“Big Brother” is set to launch a celebrity edition, and now, just a few days after the big announcement, some members of the cast list of the upcoming CBS reality show has already been leaked out. According to Celebrity Dirty Laundry, the “Celebrity Big Brother” cast will allegedly include several reality stars. The list includes Tiffany Pollard (VH1’s “Flavor of Love”), Drita D’avanzo (“Mob Wives”), Natalie Nunn (“Bad Girls Club Season 4”), and Duane “Dog” Chapman (“Dog the Bounty Hunter).
In addition, YouTube star Bradtheladlong has reportedly been named for the CBS celebrity-themed spin-off.
And, with the most famous name on the list, NSYNC singer Lance Bass is also rumored to be joining the “Celebrity Big Brother” cast.
Big name backstory
The rumored “Celebrity Big Brother” cast is a far cry from the talent that was talked about when the “Big Brother” spin-off show was originally proposed back in 2001, when “Big Brother” was in its second season. According to the New York Post, longtime "Big Brother” host, Julie Chen revealed that in a meeting 15 years ago, CBS executives announced that they had secured Paris Hilton for a spot on the spinoff show, with Roseanne Barr also a rumored contender until she pulled out from talks. The U.S. “Celebrity Big Brother” ultimately fell through, and the idea was resurrected a few years ago, but it didn’t make financial sense for CBS at the time.
Now, with “Big Brother” dominating CBS’ summer schedule, the time—and the price—is right. Chen did not confirm the leaked cast list. The longtime CBS host told the Post that the new show “is just starting the process” of finding celebrities for the “Big Brother” house. Instead of confirming Drita and Dog, Chen threw out the big names of “Big Brother” super fans like Jimmy Fallon and Jimmy Kimmel as houseguests she would like to see compete in the celebrity spin-off of her long-running reality show.
Not exactly a new idea
“Celebrity Big Brother” is new to the U.S., but the show has been a big hit in the U.K. for several years. The premise sounds a bit like the previous reality show, “The Surreal Life,” which featured celebrities like Vanilla Ice and Erik Estrada holed up in a Hollywood Hills mansion together for two weeks with no contact with the outside world. “The Surreal Life” aired for six seasons on VH1.
The CBS version of “Celebrity Big Brother” will air this winter, possibly as an alternative to NBC’s coverage of the 2018 Winter Olympics.
