‘Big Brother’ Host Julie Chen Moonves Strongly Hints at Return of Popular Twist for Season 27

Big Brother fans have seen many “twists” come and go over the years— Pandora’s Box, the Saboteur, and Coup d'état, just to name a few— but a much more recent change to the game could be making a comeback for Season 27.

Twenty-five years after the CBS reality show made its debut, host Julie Chen Moonves teased that the three-nominee format featured for part of Season 26 could happen again.

Speaking with Entertainment Weekly, Chen Moonves admitted she was a “fan” of last season’s twist, dubbed AI Arena, which featured the Head of Household nominating three people rather than the usual two. That trio would then compete live for safety to narrow the nomination block down to two people without time for the other houseguests to discuss who to vote out.

Chen told the outlet that the three-nominee twist went on longer than originally planned last season because everyone loved it.

She added, “Things that work well tend to make an appearance again. I mean, look at the Power of Veto. That became a staple after season 3. So, I would say it's like shaking the Magic 8 Ball — signs are pointing to yes.”

The Big Brother host also explained why she was a fan of the twist. “The reason I liked it so much is because at the beginning of each season, there tends to be this herd mentality where there's no surprise on eviction night because the whole house goes one way,” she said. “You see people who won't even give a sympathy vote in the direction of their buddy because they don't want to stick their neck out, and they don't want to become the next target. And in the past, that made eviction night in the first few weeks not that surprising or exciting as to who was going to go.”

Chen Moonves has also been vocal about her love for another past Big Brother staple: the famous key wheel that was originally used for the nomination ceremony. During Season 16 in 2014, the longer key wheel ceremony was replaced with a memory wall that displayed images of the nominated houseguests instead.

Fans have been complaining about the switch for years. In 2022, Chen Moonves told Entertainment Weekly she also missed the more suspenseful ritual. "I loved how each houseguest had to pull one key out to reveal who was the next person given safety," the Big Brother host said at the time. "It was like getting an invitation to the ball. The suspense was amazing. I loved that whole ceremony."

Related: Julie Chen Moonves Gives Big Clue to Identity of ‘Big Brother’ Season 27 Mystery Houseguest