Pictured (L-R): Todrick Hall and Chris Kirkpatrick.
Photo: Screen Grab/CBS ©2022 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Host Julie Chen Moonves opens the premiere and welcomes viewers to the new season of Big Brother: Celebrity Edition. She explains that this installment features a diverse group of well-known personalities—Emmy winners, pop stars, athletes, actors, and reality television veterans—who will live together inside the Big Brother house for one intense month. Their shared aim is to outplay and outlast the others to win the $250,000 grand prize and the title of the season’s champion.
MEET THE HOUSEGUESTS
The celebrities enter the house one by one and introduce themselves to the cameras and to each other. Carson Kressley is first through the doors; the television personality known from Queer Eye for the Straight Guy and RuPaul’s Drag Race says he plans to be the home’s “Martha Stewart” while quietly embracing his competitive side. Model and actress Cynthia Bailey follows with confidence, noting that time on The Real Housewives of Atlanta has given her experience in high-pressure social games. Chris Kirkpatrick, a former member of *NSYNC, calls himself a longtime Big Brother superfan and arrives eager to play.
Shanna Moakler, former Miss USA and Playboy Playmate, enters ready to compete and declares she will do whatever it takes to win. Actor Todd Bridges, known for his role on Diff’rent Strokes, steps in next and receives a few admiring glances—Cynthia admits she had a childhood crush. Olympic figure skater Mirai Nagasu joins the group, recognized for being the first American woman to land a triple axel at the Olympics, bringing athletic discipline and determination.
Comedian and actor Chris Kattan brings his humor and optimism, hoping likability will translate to strategic advantage. Performer Todrick Hall, a singer and Broadway veteran, identifies as a Big Brother fan and says he wants to emulate strong strategic players. Former UFC champion Miesha Tate arrives prepared to use her physical and mental toughness in challenges. Reality personality Teddi Mellencamp, from The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills and daughter of musician John Mellencamp, believes her experience with camera-driven drama will serve her well. Finally, former NBA champion Lamar Odom rounds out the cast, describing himself as a fighter who doesn’t give up when the odds are against him.
Once everyone is inside, the group shares a toast to the new season, then settles into conversation as they size each other up. First impressions matter: some contestants trade quick jokes, others look for immediate allies. Chris Kattan humorously admits he’s having trouble remembering names, while Lamar’s 6’10” frame draws attention. Carson moves quickly to secure allies and approaches Todrick, Cynthia, and Shanna with an idea for an early alliance; they seem open to working together, at least for now.
HOH COMPETITION
Julie assembles the houseguests in the living room to explain the season’s intensified format. This edition will accelerate gameplay with two evictions per week: a Head of Household (HoH) competition, followed by a Power of Veto (PoV) competition, and then an eviction each cycle. With two houseguests leaving weekly, the stakes increase and decisions must be made quickly. After the briefing, the celebrities walk to the backyard to face their first Big Brother challenge.
The opening HoH competition is dramatic and physical: contestants don elaborate, gala-style outfits and must hold on while suspended on individual swings. Julie offers the Houseguests the option to volunteer as Master of Ceremonies, a role that requires sitting out of the competition without guaranteed safety; Todd Bridges volunteers for that position. Once the challenge begins, each celebrity must remain hanging while others fall away. If a contestant lets go and falls, they are eliminated from contention. The last person remaining will be crowned the first Head of Household of the season.
Competitors start dropping in relatively quick succession. Chris Kattan is the first to fall, followed shortly by Cynthia Bailey. Shanna Moakler and Lamar Odom fall almost simultaneously. Chris Kirkpatrick and Carson Kressley exit next. As the field narrows, four celebrities remain battling for HoH. Mirai Nagasu, after a steady performance, eventually slips and is eliminated. Todrick Hall asks Miesha Tate for a safety promise if he falls; Miesha offers him that assurance. When Todrick later drops, Teddi Mellencamp also seeks a safety guarantee, but Miesha tells her she cannot make the same commitment. Teddi then falls, leaving Miesha Tate as the last person hanging.
Miesha Tate becomes the season’s inaugural Head of Household, earning the first power to nominate fellow houseguests for eviction. Her win sets the tone for an aggressive, fast-paced game where alliances and decisions will be tested repeatedly.
Before the episode closes, Julie reveals a twist: a mysterious secret power is hidden inside a gift box known as the “Gala Gift.” She tantalizes the houseguests and the audience by hinting that the Gala Gift will act as a blessing for one person and a potential curse for another. The specifics of the twist are left unrevealed, promising fresh drama and strategic upheaval in the next episode of Big Brother: Celebrity Edition.