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‘Big Brother 19’ Digital Fall Season Rumors: New Details Emerge About Host, Cast, Premiere Date, Grand Prize, And More

By Cia Young
Published on: 16:55 PST, Aug 9, 2016

Just recently, CBS confirmed Big Brother 19 would begin airing shortly after Big Brother 18 ends, a new concept for the series since it is typically broadcast once a year, each and every summer. CBS has only deviated once in the past from this schedule, with Big Brother 9, which aired in the winter of 2008, primarily due to an entertainment writer’s strike.

There is a difference, however, between what was Big Brother 9 and this new incarnation a decade later, as Big Brother 19 will be an entirely digital edition, which can only be viewed on CBS All Access.

Because it will be a completely online entity, social media has been buzzing with rumors regarding whether Julie Chen will host given the format, the new cast, when Big Brother 19 will begin, if the grand prize will be similar, and other such intriguing tidbits.

Many speculated that Jeff Schroeder, a Big Brother veteran who now conducts cast interviews and hosts The Big Brother After Show online for CBS, would be the designated Big Brother 19 host, but that rumor was put to rest by Julie herself.

Julie took to her Twitter page on August 4 and posted, “There’s no Big Brother without the #Chenbot!! #BB19 I’ll see you this fall…”

The cast of Big Brother 19 has been another question fans have gossiped about, with @BB19Exposed tweeting the cast will consist of “a total of 12 new Houseguests plus 2 returnees #BB19.”

The type of cast members may also differ greatly, as Reality Blurred noted in late July that long-time Big Brother casting director Robyn Kass would not be cultivating houseguests for Big Brother 19 due to her participation in the Big Brother Canada 5 casting process.

This was confirmed by Robyn herself just days ago when she tweeted, “Hi all! I’m not casting the exciting new BB All Access season so I have no info, sorry. Focusing on #BBCAN5. Good luck…”

As for the Big Brother 19 premiere date, Deadline reports the digital season will probably start within days of the Big Brother 18 finale. @BB19Exposed tweeted that the premiere may be more than a few days after the current season wraps up, writing, “#BB19 will be streaming exclusively on CBS All Access beginning two weeks after #BB18 wraps up.”

@BB19Exposed also asserted, “The house décor will be similar to this season, but will undergo minor changes before #BB19 airs. #BB19.”

The length of the Big Brother 19 season is expected be abbreviated, as well. According to Deadline, a typical Big Brother season lasts around 13 to 14 weeks, but the digital version of the show is expected to run for about 10 weeks in total.

Some are also speculating that because there may be fewer viewers of Big Brother 19 due to its online only format, this may mean fewer sponsors and less money available to produce the show. Hence, this could impact the grand prize, which @BB19Exposed writes is “$250,000,” which, if true, would make it “…the smallest prize in BBUS history.”

Another interesting possibility for Big Brother 19 is that because it is online, entire competitions may be shown on live feeds rather than being taped and aired later, according to Big Brother Feedster.

For those who are concerned the online format of Big Brother 19 means the series is doomed, the Hollywood Reporter notes the new season is an “expansion of the franchise and will not replace the annual summer season of Big Brother, which will continue to air on the flagship CBS network.”

Clearly, all of this is rumor and speculation with the exception of Julie Chen, who confirmed she is hosting Big Brother 19.

The finale of Big Brother 18 is not that far away, so fans of the series will learn in due time exactly which unconfirmed rumors are true, and which are speculation or wishful thinking. Whatever the case may be, this new, novel season should be very interesting indeed, and Big Brother fans everywhere are sure to tune in for this unique programming experience.

In the meantime, Big Brother 18 airs on CBS Wednesday and Sunday nights at 8 p.m. Eastern Time, and Thursday nights at 9 p.m. Eastern Time. Big Brother After Dark airs on Pop Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights at 12 a.m. Eastern Time, Tuesday at 11 p.m. Eastern Time, and Thursday at 1 a.m. Eastern Time. Live feeds are broadcast from inside the Big Brother 18 house 24 hours a day, seven days a week and are available from CBS All Access.

[Image via CBS]

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