(Photo: Cliff Lipson/CBS)
Big Brother will return for season 25 next month, and Julie Chen Moonves is back as host. She has hosted the CBS series since it debuted in 2000. While Chen Moonves has no plans to leave, she’s not looking too far ahead in the future.
Based on the Netherlands series of the same name, the Big Brother reality series takes its name from the George Orwell novel 1984. The competition features random strangers moving in together to live in a custom-built house with cameras and microphones recording their every move. Over more than two months, the “HouseGuests” are voted out by their fellow residents as they compete to win a grand prize of $750,000.
Chen Moonves recently spoke about the CBS reality series in an interview with EW. When asked how long she planned to continue on the series, she said:
“I like to take one season at a time. Going into season 25, I’m like, ‘I never want it to end.’ I think there would have to be a few things [to make me step away], like if I feel like the public is getting tired of me or the show is not what I want it to be. But with [executive producers] Allison Grodner and Rich Meehan leading the way, I can’t imagine it ever being something that I feel is not in alignment with me or what the show should be in my mind.
I think you know when it’s time to go, whether as a show or me as a host, and I just don’t see signs of that right now. But you just never know.”
Her answer might be different if she still had her other job. When the series began, Chen Moonves was the newsreader of CBS’ The Early Show series in New York so she’d be flying back and forth across the country multiple times a week. Of those days, Chen Moonves says:
“I was doing morning news and Big Brother for multiple years. And I got it down to a science where I was on a plane twice a week, every week, so I could still do my main job hosting the morning news in New York, and then Thursday nights kicking someone out of the Big Brother house. … (laughs) I was a younger person then. I don’t know at age 53 if I could still do those morning news hours and a plane ride twice a week.”
Big Brother returns on August 2nd. CBS has a 25th anniversary special planned for July 26th.
What do you think? Are you excited for the return of this series? How many seasons of Big Brother have you seen?
I watch BB Canada, Australia and US. Of the 3, the US version is by far the least favorite. It’s gotten tired and stale, and the host doesn’t help. Also the racist crap CBS has allowed in recent years has really put the show in the toilet. They need a total reboot to bring it up to BBCan standards with a fresh new host. Just an honest assessment. I’ll be watching regardless. Just holding my nose. lol
I wait not so patiently for Big Brother. I have watched the show since it started. I love Julie Chen Moonves. If she ever leaves the show so will I. I have got my nieces and sisters watching the show now. We text back and forth about what is going to happen, who’s going home, etc. my favorite show. It even beats Survivor and I do love .survivor.
Finally. Nothing else much on this summer. I know some people don’t like BB but we’ve watched every year since the beginning and always look forward to it. Even moreso this year. Hope they picked a good cast.