Summary
Big Brother 26 premieres with a unique twist, allowing houseguests to vote in a mysterious 17th player. Speculations suggest the 17th player could be a former contestant, such as Dan Gheesling, Derrick Levasseur, or Cameron Hardin. This season introduces an Artificial Intelligence theme, promising surprises, and unexpected gameplay.
Details about the cast of Big Brother 26, which premieres Wednesday, July 17, 2024, are finally here. And along with the usual 16 houseguests, there's also a twist that has never been done before. Of course, there's also that small detail of artificial intelligence (AI) being the theme of the season this year. "Expect the unexpected" is the show's tagline, and this season certainly holds true to that.
The big twist this season is that, for the first time, the houseguests will have the chance to vote in a 17th houseguest. Who (or what?) that person (or thing?) is remains to be seen. But it will surely surprise houseguests and viewers excitedly watching at home.
Who Is in the Big Brother Season 26 Cast?
There Are Plenty of Promising Houseguests
Before every season begins, CBS always provides a teaser, giving fans a glimpse into the 16 houseguests walking into the residence to spend their summer. It's a great way to start conversation or get that Fantasy Big Brother Pool going. This season, here's who will be participating (listed from left to right, top row, then bottom row based on the photo above):
Cam Sullivan-Brown (25) Bowie, MD, Physical Therapist T-Kor Clottey (23) Atlanta, GA, Crochet Business Owner Rubina Bernabe (35) Los Angeles, CA, Event Bartender Cedric Hodges (21) Boise, ID, Former Marine Joseph Rodriguez (30) Tampa, FL, Video Store Clerk Chelsie Baham (27) Rancho Cucamonga, CA, Non-Profit Director Matt Hardeman (25) Roswell, GA, Tech Sales Rep Brooklyn Rivera (34) Dallas, TX, Business Administrator Makensy Manbeck (22) Houston, TX, Construction Project Manager Kimo Apaka (35) Hilo, HI, Mattress Sales Rep Lisa Weintraub (33) Los Angeles, CA, Celebrity Chef Kenny Kelley (52) Boston, MA, Former Undercover Cop Tucker Des Laruriers (30) Brooklyn, NY, Marketing and Sales Executive Leah Peters (26) Miami, FL, VIP Cocktail Server Quinn Martin (25) Omaha, NB, Nurse Recruiter Angela Murray (50) Syracuse, UT, Real Estate Agent
A few of the cast members stand out from the get-go. The first is Kenny Kelley, who, while the oldest in the house, was also an undercover cop. He's both at an advantage and a disadvantage and could become one of the older players to get far in the game. Fans will recall that one of the best ever to play the game, Derrick Levasseur, was a police officer who had done undercover jobs before. He kept his profession a secret until the end, and the skills and knowledge he acquired helped tremendously in the game.
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Fans can't help but notice the surname of Lisa Weintraub, the celebrity chef from Los Angeles, which she shares with one of Big Brother's most volatile players. Scott Weintraub played on the fourth season of the show and was expelled when he reacted poorly to the entrance of his ex-girlfriend Amanda into the game during the X-Factor twist. However, Scott is from Chicago, so there's likely no relation. However, with two people sharing the same surname and appearing on the same reality show, fans are curious if there might be a connection.
With a job in marketing and sales, Tucker Des Laruriers is already emerging as a frontrunner, even giving off Dan Gheesling vibes. Makensy Manbeck and Brooklyn Rivera, both residing in Texas and working office jobs, suggest they could find common ground for an alliance. Cedric Hodges, meanwhile, is a former marine, which means he will likely be a competition beast. He could follow in the footsteps of other young players who have gotten far, like Ian Terry, who was just 21 when he won Season 14.
What's the Twist in This Season of Big Brother?
Big Brother Is Trying Something New
Close
This season's twist will give the houseguests the opportunity to vote to bring in a 17th houseguest. Since it's a vote, the twist could fall completely flat if everyone votes no. However, given that most people who go on Big Brother want to play hard and take advantage of every opportunity, this mysterious 17th person could enter the game.
There's a lot of speculation about who it could be. It's possible this could be a former cast member, even a former winner. While Gheesling hasn't appeared on the show since he was runner-up in Season 14 back in 2012, he recently appeared on the series The Traitors. Seeing as he didn't fare well there, he could be returning to reclaim his reputation. Levasseur is also a good possibility, seeing as he was supposed to return for the last All-Star season but reportedly didn't because his kids didn't want him to go.
It could also be more recent past players who fans believe deserve a second chance. One favorite in this respect is Brandon "Frenchie" French from Season 23. He was an instant favorite but played too hard and fast, and his paranoia got the best of him. Another option is Cameron Hardin from Season 25, who won America's Favorite Houseguest. The house was against them due to misunderstandings (and his forthright personality), but fans loved his intelligent gameplay. He returned immediately after for Big Brother: Reindeer Games but was immediately targeted and voted out, mainly because he was the "new guy" the other alums didn't know. Another option is that it's a fan favorite from another reality show. In Season 25, for example, Cirie Fields from Survivor was a surprise houseguest.
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There's also a hilarious theory that the 17th player could be an AI robot named Chenbot, the nickname host Julie Chen Moonves has received because of her serious, sometimes robotic, delivery as she commentates the show. Could it possibly be Zingbot or even a robot playing as America's Player? With the latter, it could scan the Internet to determine what fans want and use that information to decide who it aligns with or votes for. This would be a modern interpretation of the America's Player twist introduced in Season 8 (to player Eric Stein's detriment).
With nothing to lose, an AI could play out everything fans want to see without the players realizing that they're playing against the fans. Whoever (or whatever) it is, it would be anti-climactic if this 17th houseguest were an unknown person and not a unique twist that justifies its presence.
More About the AI Involvement in Big Brother 26
Artificial Intelligence Is a Big Theme This Season
Big Brother
Release Date July 5, 2000
Main Genre Family
Seasons 25
Studio CBS
AI is involved in every facet of life nowadays, so why not reality TV? Netflix reality competition series The Circle recently included it by having an AI "player" catfish the others, posing as a single young man. It worked well before the game let the cat out of the bag before it went too far.
For Big Brother, CBS is going all out with AI being the overarching theme of the new season, calling it the "Big Brother Artificial Intelligence" or "BB AI" summer. CBS says the new group of houseguests will "experience an unforgettable summer with jaw-dropping surprises as 'BB AI' takes over the 'Big Brother' house." It's a vague statement that leaves much to interpretation, which was likely the point.
"From summer camp, to tech, to the multiverse, 'Big Brother' loves to put a twist on topical and pop culture themes," says Allison Grodner and Rick Meehan in the news release. "This summer's 'BB AI' theme promises to bring the fun, the comedy and the unexpected game play that is a hallmark of 'Big Brother.'"
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Moonves told Entertainment Tonight that while some fans think the involvement of AI might turn evil, "Who knows in the hands of Big Brother. We are leaning into the madness but giving it our own special sauce." She adds that it will be "tongue and cheek" but also "a little bit scary" at the "expense of the houseguests." She alluded to the fact that because the show has been on the air for so long, players already know when certain things are coming, like double evictions or golden power of Vetos. "So, we have to crank it up a little bit."
If the AI is given a vote in evictions or to decide who is nominated based on calculating the likelihood of each person winning or even fan input, it could change the course of the game. But it's also entirely possible that Big Brother AI is simply an AI presence in the house the houseguests can talk to, without knowing what information Big Brother AI will share with them (or others) and when. Either way, the fact that the players won't have as much control as they have been used to and power can shift at any moment makes Big Brother so exciting. When this is out of the hands of the show or players and in the hands of a robot, things could get really interesting.
Big Brother is back with a two-night premiere on Wednesday, July 17, and Thursday, July 18. After that, it will air on Sundays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET. Those with a Paramount+ subscription with Showtime and Pluto TV viewers can catch the live feeds as well.
