Julie Chen on the new Big Brother 9 season

Julie Chen in an AOL interview on the new BB9 winter season, 'Till Death Do You Part.'


The Reality Host Dishes on the New Season's Big Twist, Being Bicoastal and Her Robot Alter-Ego


Feb. 11 -- Love will be in the air when the spicy new winter edition of 'Big Brother' debuts. The houseguests will be paired off as couples to compete in the game. Sounds good ... unless they end up hating each other, in which case it sounds even better.

AOL TV's Angel Cohn caught up with bicoastal 'Early Show' and 'Big Brother' host Julie Chen to talk about the hot new twist, who have been her favorite houseguests ... and what she really thinks about the "Chenbot."

It must be taxing to do 'The Early Show' daily in New York and then fly back and forth to Los Angeles weekly for 'Big Brother.' Did you panic when you found out there would be a winter version?
A little bit. When I did the math about when this winter/spring edition will conclude, knowing that we were definitely still doing the summer version, I realized that I physically need all the months from summer to summer to recover. So I did panic. Excited, but panicked.

There were rumors that this would be a shortened season.
I don't think so. We worked it out so it would carry us possibly into the end of April or first week of May. They were thinking of a possible abbreviated version if the writers' strike suddenly ended.

This is also a presidential election year, which is something you cover for your day job. How do you keep it all straight?
It is just so much. There is so much to watch. I feel like any time I'm sleeping I'm missing out on something. It is going to feel that way tenfold when we get to the house.

Do you at least get a cheat sheet of house happenings?
We have hot sheets. When I see it in my Blackberry, it's the highlight of my day. It's like, "So and so and so and so got nominated." "What?!"

Do you have an early favorite houseguest this season?
A couple of people stand out to me. There's something about Allison who is 28 and from Boston. She was very open about her gambling problem and her commitment problem, and she just seemed very human. I was also very impressed by this 24-year-old kid from Staten Island named Alex. He owns his own DJ company and he lost his father [who worked for Cantor-Fitzgerald] on 9/11. His dream is to be successful like his father.


Tell me more about the couples twist.
We have 16 [single] people in the house. They all did personality tests and ... we're pairing them up as couples, and they have to play as couples. If you get nominated, it is as a couple. If you get evicted, it is as a couple. You're getting put with someone who SHOULD be your potential partner, but this is just based on personality tests. You might be with someone who you have nothing in common with. Who knows? But they're forced to play together and sleep in the same bed. It's Valentine's Day! We're playing Cupid.

I was worried this season would lack some sex appeal because it's colder.
That was a concern. We control the temperature in the house, and for the first time ever we had to equip [it] with heat. There used to be a workout room, but that room is now a spa. There's a sauna -- very cozy. You know the bubble that the Miss America contestants go in so they couldn't hear the questions? It's like that. You can fit two people easily. That will be warm. We're heating up the outside pool to 85 degrees. And there is always the Jacuzzi.

So there are still some bikini opportunities.
Trust me. There are some of the houseguests who can't wait to be in a bikini. And one guy --crazy James-- I think he said in his interview, "Who knows? I might just forget about clothing and walk around naked the whole time."

Plus, you have a former Penthouse pet.
We do. Sheila's the oldest of the group. At 45, she's a single mom and I think her son is 17. She has a lot of life experience and stories to tell, like living in the Penthouse mansion and having to compete with other women to be the Penthouse pet. This woman knows about competition.

Do you have a favorite former contestant?
Janelle is so fun to watch. She's cute and full of personality and a fierce competitor and amazing at the game. I liked her honesty and how she'd walk by someone and say "Maggie, you're a bitch" or whatever. [Laughs] Watching her flirt with Will in 'All-Stars' and trying to tempt him, that was very funny. Will in season 2 was interesting to watch because he was so good at manipulating people. He did it in 'All-Stars,' but it wasn't like season 2.

I think in 'All-Stars' he concentrated too much on flirting with you and not on the game.
[Laughs] I wouldn't say that. He was too busy telling Mike Boogie how to play the game. He was the puppet master.

There are rumors of a celebrity edition. Is that a possibility down the road?
I wouldn't rule anything out. It gets harder and harder to put together [because] there are so many other reality shows that cast people we'd want. Maybe, if we could find the right people who hadn't already done 'Celebrity Apprentice,' then find time in their schedules. We wouldn't do it for three months. I don't think any celebrity's schedule would allow that.

Could you live in the 'Big Brother' house?
No. Never. For privacy reasons alone. Having to think every waking moment that you have to compete for something, or you can't trust someone, and you have to watch everything you say ... that would be tough. I wouldn't be able to sleep.

Have you tried the slop?
I have! I like it! I love oatmeal and to me it is like really hearty oatmeal. You just have to get the ratio down of how much water because you don't want it to be gummy.

Which of the CBS reality shows do you think is the toughest: 'Survivor,' 'Big Brother' or 'The Amazing Race'?
That's hard. I want to say 'Amazing Race' because you are partnered up and you really have to be able to travel and be compatible with your partner. Plus the pressure of the 'Race' and the challenges that they face not knowing the language and weird competitions can cause fighting, which can really set you back. Maybe coupling people up this season on 'Big Brother' will even it out a little bit. I always wanted to do a reality show where we take the three [shows] and somehow switch [things] up.

Like you'd host 'The Amazing Race' and Jeff Probst would be on 'Big Brother' duty?
Something weird like that. Where the hosts change or we take the favorites from 'Survivor' and throw them in the 'Big Brother' house.

Will you keep hosting 'Big Brother' forever?
I hope so! The 'Price Is Right' had Bob Barker for 75 years, but they won't want me when I'm 70 years old and hosting it. I've realized over the years, during the 'All-Stars' season, that I was the oldest person, and that was weird for me.

I know the fans poke fun at you, do you care what they are saying?
I hear bits and pieces and it is funny. Like the day my best friend from college told me about the Chenbot, I was like "What?" Because I don't have a whole lot of time to see what they are saying on the internet, how they are making fun of me or what I wore. The Chenbot thing, I think people thought I'd be offended by it, but a lot of people don't know my sense of humor and I thought it was so funny. I bought Chenbot posters and had them framed and have one up in the office. My husband's assistant bought Chenbot mugs because she knew I thought it was funny.

Does it make you self-conscious?
No. Sometimes when we are in rehearsal I'll joke about it. Like, I'll purposely talk [like a robot] and say, "Chenbot can't say that."



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