Jerry O’Connell Joins ‘Big Brother: Unlocked’ On CBS

Jerry O’Connell is joining the Big Brother companion series Big Brother: Unlocked, which premieres on Friday, July 10, at 8 p.m. ET on CBS and Paramount+.

The former The Talk show co-host will be joining the panel alongside Big Brother champions Taylor Hale and Derric Levasseur.

“Big Brother is my summer and rolls into my fall too. I’m already watching on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays, so the fact that CBS is now paying me to do it is kind of amazing,” O’Connell said in a statement. “It’s an absolute honor to sit next to Derrick—‘Champ,’ as I call him—and Taylor, who is my all-time favorite Big Brother winner (sorry, Jag). This is what we call in showbiz a dream gig.”

He continued, “I’ll do my best to be the voice of the fans, but as Julie says, expect the unexpected. And most importantly, remember to love one another. I’m soooo excited to join the Big Brother fam!”

O’Connell is a reality TV show connoisseur, as one of the biggest fans of The Real Housewives franchise. His love for Big Brother is also extensive, and he subbed in for host Julie Chen Moonves during a BB26 live eviction episode when she tested positive for Covid.

O’Connell, Hale and Levasseur will anchor the companion series as part of Big Brother’s biggest summer ever, featuring more programming hours than any season in the franchise’s history. This season, Big Brother will make television history as the first primetime series ever to reach 1,000 original episodes (date of the 1,000th episode to be announced).

Big Brother: Unlocked will break down gameplay, evaluate the competition and share exclusive insider perspectives. The premiere episode launches a new interactive fan vote that will have a major impact on the game and kicks off the season’s live studio audience experience, a new addition that will continue throughout the summer. Featuring new and returning fan-favorite segments, the series will offer exclusive content, inside-the-house footage, behind-the-scenes access, extended interviews, at-home packages, surprise visits from past BB favorites, unparalleled access—and the return of the coveted BBies Award Show.

Big Brother Season 28 will premiere with a special 90-minute episode on Thursday, July 9 at 8 p.m. ET/PT, followed by the season premiere of Big Brother: Unlocked on Friday, July 10 at 8 p.m. ET/PT. A 90-minute Sunday episode of the main series will cap off the opening weekend on Sunday, July 12 at 8 p.m. ET/PT.