Big Brother: Unlocked is returning to the 2026 TV schedule, and it's adding a notable celebrity superfan to the panel. Jerry O'Connell will be added to the panel alongside former Big Brother winners Taylor Hale and Derrick Levasseur, as they break down all the goings-on of Season 28. It's news that I'm psyched to hear, and honestly, it has me more invested in the series than ever.
While I'm usually watching Big Brother's live feeds with my Paramount+ subscription, I did occasionally tune into Big Brother: Unlocked when they had someone that I liked, or a big-name celebrity like James Gunn. O'Connell is someone who checks off both boxes for me, and I think he'll provide a big boost to the budding recap show.
Jerry O'Connell Adds Decades Of On-Camera Experience To BB: Unlocked
Taylor and Derrick did a solid enough job in their inaugural season of Big Brother: Unlocked, but I think adding an established television host like Jerry O'Connell will add a lot to the overall product. He was a co-host on the daytime series The Talk for years before its cancellation, and also hosts the game show version of Pictionary. BB fans may also remember he filled in for Julie Chen Moonves when she contracted COVID and was unable to appear in one episode in Season 26.
He's also an entertainer, and anyone who's seen his movies, shows, panels, or podcast appearances knows this. He may not be able to speak to the experience of playing Big Brother like Taylor and Derrick can, but he's more than capable of steering a show in a direction that could make it more entertaining and engaging for its audience.
BB: Unlocked Features A New "Fan Vote" That Will Impact The Season
Jerry O'Connell joining Big Brother: Unlocked is exciting, as is the new voting feature that will debut during the premiere episode. CBS announced a "new interactive fan vote" that will have a major impact on the game, which sounds very interesting. It also appears BB: Unlocked will feature a live-studio audience, which may also factor into this new twist.
So it sounds like if viewers want to have an impact on Season 28 of Big Brother, they're going to need to tune into BB: Unlocked. I'm certainly curious about this whole voting thing, and if it ties in at all to the theme and twist of Season 28, or has anything to do with returning houseguests.
In any case, if the goal in hiring on Jerry O'Connell and adding a fan vote was to get me more invested in BB: Unlocked, mission accomplished. I'm afraid I'm going to have to cancel more plans than I previously thought, and double-check that my Paramount+ subscription is up to date ahead of the big premiere!
Tune in for the premiere of Big Brother: Unlocked, which will air on CBS on Friday, July 10th at 8:00 p.m. ET. Of course, the Season 28 premiere will happen the day before, and then there's another episode on Sunday! I might as well cancel my plans for the entire weekend at this point, and I'm not mad about it.
