Survivor and Big Brother both premiered on CBS in 2000. One show drops contestants in the wilderness. The other secludes contestants in a house. After 26 years on the air, Julie Chen reveals why she thinks the show that she hosts is harder. Keep reading for all the details.
Host Has Shocking Reaction To Survivor Alums Joining New Big Brother Season
Big Brother and Survivor premiered the same year, but are wildly different. Survivor airs multiple seasons a year and recently celebrated its milestone 50th season. Meanwhile, Big Brother is a must-watch summer staple. Season 28 premiered this month. Two familiar faces were among the cast.
Survivor alum Dee Valladares and Rick Devens were surprise additions to the Season 28 Big Brother cast. Julie Chen shared her unfiltered thoughts on their inclusion. “I personally was not happy when I heard that two former Survivors were coming in,” she admitted to Parade magazine.
However, they weren’t the first to appear on both CBS reality competitions. Survivor alum Cirie Fields competed on Big Brother 25. But according to Julie Chen, that was different because she was competing alongside her son. She’s since warmed up to Dee Valladares but said that Rick Devens “doesn’t get” how Big Brother works.
Julie Chen Reveals Why Big Brother Is Harder Than Survivor
Big Brother and Survivor are two of the most-watched reality TV competitions. They couldn’t be more different. Survivor contestants live outdoors in the elements during their time on the show. Big Brother 28 contestants sleep in bunk beds but are confined to the house.
Julie Chen contends that Big Brother is harder than Survivor. Why? The complete and utter lack of privacy. The Big Brother house has cameras and audio everywhere, even the bathrooms. “There’s no hiding in the Big Brother house, not even the water closet, not even the little room with the toilet,” she told PEOPLE magazine.
“Please. I think Survivor is probably a cakewalk compared to Big Brother. You don’t have to escape. You get to walk and look at a sunset and breathe,” she added. Creating an alliance is a trademark of Survivor but it’s not so easy on Big Brother with someone listening at all times.
Julie Chen has hosted Big Brother for 28 seasons. Tell us in the comments if you agree with her that the competition is harder than Survivor.
Big Brother airs on CBS Sundays, Wednesdays and Thursdays at 8 PM Eastern. Big Brother: Unlocked airs on Fridays at 8 PM Eastern.
Jennifer Havener grew up in a small town in Upstate New York. She earned her B.A in Writing & Literature from Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado. She always knew watching reality TV shows and soap operas, particularly ‘Days of Our Lives’, would come in handy someday. When she’s not writing, she’s playing with her dogs, Lola and Ruger
