Julie Chen Moonves Says ‘Big Brother’ Wouldn’t Be the Same Without Live Feeds
CBS
The longtime host weighs in on the future of the live feeds.
Ever since Big Brother Canada eliminated its live feeds—a controversial move that divided fans and preceded the show’s cancellation—viewers have wondered (and worried about) whether the U.S. version could ever follow suit. But according to longtime host Julie Chen Moonves, she can’t imagine it.
When asked by Men’s Journal whether Big Brother could ever work without its 24/7 live feeds, Chen Moonves made it clear she believes they’re one of the show’s defining features. “No. Big Brother, I feel one of the things that makes it so special,” she said before recalling how she’ll often find herself watching the feeds in the most unexpected places.
The longtime host laughed as she described pulling up the live feeds while sitting in a nail salon, only to have strangers around her become invested in what was happening inside the house. “Suddenly ladies are like they’re watching with me. I’m like, ‘That’s live right now,’” she said.
She also recalled the days of Big Brother: After Dark (remember that?!), admitting she would sometimes stay up late watching houseguests do even the most mundane tasks. “I’m a night owl. I’m sitting here brushing my teeth for about 10 minutes, watching someone do dishes, and I can’t turn away,” she said. “It’s a weird thing.”
For Chen Moonves, that’s exactly what makes the live feeds such an integral part of the franchise. Asked whether she could ever envision Big Brother without them, her answer was simple: “No, I cannot. It’s a fun escape. It’s what makes it extra special, extra unique, and can pull anyone in at any time.”
She also noted that streaming has introduced a new generation of fans to the long-running series, with younger viewers now binge-watching earlier seasons and discovering the franchise for the first time.
The conversation then turned to another frequent fan request that I had to throw at her: the return of more live Head of Household competitions during Thursday eviction episodes. While Chen Moonves wouldn’t confirm whether viewers should expect more live HOHs during Season 28, she admitted she’d prefer it. “I don’t know the answer to that, but I hope so,” she said.
She’s also not a fan of waiting to find out who won power each week, telling me, “Every time they go [there’s no live HOH comp], then I gotta stay up and ask, ‘Who won?’ I don’t like that. I don’t like that.”
She added that when competitions don’t finish during the live broadcast, she also misses out on delivering one of her signature sign-offs: “I don’t get to say my ‘love one another’ line.”
Big Brother 28 kicks off with a 90-minute premiere on CBS Thursday, July 9, at 8 p.m. ET/PT.
