Casting producer Alex Stern claimed that the casting process for Big Brother 23 is nearing its completion, with just one month to go until BB23 premieres on CBS. The fans have been eagerly waiting for this new season of Big Brother to come out in summer 2021. After a less-than-exciting Big Brother 22: All-Stars that was shrouded by last-minute casting changes and newly-developed COVID-19 restrictions, many longtime viewers are excited about getting a new season that feels more familiar to older seasons.
At this point, Big Brother 23 is scheduled to premiere on Wednesday, July 7 at 8pm ET/PT on CBS. Overall, BB23 will usher in a summer season that is full of reality TV for CBS, which will also include the highly-anticipated Love Island USA season 3 as well. Nonetheless, longtime fans of Big Brother are also anxious about season 23, as many viewers still feel stung about how BB22 played out in 2020. After so much hype in the pre-season, the second All-Stars just didn't feel very entertaining to most audiences.
Alas, pre-production on Big Brother 23 is moving full speed ahead, and a casting producer has now revealed the status of the BB23 casting process. As seen in the tweets included below, casting producer Alex Stern wrote: "My job here is done. That's a wrap on #BB23 casting." Some fans reacted to the tweet as if the entire casting process was done, but Alex later clarified what she meant by her original tweet. "This doesn't mean cast is locked and finalized," Alex explained, "This just means I've done my job and now the powers that be will do theirs."
Per IMDb credits, Alex Stern started to work in casting for Big Brother back in 2016, meaning that her first time working on the show was likely during BB18. This year, CBS switched up the casting director of Big Brother from Robyn Kass - who had worked on the show for more than a decade - to Jesse Tannenbaum, signaling that the network wanted the casting process to feel fresh again and perhaps go through an overhaul. With just a month to go until BB23, it makes sense that the lineup of contestants is now significantly narrowed down to a few possibilities, leaving it up to the higher-ups working on the show to have their final say on the cast.
The fans are hoping that BB23 can reenergize a franchise that has been struggling to gain new viewers and to retain certain parts of its devoted audience. It seems like the behind-the-scenes changes are all pointing toward the right direction, but the viewers will only know what works once the season is in full motion.
Big Brother 23 premieres on Wednesday, July 7, 2021 at 8pm ET on CBS.
Sources: Alex Stern on Twitter, IMDb