‘Big Brother’ Fans React to Most Diverse Cast in Show’s History
Big Brother officially kicked off its 23rd season on Wednesday night, and viewers were pleased to see CBS keep its promise in increasing the diversity of its cast.
Julie Chen-Moonves introduced the 16 new houseguests to the “Big Brother Beach House” for another season of alliances, backstabbing, and showmances. And with the new season came new twists, like how the contestants will be competing in teams of four and the overall prize fund being increased from half a million dollars to $750,000. But the most welcome change was the cast itself.
Big Brother has come under scrutiny in the past for issues surrounding race, both on-screen and behind the camera. Several past houseguests have been caught making racist remarks on the show, most notably in the 2015 and 2019 editions. Following backlash over how the network and production handled those controversies, CBS vowed last year that going forward, its reality show casts would include at least 50% Black, Indigenous, and other people of color (BIPOC).
Fans were happy to see the show deliver on its promise in Wednesday’s 90-minute season premiere. Of the 16 houseguests, eight are POC, and several contestants identify as LGBTQ+. “Shoutout to the new casting team for casting 8 POC & 4 LGBTQ!,” wrote one Twitter user. Many others shared similar sentiments across social media.
Shoutout to the new casting team for casting 8 POC & 4 LGBTQ! #BB23 pic.twitter.com/a5eEmlRaGc
— Myriam 🌊 (@maximusmom13) July 8, 2021
Hold on… did @CBSBigBrother get a new head of casting… because finally it’s a diverse cast! I don’t ever think I’ve seen this many people of color move in to the BB house at once! I’m here for it! #bigbrother23 #BB23 pic.twitter.com/zNUIKHVHSB
— Karamo (@Karamo) July 8, 2021
the LGBT representation this season is 🔥 #BB23 pic.twitter.com/wt3iHL1NBF
— robertᵇˡᵐ (@realityrxbert) July 8, 2021
I just want to say a huge thank you to the casting team this season for giving us the most promising cast I’ve ever seen. I know it’s early but these people are all so diverse and interesting and seem to truly love the show. ♥️♥️ #BB23
— Andy Herren (@AndyHerren) July 8, 2021
i’m sorry it hasn’t fully set in but look at how diverse this cast is 😭😭 #BB23 pic.twitter.com/fj3OVYHB47
— Daniel ICON Brown #BB23 (@danieliconbrown) July 6, 2021
Really happy that they finally casted a diverse group of houseguests this season. It should be this way every season from here on out! #BB23
— Golf fan (@TWfan19) July 8, 2021
“In summers past, we’ve seen some people who are used to their bubble, where their world outside of the Big Brother house is not very diverse, and then they behave in a way that is unacceptable,” Chen-Moonves told Entertainment Weekly ahead of the premiere. “So hopefully with this diverse cast, those who are, quote-unquote, minorities, are going to be able to have deep conversations and school people who maybe come from a neighborhood or an area where there’s not a lot of diversity.”