Multiple Big Brother Contestants Test Positive for COVID-19, Cut from Cast Ahead of Premiere

We are just hours away from the premiere of Big Brother: All-Stars.

The series is bringing back 16 houseguests from previous seasons to compete for the $500,000 cash prize all over again.

However, it has now emerged that some people have been cut from the cast ahead of the premiere, with host Julie Chen confirming they tested positive for COVID-19.

“I don’t even know all the confirmed 16 houseguests,” CheN told CBSN Los Angeles during a virtual interview on Tuesday, August 4, according to US Weekly.

“I know it’s eight women and eight men, all-stars that we all know from seasons past. … I said, ‘Don’t even tell me, I might slip [up].’ I mean, I know some of the names that are most likely going in, but I don’t want to know all the names until I’m done talking to you.”

Big Brother All-Stars has been rumored for months, but CBS only officially announced it around two weeks ago.

The reason for the late announcement was that the series had to get the go-ahead to produce a season during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The series is set to launch tonight with a two-hour move-in event, but not everyone in contention will be there.

“We flew in a bunch of people, more than 16,” she said.

“And some people I thought were definitely going in the house, they tested positive for COVID-19 so they couldn’t go in. And I thought, ‘Well, expect the unexpected.’ … I’ll just find out when I need to find out.”

Chen does not name names.

It was just one day ago that Big Brother 19 winner Josh Martinez announced he would not be a part of the series.

This comes weeks after multiple reports said that he was sequestering to star in the new season.

Kaycee Clark, who won Big Brother 20, was also said to be sequestering, but is no longer showing on the rumored cast lists.

Scheduling the series during a pandemic is proving to be tough, and CBS recently announced that the cast would be in a bubble once they enter the most famous house on TV.

As of now, the cast is looking like the following:

- Christmas Abbott, Season 19

- David Alexander, Season 21