Julie Chen Moonves addresses long-term future as ‘Big Brother’ host

Big Brother just celebrated its 25^th anniversary on July 5, with host Julie Chen Moonves marking the occasion by naming her top 25 moments of the first 25 years. But what about moving forward?

With 26 seasons — plus an Over the Top installment as well as three Celebrity Big Brother editions under her belt — how much longer does “Aunt Julie” want to keep warning houseguests and viewers alike to expect the unexpected? While Chen Moonves will once again act as master of ceremonies for the upcoming season 27 (which premieres July 10 on CBS), does the 25-year anniversary cause the host to see herself stepping aside anytime soon? Entertainment Weekly asked her exactly that.

“You know what?” Chen Moonves responds. “This is a game of chicken. As long as Probst and Keoghan are there, so am I.”

She’s referring, of course, to fellow longtime CBS reality hosts Jeff Probst (Survivor), who also started in 2000, and Phil Keoghan (The Amazing Race), who began in 2001. The way Chen Moonves sees it, the three are tied at the hip, and she doesn’t want to be the first one to cut the rope.

“I’m not a quitter,” she says, while also noting that Bob Barker hosted The Price is Right for 35 years. “The Chenbot can hold her own. I can give the Energizer Bunny a run for its money.”

For Chen Moonves, it comes down to loving her job. “It goes two ways,” she notes. “I can’t imagine my life without Big Brother every summer, and I can’t imagine Big Brother without me. It’s kind of like we go hand in hand. I’m part of the show from season 1 and part of building it up.”

Plus, there would be another horrific side-effect of Chen Moonves leaving her post. “My catch phrases! Can you imagine someone else delivering ‘But first…’ or ‘Love one another’ or ‘Expect the unexpected’ or ‘The power is up for grabs’? I don’t think so.”

And it’s not just her own hosting job that she would like to remain stable. “I don’t want to see someone else host Survivor or Amazing Race either,” she adds. “I really don’t.”

While the Chenbot will definitely be on board for season 27, the mystery remains as to who will be the “mystery houseguest” revealed during premiere night. The host teased to EW that it will be a “very polarizing” figure, but whether that means it is a former houseguest is unclear. It has been five years since any returning players have re-entered the house. How often would the host like to see returnees in the game?

“I think every five to seven years feels right,” she answers. “There are mixed emotions internally and externally about bringing back past players because they get a little bit jaded and they’re more sophisticated, and some of them you don’t want to bring back because they were difficult the first time around.”

Plus, there is something to be said for building up your all-star roster. “I think the whole point is you always want the 16 new people to become the new superstars of this game and become a new Janelle or a new Taylor. You want the new crop to become the ‘professionals’ of the game.”

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As for which player above all others she would like to see return, Chen Moonves goes back to season 16. “I would like to see Derrick. How far can he go now that everyone knows his identity? They now know that he was a detective, so it’s like: What’s your strategy now that people know you used to solve crimes for a living?”

One person it sounds like we won’t be seeing anytime soon is everybody’s favorite demented ice-cream-and-pizza-party-loving junior artificial intelligence. When asked if Jankie could be making an annual appearance like Otev and the Zingbot, Chen Moonves was forced to deliver some heartbreaking news. “Right now, I don’t see signs of Jankie making an appearance, which I’m very upset about. I did make that inquiry myself.”

Of course, the same way the murdered Jankie was revived at the end of season 26, there is always a ray of rope. “Look, anything is possible,” the host notes. “But I just don’t see how. I don’t know it happens, unless Jankie is the Masked Visitor.”