CALIFORNIA, USA — Big Brother is back for the 20th anniversary of our beloved summer obsession, but this year, things are very different.
For the first time ever, it's kicking off with a two-hour live premiere. Also, because of COVID-19 testing, the contestants won't know until the last minute if they’ll be participating.
What we do know for sure is that all of this season’s contestants are All-Stars, so great players from season’s past.
“We're bringing back past winners, past people who have made it into the final two, but didn't take home that check for a half-million dollars [and] people who have come in 11th place,” host Julie Chen Moonves said. “But here's the common bond - other than the fact they've all played this before - they all have something to prove.”
Julie told us that even she doesn't know who the final 16 houseguests are because they're still waiting for all of them to be medically cleared, but once they are, she joking calls the Big Brother house "the safest place on the planet."
“They will have zero contact with the outside world," said Julie. "They never have. All the cameras are either locked down on the walls or they're on the other side of the glass.”
Ninety-four cameras and 113 microphones will capture the contestants' every move and conversation, and they'll be living inside a totally renovated Big Brother house.
“This year's kitchen pays homage to some of the biggest all-star moments from the past decades of Big Brother," said Julie.
San Diego has been well represented on Big Brother with Mira Mesa High's own Kaycee Clark winning season 20. News 8 talked to her right after her big win about the overall experience.
“High stresses every day,” Kaycee said. “Just waiting to see what the next competition is going to be, who you can trust, what your next move should be. So, I mean, it was hard. It was really hard in there.”
That said, News 8 could tell Kaycee loved her experience and would do it again. So, is she a house guest this season? The show has definitely been promoting her in their new commercials, but we also have a tipster saying she's out - so we'll have to wait and see!
As Julie always says on Big Brother, "expect the unexpected!"
“I promise you, you will be hooked,” Julie said with a smile. “And it's a nice little escape for the summer.”