Big Brother host Julie Chen Moonves had some time to kill during the show’s season 27 premiere on Thursday, July 10.
The action-packed opener kicked off on a shocking note with the introduction of a mysterious new character called “The Mastermind,” who wreaked havoc all throughout the episode. His first attempt to sabotage Big Brother was to abduct Chen Moonves from the set, only leaving behind one of her shoes. Houseguests then split into two groups of eight, with one group tasked with rescuing Chen Moonves and the other recovering an HOH relic stolen by The Mastermind.
Chen Moonves, 55, was placed behind one of eight hidden doors at the end of a bridge puzzle, so it took some time before houseguest Zach Cornell worked out the correct door to free the Big Brother host. (Zach earned $10,000 for saving Chen Moonves, while Vince Panaro rescued the HOH relic to become the first Head of Household.) Speaking after her rescue, Chen Moonves shared the unusual way she spent her captivity.
“I spent my time finding different ways to balance my bare foot so it didn’t touch the floor,” she confirmed to Entertainment Weekly.
The Big Brother host also assured fans that she managed to escape the fiendish clutches of The Mastermind without being physically harmed.
“Thankfully, I am fine. But he did make me break a nail! The nerve,” she joked.
Chen Moonves and the new crop of Big Brother houseguests got the best of The Mastermind in the end when they managed to blow up his secret lair — which appeared to be located in the South Pacific.
However, the surprises were only getting started in season 27 because legendary Big Brother houseguest Rachel Reilly — who originally competed on the show in season 12 and won season 13 — was later revealed as the mystery 17th housemate.
Rachel referenced one of her iconic catchphrases as she re-entered the Big Brother House, warning her competitors, “Floaters, grab a life vest! Reality royalty has officially arrived.”
This season of Big Brother is themed like a hotel murder mystery game, so viewers can probably expect lots more twists and turns before one housemate wins the $750,000 grand prize. (Viewers will also be able to vote for “America’s Favorite Houseguest” to receive $50,000.)
Meanwhile, Chen Moonves recently laughed off questions about potentially retiring from Big Brother. When asked whether she ever thought of leaving the CBS show, Chen Moonves pointed out that she was in good company with Survivor’s Jeff Probst and The Amazing Race’s Phil Keoghan as the original hosts of their CBS competition shows.
“You know what? This is a game of chicken. As long as Probst and Keoghan are there, so am I,” she said, adding: “I’m not a quitter. The Chenbot can hold her own. I can give the Energizer Bunny a run for its money.”
Chen Moonves admitted it was hard for her to even “imagine Big Brother without [her]” since she has been an integral part of the series since its 2000 premiere.
“It’s kind of like we go hand in hand. I’m part of the show from season 1 and part of building it up,” she pointed out.
Like Chen Moonves, Probst and Keoghan have been with Survivor and The Amazing Race since their respective CBS premieres in 2000 and 2001.
“I don’t want to see someone else host Survivor or Amazing Race either,” Chen Moonves stressed. “I really don’t.”
Big Brother continues on CBS on Sunday, July 13, at 8p.m. ET. Fans can watch live streams from the house anytime on Paramount+.
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