Inside ‘Big Brother’ Season 23: An All-New Cast, Surprise Twist & More

Season 23 of the summer staple Big Brother sure sounds like a breath of fresh air. Here are three reasons it deserves your attention three nights a week — Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday.

1. The All-New Cast

For the first time in several years, landlady/host Julie Chen Moonves will welcome complete strangers: no returnees, no hidden connections. The 16 housemates, whose ages range from twenties to forties, move in live Wednesday, July 7, and they’re a diverse bunch. “We’re always trying to find people who look and feel different than we’ve seen in the past,” notes exec producer Rich Meehan.

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'Big Brother': Meet the Houseguests of Season 23 (PHOTOS)

2. The Escapist Digs

Keeping in mind an audience that was housebound for months, producers have turned the show’s central lockdown upside down: Houseguests will “vacation” in a Monte Carlo–Miami mashup known as
the BB Beach Club. Executive producer Allison Grodner describes the redesigned set as a “house-meets-boutique hotel on the ocean, with some really fun elements that play into the theme.” In other words: casino!

(Credit: CBS)

3. The Surprise Twist

Gambling plays a big part in this high-risk season, and at the end of the 90-minute opener, Grodner reveals, “Julie makes [the house-guests] what I call ‘an offer they can’t refuse.’” A $500,000 grand prize awaits the Big Brother winner — but who will be brave enough to take this double-or-nothing offer to get there?