“BIG BROTHER” TO DEBUT ITS MOST “TWISTED” SEASON EVER!
Host Julie Chen Announces the New Twists Today on “The Talk”; Further Details Will Be Revealed During the
Two-Night Premiere Event June 25 and June 26 on CBS; Houseguests Will Live in an Urban Tree House-Themed Dwelling
It was announced today by Host Julie Chen on “The Talk” that BIG BROTHER will debut its most “twisted” season ever during its special two-night premiere on Wednesday, June 25 (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT) and Thursday, June 26 (9:01-10:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. As previously announced, this season of BIG BROTHER will air in HD for the first time.
During the premiere, Host Julie Chen will announce details of two new twists and the new competition for the season.
In the first twist, two Houseguests will win the coveted role of “Head of Household” (HOH) each week, which still comes with special privileges, including a separate suite inside the house. Each HOH will have the responsibility of nominating two fellow Houseguests for eviction every week; however, for the first time on the series, earning HOH will not guarantee one’s safety in the game for the week.
With the second twist, fans will have a unique opportunity to significantly influence the game from home with a new interactive element called “Team America.”
In addition, this season of BIG BROTHER will introduce an entirely new high-stakes competition, “Battle of the Block,” which will dramatically shift the power in the house each week.
“When the Houseguests learn about the new twists, they will need to throw out any pre-existing strategy if they want to survive in the game,” said Allison Grodner, Executive Producer of BIG BROTHER. “The new Battle of the Block competition will shake up the power in the house like never before. A Houseguest can go from zero to hero, or vice versa, every week!”
Fans can sign up now for the Big Brother Live Feeds Early Bird Special for a discounted subscription and access to special features leading up to the premiere, including a selection of full episodes from past seasons and Live Chat events with past seasons’ winners. Feeds will be available via subscription on a season-long or monthly basis. To sign up click here.
This season, the Big Brother Houseguests will live in a whimsical urban tree house-themed dwelling. The living room features a 20-foot-high wood tree sculpture, and wood panels that give the illusion of peering out into the world from inside the tree. The theme continues with the dining room’s branch-bound chairs and the kitchen’s butcher block island made from thick slabs of eucalyptus trees. Nestled above the living room is an actual tree house shack where the Houseguests can play chess. The Head of Household suite includes a giant bird’s nest for the bed and a wall lined with nearly 1,000 bird houses. Also, the bedrooms’ décor is based on the classical elements earth, wind and fire with the bathroom’s theme being water.
Below are the 16 new Houseguests who will spend the summer competing for $500,000:
Amber Borzotra, 26
Hometown: Knoxville, Tenn.
Current City: North Hollywood, Calif.
Esthetician
Christine Brecht, 23
Hometown: Tucson, Ariz.
Current City: Tucson, Ariz.
Barista
Cody Calafiore, 23
Hometown: Hackensack, N.J.
Current City: Howell, N.J.
Sales Account Executive
Nicole Franzel, 21
Hometown: Ubly, Mich.
Current City: Ubly, Mich.
Recent Nursing Graduate
Frankie Grande, 31
Hometown: Boca Raton, Fla.
Current City: New York, N.Y.
YouTube Personality
Derrick Levasseur, 30
Hometown: Providence, R.I.
Current City: Providence, R.I.
Police Sergeant
Brittany Martinez, 29
Hometown: Long Beach, Calif.
Current City: Torrance, Calif.
Event Coordinator
Jocasta Odom, 33
Hometown: Griffin, Ga.
Current City: Lovejoy, Ga.
Minister
Victoria Rafaeli, 22
Hometown: Brooklyn, N.Y. and Holon, Israel
Current City: Weston, Fla.
Photographer
Zach Rance, 23
Hometown: Palm Beach, Fla.
Current City: Palm Beach, Fla.
Recent College Graduate
Caleb Reynolds, 26
Hometown: Dallas, Texas
Current City: Hopkinsville, Ky.
Adventure Hunting Guide
Paola Shea, 27
Hometown: East Hampton, Conn.
Current City: Astoria, N.Y.
DJ
Devin Shepherd, 26
Hometown: Santa Barbara, Calif.
Current City: San Antonio, Texas
Former Professional Baseball Player / Motorcycle Sales Manager
Donny Thompson, 42
Hometown: Albemarle, N.C.
Current City: Albemarle, N.C.
School Groundskeeper
Joey Van Pelt, 27
Hometown: Seattle, Wash.
Current City: Seattle, Wash.
Makeup Artist
Hayden Voss, 21
Hometown: Marlborough, Mass.
Current City: Long Beach, Calif.
Pedicab Driver
Following the two-night premiere, BIG BROTHER will air Sundays, beginning June 29 (8:01-9:00 PM ET/PT), Wednesdays (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT), and the live eviction show hosted by Julie Chen on Thursdays, beginning July 3 (9:01-10:00 PM live ET / delayed PT).
Big Brother follows a group of people living together in a house outfitted with 76 HD cameras and more than 100 microphones, recording their every move 24 hours a day. Each week, the Houseguests will vote someone out of the house. At the end, the last remaining Houseguest will receive the grand prize of $500,000. BIG BROTHER is produced by Emmy Award-winning producer Allison Grodner and Rich Meehan for Fly on the Wall Entertainment, in association with Endemol USA.