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‘Big Brother 19’ Casting Officially Begins: Will All-Stars Return For Season 19?

By Victoria Miller
Published on: 23:54 PST, Feb 19, 2017

Big Brother 19 casting is underway. Applications are being accepted for the 19th edition of the CBS reality show, and wannabe houseguests don’t even have to attend an open casting call. Big Brother casting director Robyn Kass posted a series of tweets announcing the official opening of the Big Brother 19 casting call, and she made it clear that potential houseguests don’t have to audition in person and can complete the initial audition process online. Kass also assured fans that every single video submitted will be watched.

Of course, all Big Brother 19 castmates must meet the show’s eligibility requirements. While the early part of the process can be completed online, applicants who make the cut will be required to travel to Los Angeles over the next few months for the final interviews and selection process,

The guidelines for Big Brother 19 also state that all potential houseguests must be U.S. citizens at least 21-years-old and they must agree to relocate to Los Angeles for approximately 100 days this summer to compete for the $500,000 Big Brother grand prize. Each houseguest guest will receive a weekly stipend, which will be paid out after the Big Brother Season 19 finale. Cities for the open casting calls have not yet been announced.

Big Brother 19 hopefuls can look to past alums of the CBS reality shows for tips on how to make their application stand out. BB legend Dan Gheesling has penned an entire book on the subject, titled How to Get on Reality TV. And in an essay for Big Brother Network, Season 12 alum Matt Hoffman advised applicants on how to make it to the casting finals. Hoffman applied to Big Brother nine times, made it to six different semi-finals, and then to the BigBrother finals twice before being cast. Hoffman’s biggest piece of advice to “be a character” and then stick with the same story throughout the entire casting process.

Of course, Big Brother 19 applicants also need to have a thick skin. Not only are contestants on the CBS summertime reality show judged as they’re being filmed 24/7, but they’re under a microscope after the cameras stop rolling. Big Brother 18 sweetheart Natalie Negrotti, who was part of last season’s Jatalie showmance, recently posted that she is taking a social media break to get away from all of the negative people.

Speaking of showmances, Big Brother host Julie Chen recently got sentimental about the show’s most memorable showmances. Chen posted a photo of some of Big Brother’s most famous couples, including fan favorites Jordan Lloyd and Jeff Schroeder and Rachel Reilly and Brendon Villegas. Julie’s walk down memory lane has some fans wondering if some Big Brother all-star players will be thrown into the mix for Season 19.

To add more fuel to the speculation fire, Chen recently posted a photo of two-time Big Brother competitor Frank Eudy, captioning it with: “Anyone else ready for #BB19?”

While the opening of the open casting call makes it appear that a batch of new houseguests will be cast, Big Brother has been known to throw viewers a few curveballs in the past. Past players, including Eudy and Big Brother 18 winner Nicole Franzel, have turned up on several seasons of the show.

Fans have been hoping for another Big Brother: All-Stars season ever since the first edition aired in 2006, and Julie Chen has confirmed that she has long been pushing for a supersized season that would feature all of the show’s past winners.

“I have been actually pushing for an ‘All-Star‘ season in that it’s beyond ‘all-star,'” Chen told Entertainment Tonight. “It’s the cream of the crop. It’s the winner from each season to compete. So, it’s the ‘Winner’s Circle.’ And I’m talking back to Season 1, Eddie [McGee]. I mean all the way back!”

But even Chenbot doesn’t have full control over the casting process. In fact, while she wants to see all-star players make a return, the longtime Big Brother host previously downplayed the possibility of an entire season of past players.

“Look, we love the Will Kirbys, the Mike Boogies, and the Janelles, and they will always have a special spot in our hearts,” Chen told Entertainment Weekly. “And maybe they’ll make an appearance in some sort of stunt, but I think the beauty of this game is showing true fans who have never played it. And I think you want that, and you lose that element if you bring people that have lived in that house before.”

In other words, it’s time for some future all-stars to make their debut this summer. Do you have what it takes to be on Big Brother 19?

Take a look at the video below to see Julie Chen talking about her favorite Big Brother twists.

[Featured Image by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images]

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