The Big Brother house always includes special updates for new seasons, but this time around, Julie Chen is introducing a speakeasy — the perfect room for plotting and strategizing. In an exclusive tour, the host shows Us Weekly a few fancy additions to the house fit for the stars.
“The most relaxing part of the Big Brother house is the bathroom because we made it look like a spa,” Chen says in the tour. This season, the bathroom includes two hair and makeup stations, bamboo plants and a “real wall” dividing the showers. “The celebs need their privacy,” Chen adds.
And then there’s the lounge, which is more like a “celeb edition speakeasy,” including dim lighting, leather couches and a bar.
“It feel very loungy, very intimate, very cozy. I could see a lot of private conversations happening here, and maybe some conspiring,” the host notes. Additionally, the chess board that has always been upstairs has been moved down to the speakeasy, and a new board game has been added: Chinese checkers.
Celebrity Big Brother has been a hit for years in the U.K., and this will be the first U.S. edition. Former White House aide Omarosa Manigault, Sugar Ray frontman Mark McGrath and American Pie actress Shannon Elizabeth are just a few celebs who will move in.
During a visit to CBS This Morning on Monday, January 29, Chen revealed she’s very excited to see how Manigault will interact with others. “We know she likes a platform, a camera. She likes to be heard, and now she can be heard 24/7,” she said, referencing the live feeds available to online viewers.
Chen is expecting that Real Housewives of Beverly Hills alum Brandi Glanville could also stir up some in-house drama.”She and Omarosa are either going to be best friends or bitter enemies,” she added.
Celebrity Big Brother premieres on CBS Wednesday, February 7, at 8 p.m. ET.
