Julie Chen Moonves Reveals When She’ll Stop Hosting ‘Big Brother’

Julie Chen Moonves has been the host of Big Brother since its inception in 2000—and she has no plans of stepping down anytime soon. The veteran BB host told Entertainment Weekly she plans to outdo fellow CBS hosts Jeff Probst (Survivor) and Phil Keoghan (The Amazing Race), who’ve both been in the game as long as she has.

“You know what?” Chen Moonves said ahead of Big Brother’s 27^th season. “This is a game of chicken. As long as Probst and Keoghan are there, so am I. I’m not a quitter.”

Jeff Probst has hosted Survivor since 2000 and recently wrapped filming for its epic 50th season. Keoghan has been on Amazing Race since its debut in 2001. The show’s 38^th season was announced in May.

In addition to her friendly competition with the other CBS hosts, Chen Moonves admitted that she “can’t imagine” her life without the summertime reality show. “And I can’t imagine Big Brother without me,” she told EW. “It’s kind of like we go hand in hand. I’m part of the show from season 1 and part of building it up. …My catch phrases! Can you imagine someone else delivering ‘But first…’ or ‘Love one another’ or ‘Expect the unexpected’ or ‘The power is up for grabs’? I don’t think so.”

Chen Moonves has hosted every live episode of Big Brother since the series debut on July 5, 2000, save for a September 2024 absence due to a COVID-19 diagnosis. Former The Talk host Jerry O’Connell filled in for her on that one night, but the longtime Big Brother host still watched the show from home.

“I must sit tonight’s Big Brother Live eviction show out,” Chen Moonves told fans in an Instagram post at the time. “I hope Jerry fits into my dress, has a ball, and tells the houseguests I miss them but will be watching from home.”