Jerry O’Connell is joining Big Brother: Unlocked as a celebrity panelist alongside returning Big Brother winners Taylor Hale and Derrick Levasseur, CBS announced. The companion series premieres soon on CBS and Paramount+ alongside the main series.
Hale made franchise history in Season 24 as the first houseguest to win both the grand prize and America’s Favorite Houseguest. Levasseur, a former undercover detective, went the distance in Season 16 without facing eviction until the final three.
This is a return for O’Connell, as he was a guest panelist last year.
Jerry O’Connell on being a self-described ‘Big Brother’ superfan
O’Connell said in an exclusive interview with BLKCinema.com, while talking about his new Tubi film Summer’s Last Resort, that his enthusiasm for the franchise extends beyond his own household. His Summer’s Last Resort co-star, Violet McGraw, is also a fan.
“Violet and her whole family are also fans of Big Brother,” O’Connell said.
He added that joining the after-show has come with an unexpected job requirement: watching the live feeds around the clock.
“For those who don’t know, I’m co-hosting with Taylor Hale, a champion, and Derrick, another champion. We’re doing sort of the after show and I’m really excited,” O’Connell said. “You know what’s funny though? I can’t be a casual viewer anymore. I have to watch the feeds and everything, I have to watch them all — because I was reading some comments on Reddit and they were like, ‘Jerry O’Connell’s just a casual.’”
That feed access, he said, has also made him an unlikely target for fan frustration when CBS cuts away during competitions.
“The feeds do go on all the time, unless they turn them off,” O’Connell said. “I was on Big Brother [Unlocked] last season and they turn the feeds off when there’s a competition that they want to save for the air. Then people usually are able to tell who won because someone’s left, and people were tweeting at me like, ‘Get them to turn the feeds back on.’ I have no control over those feeds. [laughs] I have no power. I have zero power.”
What is the theme of ‘Big Brother’ Season 28?
Season 28 is titled Big Brother: Time Trip, sending houseguests through rooms and competitions themed around the past, present and future, with design nods to eras like the ’80s and Y2K. The house includes a Living Room of Eras with relics ranging from a triceratops skull to royal crown jewels, an Artifact Bedroom with doorways to the past and future, and a Clock Tower feature tying the space together.
The season also marks a franchise milestone, with Big Brother set to become the first primetime series to reach 1,000 original episodes.
When does ‘Big Brother: Unlocked’ premiere?
Big Brother Season 28 kicks off with a 90-minute premiere July 9, followed by the season premiere of Big Brother: Unlocked on July 10. Host Julie Chen Moonves returns for the main series.
Featured image photo credit: Photo: CBS
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