The host of the U.S. version of Big Brother is Julie Chen, professionally known today as Julie Chen Moonves.
Chen has hosted the CBS reality series since its American debut in July 2000. She introduces the live shows, interviews evicted houseguests, explains developments inside the house, and presents the season’s finale. Her long tenure makes her one of the defining presenters in American reality television.
Before Big Brother, Chen worked as a television news reporter and anchor, including at WCBS-TV in New York. She later became a co-host and moderator of CBS’s daytime talk show The Talk, a role she held from 2010 until 2018. She has also contributed to CBS news programming.
A common confusion is mistaking a houseguest for the host. Rachel Reilly, Jeff Schroeder, and Janelle Pierzina are contestants or former contestants, not the program’s presenter. Chen was sometimes nicknamed the “Chenbot” for her precise, scripted early delivery, a label she later acknowledged humorously.