Celebrity Big Brother — Who Are These People?

Hi y’all!

Well, the first episode of Celebrity Big Brother kinda snuck up on me and BBBlogger so I hope you’ll bear with us while the site gets set up.  I’m watching the first episode as I sit here typing this.  Julie is introducing the first group of celebrities.

So, is this real Big Brother or not?  I have to admit that I’m not totally sold on the whole celebrity idea.  I know that Celebrity Big Brother is very popular in the UK but, for the most part, there’s less celebrity worship in the UK than there is in the US.  One thing that I’ve discovered, just from writing about this show and reviewing movies, is that every celebrity — no matter how minor — has at least a hundred fans in America who will literally take a bullet for them.  Whereas the UK’s Celebrity Big Brother is all about tormenting the famous, I kinda fear that the American version will turn out to just be a lightweight love fest.

Am I right?  Am I wrong?  We’ll find out this month!

(That’s right … Celeb Big Brother only lasts for a month.  That’s another reason why I have a hard time thinking of it as being actual Big Brother.)

There are 10 houseguests for Celebrity Big Brother, some of whom I know better than others.  None of them are exactly big-time celebs but I don’t think anyone was expecting anyone really big to agree to spend a month in the Big Brother House.  I mean, let’s be honest.  If any of these people actually had anything going on, they wouldn’t have a month to spend on a reality show.

Here are the houseguests:

Ariadna Gutiérrez.  Ariadna is 24 years old and she’s Miss Colombia 2014.  She is the youngest person in the house.

Brandi Glanville is 45 years old and a professional reality show participant.  She was on Real Housewives of Beverly Hills and she is one of two houseguests to have done a stint on Celebrity Apprentice.  (She also did a season of the UK’s Celebrity Big Brother.)

Chuck Liddell is 48 and is a big, scary-looking mixed martial artist guy.

James Maslow, 27, was a member of Big Time Rush, a boy band that was formed for a show on Nickelodeon.

Keshia Knight Pulliam, 38, is an actress who used to be on a show with Bill Cosby.

Marissa Jaret Winokur, 44, is a Broadway actress.

Mark McGrath, 49, is a game show host and singer who appeared in one of the Sharknado sequels.

Metta World Peace, 38, is a basketball player.

Omarosa, 43, is a professional reality show villain and former White House aide.

Ross Matthews, 38, is a comedian and professional Z-grade TV host.

Shannon Elizabeth, 45, is an actress.  My boyfriend was excited when he saw that she was on the show.

Anyway, tonight’s episode played out like a typical Big Brother episode.  Everyone entered the house.  Everyone met each other.  Ross was immediately paranoid about Omarosa.  Meanwhile, James revealed that he wasn’t really sure who Omarosa was.  Brandi got on both Mark and James’s neves by telling them how to sing.  We immediately got our first two alliances and, not surprisingly, it’s boys vs. girls.  Omarosa has appointed herself the head of the girls while the boys seem to be a bit more disorganized.

The first HoH comp was that old Big Brother classic, the one where the houseguests have told hold onto something while suspended in the air and the last person to fall wins.  At the start of the comp, all of the HGs drew a number and, as a result of picking getting number 5, Omarosa was awarded immunity.  She’s safe for this eviction period.

During the HoH comp, Paul and Rachel Riley and Jesse the Bodybuilder came out to serenade the houseguests.  I wasn’t particularly enthused to see any of them but I forced myself to stick with the show despite their presence.  Eventually, Shannon Elizabeth won the first HoH.

However, after the comp, all of the HGs were given a “gold gift bag.”  Julie vaguely explained that the gift bags can be used to “recast” the HoH.

And that was it!

So, what did everyone think of tonight’s episode?  Did it feel like real Big Brother to you?  Are you looking forward to this shortened season?  Who do you love?  Who do you hate?  Let us know in the comments below!

Lisa Marie

P.S. Tomorrow, apparently, will be the nomination show and it appears that Friday will be the first eviction episode.  And, of course, the live feeds will be up in just a few hours!  If you’re looking for Big Brother After Dark, it will be on PopTV.