Julie Chen Moonves to Continue Hosting ‘Big Brother

CBS’s reality show ‘Big Brother’ is set to return on August 2 with its 25th season, and guess who is coming back as well? None other than the original host, Julie Chen Moonves, who has been there since day one.

Though she had initially rejected the hosting offer, Julie has since become the face of the show, known for her famous phrase “expect the unexpected.” However, this raises the question: How long does she plan to stay?

“I was doing morning news and Big Brother for multiple years,” recalls Chen Moonves. “And I got it down to a science where I was on a plane twice a week, every week, so I could still do my main job hosting the morning news in New York, and then Thursday nights kicking someone out of the Big Brother house.”

A Look Back at Julie’s Journey

In the early days, when ‘Big Brother’ had just started in 2000, Julie was also part of CBS’ ‘The Early Show’ as a morning news reader. This required her to constantly travel across the country, a schedule she isn’t sure she could maintain now at 53.

Over time, Julie has embraced the change from the severe news persona to being the “Chenbot” of Big Brother. This transition took a few seasons, but she eventually found her footing and began to showcase her personality on the show.

Julie’s Transition to the West and The Talk

Julie’s move to the West to host CBS’s daytime show, ‘The Talk,’ made things much more straightforward. No more weekly flights, no more running between coasts, and she got to reveal the honest Julie to her audience. With her move to The Talk, Big Brother became an even more manageable job for her.

“Working at The Talk for eight years helped me with that because I got to be real Julie. I got to show shades of my sense of humor. But it’s not about me, it’s about the Houseguests. And I’m just the conductor driving the train — praying that we get off the air on time with an HOH named.”

Will Julie Continue to Host Big Brother?

Regarding how long she wishes to stay, Julie prefers taking it one season at a time. She’s all set for season 25 and doesn’t want it to end. The decision to quit will come down to her feeling that the public is tired of her or if the show no longer aligns with her.

But as of now, Julie sees no reason to step down. She believes she will know when the time comes for her to leave or for the show to end. But until then, in her own words, “expect the unexpected.”