Julie Chen Moonves Talks New Season Of 'Celebrity Big Brother' And Reveals Her Favorite To Win
LOS ANGELES (CBS Local) - Celebrity Big Brother is back! Beginning Wednesday, February 2, 11 celebs will be spending a month living together, playing together and all vying for the $250,000 prize.
This is the third season of the celebrity edition, returning for the first time since 2019. The theme this year is "snow" as houseguests will walk into a house resembling a contemporary Swiss chalet, complete with a crystal chandelier, brand new kitchen – and 94 cameras and 113 microphones, recording their every move 24 hours a day!
Celebrity houseguests include Cynthia Bailey, Todd Bridges, Chris Kattan, Chris Kirkpatrick, Shanna Moakler, Lamar Odom, Teddi Mellencamp, Mirai Nagasu, Carson Kressley, Todrick Hall and Miesha Tate.
We spoke to host Julie Chen Moonves about the new season and how she thought the new houseguests were getting along, having already been living in the house together, ahead of premiere night.
"The celebrities have been coexisting for a week now and it probably feels like three months because the cameras are on 24/7. We've had one head of household that gets established on premiere night," said Chen Moonves.
The longtime host admits even she is not immune from getting caught up in the show and watches the houseguests on the live feed, available to Paramount+ subscribers.
"I was watching the celebrities on their first night, like wash up. I was watching Lamar Odom like lather up his head, his scalp. I'm learning all new products," said Chen Moonves. "I'm seeing like gameplay already happen like, 'hey, maybe we should, you know be an alliance and watch out for that one.'"
Chen Moonves points out that some of the celebrities aren't too far removed from each and looks forward to seeing how that dynamic plays out over the season.
"I'm really excited to see how many times the words Kim Kardashian come up in the 'Big Brother' house because we have two people in there: Lamar Odom used to be married to one and Shanna Moakler, whose ex-husband is now engaged to one."
As far as what she'd like to see this season, Chen Moonves wasn't shy about revealing her favorite right out of the gate.
"I'm also interested in seeing if Todd Bridges, who you know from 'Diff'rent Strokes' if you're of a certain age - he's the Willis in 'What You talkin' about Willis?' - I want to see him reinvent himself out of the tabloid headlines he made you know so many years ago and I want to see him win it!"
She was, however quick to follow up, adding, "For now."
Watch 'Celebrity Big Brother' on CBS Wednesday, February 2nd at 8pm and streaming live and on demand on Paramount+. Following the premiere, the show will air on multiple nights each week throughout February, with the finale on Wednesday, Feb. 23.