” she said.
Rumors have been rampant regarding the Big Brother: All-Stars cast. Last week, a potential casting rumor leaked online named the returning players as Nicole Franzel, Josh Martinez, Ian Terry, Daniele Donato, Danielle Reyes, Keesha Smith, Enzo Palumbo, Janelle Pierzina, Kaysar Ridha, Amber Borzotra, Cody Calafiore, Da’Vonne Rogers, Christmas Abbott, Bayleigh Dayton, Kaycee Clark, Tyler Crispen, Nicole Anthony, David Alexander, and Memphis Garrett. Several of these players were controversial past winners and runner-ups. Others, like last season’s David Alexander, were voted out of the game very early, so this keeps in line with Julie’s teasers.
The coronavirus pandemic put a major wrench into Big Brothe r this year. In addition to a start date that will be delayed more than a month — on the show’s 20th anniversary milestone, no less — major safety protocols will be put in place. Julie told ET that the secret houseguests have been living in separate rental residences during a two-week quarantine period and that they will be regularly tested for COVID-19 while living in the Big Brother pad.
While she has yet to give viewers the traditional tour of the Big Brother digs, Julie did dish that she will get some new scenery of her own when she takes the stage for the first studio audience-free season.
“I will be on set, on stage,” she said. “Every year we have a new house, like, a new decor. And now, the front of house, the stage… is getting a new look.”