The 90-minute season premiere of Big Brother 23 airs tonight on CBS. Read a live recap here.
Tonight 16 new Houseguests will move in to the Big Brother house. They will compete in a power struggle until one wins the grand prize. This season will be filled with big risks and big rewards, along with the biggest cash prize in Big Brother history.
It’s time to meet the first four Houseguests: Travis, Xavier, Frenchie, and Derrick F. Travis is from Hawaii and a salesman. He lives the island boy life and calls himself a people person. Derrick F. is a safety assistant from Pennsylvania. His father is Joe Frazier. He says it’s time for someone big like him to win the game. Frenchie is a farmer from Tennessee. He believes people will underestimate him, but he used to be in the military and he’s a Big Brother super fan. Xavier is an attorney from Wisconsin. He played college basketball, but couldn’t go pro due to an injury. He wants to avoid a showmance and do whatever it takes to win.
Julie teases extreme risks for extreme rewards to the first four. She warns one wrong move could cost them everything. She tells them to go into the backyard to compete in the first competition: the kickoff competition. Whoever wins can change the course of the game and is eligible to compete to be HoH. For this competition, they must rearrange five plexiglass images so they match the poster on the easel behind it. Frenchie wins the competition.
It’s time to meet the next four Houseguests. Azah is from Maryland and works in tech. She has over 300 cousins and had a strict upbringing. Britini is a recent college graduate from New York. She graduated from grad school as a valedictorian, and she is a 4th Degree black belt. She also was diagnosed with autism. Alyssa is from Florida and works as a swimwear designer. She believes her best asset will be her social game. Whitney is from Oregon and runs a freelance makeup company. She wants to provide for her children. She doesn’t want to be in a showmance, but she admits it could happen.
Before the competition, Julie asks them to raise their hands if they’re gamblers. None of them raise their hands, and Julie says it’s a shame since the house this year is designed for gamblers. She tells Azah, Britini, Alyssa, and Whitney to head to the backyard and compete in the next kickoff competition. It’s the same game with plexiglass posters, but the image is different this time. Whitney wins the competition.
The next four Houseguests are Kyland, Christian, Derek X., and Brent. Kyland is from California and works as an account executive. He says he doesn’t fit in one box and embraces all parts of life. Christian is a general contractor assistant from Connecticut. He calls himself a physical threat that will be underestimated. Derek X. lives in New York as a start-up founder that works with influencers. He says his parents didn’t want him to go on the show, but he promised them he’ll win the $500,000. Brent is a flight attendant from Rhode Island. He says he will use his charm to get ahead in the game. The four of them go out into the backyard to compete in their heat of the kickoff competition. Christian wins the competition.
The last four Houseguests are Sarah, Hannah, Claire, and Tiffany. Sarah is a forensics chemist from Florida. She knows how to stay calm under pressure. She’s an anime fan who cosplays. Hannah is a grad student from Illinois. She graduated college at 19 at the top of her class. She wants to become a doctor. She plans to downplay her education in the house. Claire lives in New York as an AI engineer. She wants an all-female alliance. She’s bisexual, and she’s willing to get into a showmance with a man or a woman if it helps her game. Tiffany is a phlebotomist from Michigan. She’s 40 years old, but she isn’t concerned about being potentially the oldest Houseguest. She’s a super fan of the show too. The four women head into the backyard for the final heat of the kickoff competition. Claire wins the competition.
Julie informs the Houseguests that they will play in teams of four this season. The winners of each competition heat will be the team captains. They will see short videos of two Houseguests at a time and then draft one of them. Frenchie is team captain of the Jokers. Frenchie chooses Azah instead of Hannah. Whitney is the team captain of the Aces. Whitney chooses Brent instead of Travis. Christian is team captain of the Kings. Christian chooses Alyssa instead of Tiffany. Claire is team captain of the Queens. Claire chooses Kyland instead of Xavier. The team captains can now make their second picks. Frenchie picks Britini over Sarah. Whitney chooses Derek X over Derek F. Christian chooses Xavier instead of Derek F. Claire chooses Tiffany over Sarah. Frenchie chooses Derek F. instead of Travis. Whitney chooses Hannah instead of Sarah. Since the teams must have two men and two women, Sarah is a King and Travis is a Queen by default.
THE JOKERS
Frenchie (Team Captain)
Azah
Britini
Derek F.
THE ACES
Whitney (Team Captain)
Brent
Derek X
Hannah
THE KINGS
Christian (Team Captain)
Alyssa
Xavier
Sarah
THE QUEENS
Claire (Team Captain)
Kyland
Tiffany
Travis
Now it’s time for the Head of Household competition! The four teams will be competing against each other, and the team captain will be the HoH. The team captains must build a triangular house of cards puzzle. The team members will balance the platform while the team captain assemble the pieces. The first captain to buzz in with a completed puzzle will win HoH and their entire team will be safe. In addition, the team that comes in last place will be the Have-Nots for the week. The challenge begins, and Frenchie is the first to buzz in with his house of cards still standing. Frenchie is HoH and the Jokers are safe from eviction. The Queens and the Aces get second place and third place respectively. The Kings will be the Have-Nots for the week.
Julie tells the Houseguests to expect the unexpected. She informs them the winner of Big Brother will win $750,000 this year. In addition, she offers Frenchie a “double or nothing” offer. He can throw dice to land on a table. If he wins, then the Jokers will win an additional week of safety. If he loses, then Frenchie will no longer be HoH and the Jokers will lose their safety. Claire would become the HoH instead. Julie asks Frenchie for his decision. He chooses to pass. Julie asks him to play anyway to see what would have happened. He manages to land the two dice under 45 seconds, but it doesn’t count since he turned down the offer.
And that wraps up tonight’s premiere of Big Brother 23. Who will Frenchie nominate for eviction? And who will be the first Houseguest evicted? Find out next Thursday at the first live eviction!
