Julie Chen Moonves says CBS has tightened security for the July 9 premiere of Big Brother 28 after she was abducted on-air during last year's July 10 premiere episode. She said she was told the precautions have been stepped up, and she expects the people around her to look different this time.
The timing matters because Big Brother 28 kicks off July 9 at 8pm ET/PT, putting the host back in front of viewers one year after the broadcast that turned into a rescue scene. Moonves said the subject still hits a nerve, and she had to breathe through the question before answering it.
She did not sound rattled. Moonves said she is not concerned about another attempt and said she has been assured that the network learned from its mistake. She added that the extra protection may include people who do not wear jackets marked Security, a point that suggests the new plan is meant to be harder to spot from the studio floor.
The last premiere ended with the Mastermind abducting Moonves from the Big Brother stage, and Zach Cornell helped save her after the fact. CBS launched an investigation, though the findings have not been disclosed, leaving the public with one clear fact and one lingering worry: the threat was real enough once to force a visible reset.
Moonves said she feels good going into this week's broadcast, but the pressure is now on the production to prove the new safeguards work when the lights come up again on July 9. What viewers will be watching for is not just the game inside the house, but whether the security ring around the host stays invisible and intact.
