The reality TV genre has long been maligned for its lack of diversity, especially among broadcast shows. One of the most well-known examples is ABC’s The Bachelor, which finally had its first Black lead, Matt James, during a pandemic, controversial 25th season. If you ignore Tamar Braxton winning Celebrity Big Brother, a Black person has not won in 22 seasons. A Black person has not even been a runner-up on the series with $500,000 at stake.
In fact, producer Allison Grodner has taken heat through the years from social media as people of color were usually the first nominated to be evicted
Big Brother announced its most diverse cast yet as 16 all-new Houseguests will embark on the 23rd season of the series when they move into the “BB Beach Club” during the live 90-minute premiere event Wednesday, July 7 (8:00-9:30 PM, live ET/delayed PT) on the CBS Television Network.
This season’s cast includes a Flight Attendant, Make-Up Artist, Start-up Founder, Farmer, Kindergarten Teacher, Forensic Scientist, and an Attorney, among others.
And a Phlebotomist.
Cities represented include Chicago (Whoop), Philadelphia (Whoop Whoop), Milwaukee, Portland, Baltimore and Detroit.
This all-new group is in for a high-stakes summer full of Big Risks and Big Rewards, where one wrong gamble could cost them everything. By the end of the premiere episode, for the first time in Big Brother history, the Houseguests will be presented with a double-or-nothing offer that may be too good to refuse.
CBS’ summer reality hit will again have three weekly episodes. Beginning Sunday, July 11, the series will air Sundays and Wednesdays (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT) and Thursdays (8:00-9:01 PM, live ET/delayed PT), featuring the live eviction show hosted by Julie Chen Moonves.
Immediately following Big Brother’s premiere event will be the return of the romantic competition series Love Island for its third season debut.
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The following 16 new Houseguests will spend the summer competing for $500,000:
Name: Alyssa Lopez
Age: 24 (will turn 25 on 7/17/21)
Hometown: Sarasota, Fla.
Current City: Sarasota, Fla.
Occupation: Swimwear Designer
Name: Azah Awasum (pronounced AH-suh oh-WAH-sum)
Age: 30
Hometown: Baltimore, Md.
Current City: Baltimore, Md.
Occupation: Director of Sales Operations
Name: Brent Champagne
Age: 28
Hometown: Cranston, R.I.
Current City: Cranston, R.I.
Occupation: Flight Attendant
Name: Britini D’Angelo (pronounced BRIT-knee)
Age: 24
Hometown: Niagara Falls, N.Y.
Current City: Niagara Falls, N.Y.
Occupation: Kindergarten Teacher
Name: Christian Birkenberger
Age: 23
Current City: Harwinton, Conn.
Occupation: General Contractor Assistant
Name: Christie Valdiserri (pronounced val-dah-SER-ee)
Age: 27
Hometown: Philadelphia, Pa.
Current City: North Hollywood, Calif.
Occupation: Professional Dancer
Name: Derek Frazier
Age: 29
Hometown: Philadelphia, Pa.
Current City: Philadelphia, Pa.
Occupation: Safety Officer
Name: Derek Xiao (pronounced SH-ow)
Age: 24
Hometown: Baltimore, MD
Current City: New York, N.Y.
Occupation: Start-Up Founder
Name: Brandon “Frenchie” French
Age: 34
Hometown: Camden, Tenn.
Current City: Clarksville, Tenn.
Occupation: Farmer
Name: Hannah Chaddha (pronounced CHA-duh)
Age: 21
Hometown: Chicago, Ill.
Current City: Chicago, Ill.
Occupation: Graduate Student
Name: Kyland Young
Age: 29 (will turn 30 on 7/13/21)
Hometown: San Bernardino County, Calif.
Current City: Venice Beach, Calif.
Occupation: Account Executive
Name: Sarah Steagall (pronounced STEE-gull)
Age: 27 (will turn 28 on 8/9/21)
Hometown: Boiling Springs, SC
Current City: Ft. Myers, Fla.
Occupation: Forensic Scientist
Name: Tiffany Mitchell
Age: 40 (will turn 41 on 8/5/21)
Hometown: Detroit, Mich.
Current City: Detroit, Mich.
Occupation: Phlebotomist
Name: Travis Long
Age: 22
Hometown: Austin, Texas
Current City: Honolulu, Hawaii
Occupation: Tech Sales Consultant
Name: Whitney Williams
Age: 30
Hometown: Portland, Ore.
Current City: Portland, Ore.
Occupation; Make-Up Artist
Name: Xavier Prather (pronounced PRAY-thur)
Age: 27
Hometown: Kalamazoo, Mich.
Current City: Milwaukee, Wis.
Occupation: Attorney
Last season during her eviction, competitor Da’Vonne Rogers left the all-white houseguests, the audience, the producers and CBS with an important thought – there has never been a Black winner in 22 seasons of Big Brother.
Rogers advocated for more diversity in the series and more acceptance from the players. It seems like CBS executives heard her. We shall see.
Big Brother will also be available to stream live and on-demand on the CBS app and Paramount+, where fans will also be able to watch the 24/7 live feed and find exclusive content throughout the season.
