The first episode of Big Brother 2021 will broadcast at 8 p.m. ET today (Wednesday, July 7). It's on CBS and will be available live and on-demand on Paramount Plus.
Place your bets! It's finally time to watch Big Brother 2021 online. Season 23 of the CBS reality series is kicking off tonight with a cast of 16 houseguests, all strangers, who are moving into the BB Beach Club in the premiere episode today! And the stakes are higher than ever.
This year's contestants include a flight attendant, make-up artist, start-up founder, farmer, kindergarten teacher, forensic scientist and an attorney, among others. They'll live together through a summer filled with big risks and big rewards, where one wrong gamble could cost them eviction. And by the end of episode 1, the houseguests will face a brand-new twist when they're given a double-or-nothing offer that may be too good to turn down.
- How to watch Love Island UK online
- All the latest news about Yellowstone season 4
- Plus: Yellowstone season 4 teaser hints that someone's going to die
Host Julie Chen returns to oversee the proceedings, which will move to three episodes a week starting July 11. Plus, CBS is partnering with Clubhouse to present events throughout the summer. Fans will have the chance to join conversations with Big Brother alums, insiders and experts. More details to follow.
The cast is entirely stocked with complete strangers for the first time in several seasons. They range in age from their 20s to 40s. One houseguest, Christie Valdiserri, had to leave the show before move-in due to a positive COVID test. She will be replaced by Claire Rehfuss.
The 16 houseguests will be living in the BB Beach Club, which executive producer Allison Grodner has described as a "house-meets-boutique hotel on the ocean, with some really fun elements that play into the theme." And this year will play heavily into the theme of gambling.
Here's everything you need to know about how to watch Big Brother 2021 online.
How to watch Big Brother 2021 with a VPN
Big Brother fans, if for some reason you've had to leave your own "bubble" — or you can't get CBS where you are for some strange reason — and you can't watch the Big Brother 2021 premiere, you're not out of luck. With a virtual private network, or VPN, you can appear to be surfing the web from your home town (or somewhere that blackouts won't hit), and access the same streaming services you already paid for.
Not sure which VPN is right for you? We've tested many different services and our pick for the best VPN overall is ExpressVPN. ExpressVPN offers superb speeds and excellent customer service, and IPVanish's low pricing is shocking.
Watch Big Brother 2021 in the US
In the U.S. Big Brother season 23 premieres today at 8 p.m. ET on CBS and on Paramount Plus.
Starting July 11, episodes will air Sundays and Wednesdays (8-9 p.m.) and Thursdays (8-9 p.m.). The latter will feature the live eviction show hosted by Julie Chen.
CBS is found on most cable TV packages, but you don't need traditional TV to watch the Big Brother 2021 premiere. The premiere, which starts today at 8 p.m. ET, can be streamed live with fuboTV or Paramount Plus.
FuboTV is great for pulling down a lot of major live events, as it has all the main broadcast networks and many of the big cable TV channels. That's why it's one of the best streaming services.
Paramount Plus is the streaming arm of ViacomCBS and the Premium plan comes with a live stream of your local CBS channel.
How to watch Big Brother 2021 in Canada
Canadian Big Brother fans can catch season 23 on GlobalTV. And Paramount Plus is available in Canada!
How to watch Big Brother 2021 in the U.K.
Bad news for Brits — it doesn't look like Big Brother 2021 will be airing live on any UK channels. That said, a VPN service such as ExpressVPN can help you watch along with fans across the world.
Big Brother 2021 cast
Here is the cast of Big Brother season 23. As mentioned above, Christie Valdiserri dropped out of the cast due to a positive COVID test. Claire Rehfuss is taking her place.
Alyssa Lopez
Age: 24 (will turn 25 on 7/17/21)
Hometown: Sarasota, Fla.
Current City: Sarasota, Fla.
Occupation: Swimwear Designer
Azah Awasum
Age: 30
Hometown: Baltimore, Md.
Current City: Baltimore, Md.
Occupation: Director of Sales Operations
Brent Champagne
Age: 28
Hometown: Cranston, R.I.
Current City: Cranston, R.I.
Occupation: Flight Attendant
Britini D'Angelo (pronounced BRIT-knee)
Age: 24
Hometown: Niagara Falls, N.Y.
Current City: Niagara Falls, N.Y.
Occupation: Kindergarten Teacher
Christian Birkenberger
Age: 23
Current City: Harwinton, Conn.
Occupation: General Contractor Assistant
Claire Rehfuss
Age: 25
Hometown: Chagrin Falls, Ohio
Current City: New York, N.Y.
Occupation: AI engineer
Derek Frazier
Age: 29
Hometown: Philadelphia, Pa.
Current City: Philadelphia, Pa.
Occupation: Safety Officer
Derek Xiao
Age: 24
Hometown: Baltimore, MD
Current City: New York, N.Y.
Occupation: Start-Up Founder
Brandon "Frenchie" French
Age: 34
Hometown: Camden, Tenn.
Current City: Clarksville, Tenn.
Occupation: Farmer ¬¬¬
Hannah Chaddha
Age: 21
Hometown: Chicago, Ill.
Current City: Chicago, Ill.
Occupation: Graduate Student
Kyland Young
Age: 29 (will turn 30 on 7/13/21)
Hometown: San Bernardino County, Calif.
Current City: Venice Beach, Calif.
Occupation: Account Executive
Sarah Steagall
Age: 27 (will turn 28 on 8/9/21)
Hometown: Boiling Springs, SC
Current City: Ft. Myers, Fla.
Occupation: Forensic Scientist
Tiffany Mitchell
Age: 40 (will turn 41 on 8/5/21)
Hometown: Detroit, Mich.
Current City: Detroit, Mich.
Occupation: Phlebotomist
Travis Long
Age: 22
Hometown: Austin, Texas
Current City: Honolulu, Hawaii
Occupation: Tech Sales Consultant
Whitney Williams
Age: 30
Hometown: Portland, Ore.
Current City: Portland, Ore.
Occupation; Make-Up Artist
Xavier Prather
Age: 27
Hometown: Kalamazoo, Mich.
Current City: Milwaukee, Wis.
Occupation: Attorney
