Julie Chen Says She Won’t Be Touching The ‘Big Brother’ All-Stars: ‘Not Even A Chenbot Handshake’

Big Brother host Julie Chen Moonves says she won’t get too close to the Big Brother: All-Stars houseguests this season as the CBS reality show follows super strict protocols amid the coronavirus health pandemic.

Hours after she gave fans a virtual tour of the 2020 Big Brother “loft,” the longtime TV host said safety protocols will continue to be followed even after the houseguests get out of their separate quarantined digs.

Julie told Entertainment Tonight she will regularly undergo COVID-19 testing as she hosts the 20th anniversary season of the CBS reality show.

“I’ll be farther than ever from the houseguests as they get evicted. No hugs, not even a Chenbot handshake,” she said, referencing her hilarious Big Brother nickname.

The CBS host added that there’s “too much on the line” to not go above and beyond to make sure everyone in the game stays safe.

Other changes include audience-free live shows, a first for the series that Julie has helmed every summer since 2000.

Julie will not be visiting the Big Brother house at all this summer, and all groceries and deliveries for the cast will be disinfected by staffers before being distributed.

Still, as in all previous Big Brother seasons, sharing a bed and hookups will not be off-limits. Julie said the returning players will be tested for COVID-19 every few days as they quarantine in separate quarters before moving in. By the time they enter the game, all players have to have been cleared for at least 14 days. As for the unseen production crew, everyone is working in a pod and will have no contact with the all-star players.

“If you ask me, once you’re in the Big Brother house, it might be one of the safest places to be,” Julie added.

There has been a lot of buzz about how Big Brother will be able to pull off this summer’s game during a pandemic. Even for the tour, which can be seen on Youtube here, Julie told fans she would be showing them the pad “safely…from a distance.” Instead of walking through the stunning all-stars loft, Julie teased that she was “somewhere near the Big Brother house.”

Other reality TV hosts, including American Idol’s Ryan Seacrest and The Bachelor’s Chris Harrison, have interacted with contestants from home for their shows. It is unclear where Julie will broadcast from, although it was teased that she has a spectacular new setup this season.