Julie Chen Of ‘Big Brother’ Reveals Her ‘Love-Hate Relationship’ With A Certain Game Element
As Big Brother 17 wraps up, host Julie Chen is speaking to media about the long-running program and how its finale will play out Wednesday night. Chen is often open about her feelings about the game, including its technical aspects. In an interview with the Hollywood Reporter, the host dubbed “ChenBot” laid out how she feels about the “Battle of the Block,” which returned this year after making its debut in Big Brother 16.
“I have a love-hate relationship with ‘Battle of the Block.’ Part of me feels like, ‘Wow, anything can happen.’ It also starts dictating and forming enemy lines, which can be good. But part of me thinks, ‘You know, before we invented Battle of the Block, pure game is always good.’ It boils down to the personalities in the house. If it went away I wouldn’t be sad. If it stayed I’d be cool with it, too. I used to like how Sundays would end on the nominations, slow motion, and the sour grapes in the diary room. I like it, I don’t think we need it.”
“Battle of the Block” introduced a new competition. For the first few weeks of the game, two Heads of Household were crowned and each nominated two houseguests. The houseguests who won the BOB competition were exempt from re-nomination that week and also dethroned the HOH who nominated them.
In a separate interview with the Hollywood Reporter, Big Brother producers Allison Grodner and Rich Meehan defended the BOB twist, despite its mixed reception from both Chen and Big Brother fans. Grodner wouldn’t say whether the twist will continue next year, but did say it played well on television.
“What it did for us is make a very exciting Sunday show — it gave an extra twist in there, a big competition that had weight to it, so in that way it’s been really good for us.”
In the past, Big Brother has featured other competitions with less impact on the game, such as luxury prize or have / have-not competitions.
Meehan said the BOB has introduced a new strategy element in both years it’s been used.
“The interesting thing about it is it got used very differently. Last season, they put weaker players on the block. This season, they convinced people to throw it.”
As for the returning juror twist, the producers wouldn’t say whether or not it will be back. But Grodner spoke positively about that game element.
“We like it, and it certainly works well in the show, but we like to change things up. We’re not going to predict whether it will be here or not next year.”
Big Brother 17 wraps up Wednesday, September 23, at 9:30 p.m. on CBS. In addition to crowning a winner, Julie Chen will also announce the winner of America’s Favorite Houseguest.
[Photo by Frederick M. Brown / Getty Images Entertainment]
