The doors to the Big Brother house may be shut for now… but the countdown to chaos has already begun.
Season 27 wrapped up on Sept. 28, with New York City lawyer Ashley Hollis wiping the floor with unemployed Californian Vince Panaro. The finale of Big Brother 27 experienced a three-year high in viewership, and the ratings were up 33 percent compared to the prior year’s last episode.
So, what’s next for the long-running reality TV show? Read on for everything to know about Big Brother 28, as Gold Derby separates the truth from the theories and rumors.
When will Season 28 air?
No zing here! CBS makes room on its schedule every summer for a new installment of Big Brother, and 2026 will be no exception. The broadcast network has renewed the series for Season 28, and the casting process is currently open — more on that below. The show will undoubtedly return to its three-nights-a-week format that has made it so addictive to millions of viewers in the U.S. and around the world.
Rumors have been swirling on social media that Season 28 will actually take place this November or December and feature a cast of former all-star houseguests. That is false. Gold Derby has learned there will be no such winter cycle. Sorry, all-stars — the fans still love you! In other words, the next time we’ll see the Big Brother house in all its glory will be in the summer of 2026.
As completists know, CBS produced a show outside of the normal summer rotation with Big Brother Reindeer Games in December 2023. That six-episode mini-season welcomed back some of the program’s biggest competitors of all time, and Season 18’s Nicole Franzel-Arroyo eked out a victory over Season 24’s Taylor Hale. Fans have wanted a Reindeer redux ever since, but the studio has yet to give it the green light.
Season 28 casting
Big Brother began accepting applications for Season 28 around the same time Season 27 concluded. Think you have what it takes to scheme your way to the $750,000 grand prize? Potential houseguests must be a United States citizen and meet the eligibility requirements, which are detailed on the official website. Big Brother‘s casting director, Jesse Tannenbaum, is a three-time Emmy nominee for The Amazing Race (2024-25) and Survivor (2025).
Will Julie be back?
Julie Chen Moonves has been a part of every single premiere, eviction episode, and finale since the first season in 2000. (The one exception is when she got sick in Season 26 and was temporarily replaced by CBS’ The Talk host Jerry O’Connell.) It’s unimaginable to think of Big Brother continuing without Chen Moonves, whom the viewers affectionately call “ChenBot.”
BB Unlocked
The first-ever Big Brother after-show, Big Brother Unlocked, made its debut in Season 27 with cohosts Derrick Levasseur (winner of Season 16) and Taylor Hale (winner of Season 24). It’s unclear at this time whether CBS will renew the format, though fans loved seeing behind-the-scenes moments and expert insight into the contestants’ gameplay. Unlocked usually aired every other Friday and involved special guests like Jerry O’Connell, Bobby Moynihan, Rob Mariano, Lance Bass, James Gunn, and Chelsie Baham (winner of Season 26).
Potential Premiere Date: What History Tells Us
Looking at the past decade, Big Brother typically launches between late June and mid-July. With the last two seasons premiering in mid-July, Season 28 is expected to follow that same timeline.
Nothing is official yet — but mid-July 2026 is the safest bet.
Will there be a twist?
There will most likely be a season-long twist next year, because as the houseguests know, “expect the unexpected.” At this point, there’s no way to know what the Big Brother producers have in store for Season 28. They probably don’t even know! Recent seasons have focused on themes and twists involving the Mastermind (a demonic evil entity who loves shaking up the status quo), an AI bot named Ainsley (a blue feminine artificial intelligence entity), and the Multiverse (where various plots intertwined).
What are your theories? Come back here often for Big Brother spoilers, news and updates.
