We are about a week away from the event of the summer that reality television fans anxiously await — the return of “Big Brother.”
The CBS competition show’s 26th season arrives on Wednesday, July 17, and host Julie Chen Moonves has been getting fans excited by teasing the season’s theme — which impacts the twists, competitions and evictions each year.
Leading up to the official announcement of the theme on July 9, Chen Moonves teased how “Big Brother” will live up to its “expect the unexpected” tagline this summer on social media. On June 17, she uploaded a joint Instagram post with the show’s account that revealed the graphic for Season 26.
“Not everything is as it seems this summer. #BB26 is unlike any season we’ve had yet and we’re just one month away. #BigBrother,” the cryptic caption said.
At the beginning of July, she posted a clip of a spinning wheel covered in photos of her. “Happy July! It’s a lovely day because we are only days away from hearing the first ‘But First,’ of #BB26 🤗🤗 who’s ready?!” she asked, referencing her signature phrase on the show.
For her final clue, she uploaded close-ups of objects in the Season 26 house. “Connect the dots,” she wrote.
After a month of letting fans decipher the clues, Chen Moonves and the show finally confirmed that Season 26 will have an artificial intelligence theme.
“Introducing BBAI 🚀 —,” their joint post on Instagram said. “Unlocking the mysteries of the #BB26 house one algorithm at a time.”
The post also included a short clip highlighting the different rooms in the house, which are re-decorated each year to match the current season’s theme.
Learn more about the theme and take a tour of the “Big Brother” Season 26 house, below.
What is the ‘Big Brother’ Season 26 theme mean?
On July 9, the CBS series announced in a press release that “Big Brother Artificial Intelligence” — or “BB AI” for short — is going to take over the house and “deliver the most unpredictable season” for the houseguests.
The show also confirmed that it will have a two-night premiere across Wednesday, July 17 and Thursday, July 18. The episodes will air at 9 p.m. ET and will be available to stream on Paramount+, as well.
“From summer camp, to tech, to the multiverse, BIG BROTHER loves to put a twist on topical and pop culture themes,” the show’s executive producers Allison Grodner and Rich Meehan said in the press release.
They predicted the AI theme will “bring the fun, the comedy and the unexpected game play” to the season.
‘Big Brother’ Season 26 house tour
Ahead of the houseguests moving in, the show unveiled the newly designed house and revealed that the bedrooms were “created” using different “BB AI prompts.”
For the HOH room, where one houseguest will reign for a week and enjoy immunity while trying to figure out which contestants to nominate, BB AI was tasked with creating “a refreshing retreat.” The room includes multiple blue sofas where houseguests can discuss nominations and form alliances.
The front bedroom features different colored beds stacked next to each other on varying levels. For this room, BB AI envisioned a “futuristic bedroom for the year 2500.”
Bedroom two is BB AI’s version of a “fantasy fairy garden.” The room looks fit for a fairy tale and includes pink and purple bedding, forest wallpaper and green carpet to mimic a forest floor.
Houseguests sleeping in bedroom three might wake up and think they are floating. The room, which was based on the BB AI prompt “a sci-fi rocky planet setting,” has a cloud floor to make the rocky beds look like they are suspended in air.
As for the dreaded Have-Not room — the undesirable room where contestants have to sleep for a week while also suffering through cold showers and limited food options — is supposed to represent BB AI crashing and leaving “only a wireframe skeleton” for bed frames. The room also features countless neon lights that will likely make it even more difficult for the houseguests to sleep.
The Season 26 lounge area includes a small aquarium and a chess board.
In the yellow and blue bathroom, the houseguests will have plenty of seating so that they can still strategize while getting ready.
The spacious kitchen has an extended island and a large table that will get smaller throughout the season—a tradition on “Big Brother.”
So, who has been tapped to compete on Season 26? The press release teased that the “all-new” cast will be revealed soon.