Tell your loved ones you’ll see them in September, because summer obsession Big Brother is back!
The CBS reality competition kicked off its 17th season with host Julie Chen — who looked bangin’ in her black jumpsuit — welcoming (and warning) the crop of new houseguests to their TV studio-turned-home for the next few months. The Chenbot prepared them for a summer of twists, turns and showmances — oh, and twins! Yes, this summer will be juicy.
In the first part of a two-night premiere event, we only got to meet some of the personalities competing for the big prize of $500,000, but it’s clear there will be plenty of drama to consume three nights a week throughout the hottest months. Read on to find out the biggest twists this year, plus first impressions of the houseguests we did get to know.
Battle of the Block is Back
The fan-favorite Battle of the Block twist has returned. Each week, two Head of Households will be crowned; both will nominate two people each for eviction. With a total of four nominees on the block, the houseguests will have to compete against each other to be safe for another week. Whichever pair wins knocks down the opposing HoH who nominated them. The twist is tricky; Chen reminded the houseguests that they could go from being in control to being evicted in the same week.
Big Brother Takeover
The second rule change was something brand new! Chen put on her serious voice to announce what CBS is calling the #BBTakeover, which will introduce new elements into the house on a weekly basis to presumably screw up the houseguests’ games or torment them. The unsuspecting contestants will never know who or what will occur. (Hopefully former winner Rachel Reilly is on standby for a cameo or two.)
Twins (Again)
One of the houseguests this summer has an identical twin. Both twins will take turns living in the house, switching places every so often, but will only play as one houseguest. If successful in their challenge of deceiving their competitors, the twins will both be able to compete in the game. Big Brother featured the same trick in Season 5 and the siblings that year pulled off the ruse.
The Standout Contestants
Audrey Middleton is the first transgender contestant to play Big Brother and she is ready to win, declaring, “I need to pack my heels because when I get to the top I need to shine and sparkle.” Yes, girl! When the houseguests started to get to know each other, she admitted to having transitioned just three years ago. Audrey is desperate for a girl to win this season and with her fierce competitiveness, she may be the one.
Celeb alert! Though his birth name is Austin Matelson, he is known professionally as Judas Devlin, the WWE wrestler. He also has a Master’s degree in medieval romance literature, which may be the biggest twist of the season.
Clay Honeycutt has the face, the body, and the hair to fit the “hunk of the summer” criteria (and the name of a Nicholas Sparks character). Bonus points: he was a defensive back for Texas A&M and is ready for a showmance!
Alliances Have Started To Form
The first four women in the house (Da’Vonne, Audrey, Meg, and Shelli) formed an alliance on day one. Girl power! Audrey is adamant about a girl winning this season, but the group hasn’t figured out a name yet.
First Head of Household Crowned
Called “Flying Tomatoes,” this competition began with the houseguests walking a red carpet like celebrities, talking to Entertainment Tonight‘s Kevin Frazier as they passed.
The houseguests had to stand on platforms while tomatoes were thrown at them. The first person to collect ten of the fruit would be named Head of Household. The tomatoes started flying and the competition had begun!
In one big swoop, Meg, Austin, and Clay were the first to fall off their platforms after just thirty seconds. Unexpectedly, James — a retail associate from Austin, Texas — was in the lead with three tomatoes. Audrey closed the gap, but a slight tilt of their platforms caused all four remaining contestants to fall at the same time! All of a sudden, Big Brother turned into the Super Bowl and Chen called for an instant replay to see who fell off last. James hung on the longest and was the first person crowned Head of Household. Let the games begin!
Tell Us: Are you excited for this season of Big Brother?
