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Big Brother Season 24 got off to a horrible start, which is putting it mildly. The houseguests concocted hurtful lies about Taylor Hale, which led to unfair targeting and bullying. Thankfully, Taylor and her karma went to work and saved the season. But there are still glaring problems that CBS and producers must address before Big Brother Season 25 premieres.

Daniel Durston and Kyle Capener, who starred in 'Big Brother 24' and likely won't be asked back for a future season, like season 25, sit in the nomination chair on live eviction night. Daniel wears a dark blue button-up shirt and black pants. Kyle wears a faded red shirt and dark gray shorts.
Daniel Durston and Kyle Capener | Photo: CBS

‘Big Brother’ Season 24 highlighted significant issues in the show’s format

After the first couple nights of Big Brother Season 24 live feeds, some fans declared that the house contained the worst cast in the show’s history. Almost every houseguest added to the hate directed toward Taylor, even though it was seemingly unwarranted.

A few cast members called Taylor “aggressive” and “scary,” and they claimed that she could “blow up” at any minute. However, she had not once shown any signs that she was temperamental. And one of the other major early incidents regarding Taylor was when some women encouraged her to put on the outfit she brought for the finale. After Taylor did, they criticized her for it.

Many viewers believed that the root cause of this behavior was racism, sexism, and colorism since Taylor is a dark-skinned Black woman. It was clear that micro-aggressions and unconscious biases ran rampant in the Big Brother house. And, of course, a sprinkle of jealousy didn’t help the awful situation.

The bullying got so bad that Big Brother alums stepped in and commented on it. Notably, Xavier Prather, the first Black Big Brother winner, shared a lengthy post on Twitter. He wrote, “Members of the black community (especially black women) and other people of color stand no chance in the Big Brother House due to the perpetuation of micro-aggressions and unconscious biases which plague our society.”

As fans know, Taylor showed who she truly was when she persevered despite the bullying and won Big Brother Season 24. But that doesn’t mean that producers don’t have to change how they approach the casting process for Big Brother Season 25.

Producers need to change the casting process

There were one too many racist and sexist houseguests that somehow made it past the casting process for Big Brother Season 24. Characters like Daniel Durston, Terrance Higgins, and Paloma Aguilar should have never been allowed to compete. And the fact that they were tells us that something needs to change in the early stages of planning a season.

CBS released a diversity initiative in 2020 that states the casts of the network’s reality competition series must be 50 percent Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC). The network implemented the initiative in 2021, starting with Big Brother Season 23. And while that was a great first step in diversifying their shows, there is still work that needs to be done.

Racism has been a significant issue in Big Brother for a while now. Fans remember the trainwreck that was Big Brother Season 15. And Big Brother Season 21 winner Jackson Michie was criticized for his racist remarks and behavior during the finale. It’s time that producers uproot their casting strategy and ensure their contestants undergo improved training before entering the house.

And one of the best solutions to this problem is diversifying the show’s crew. It’s fantastic that the stars in front of the camera come from many different corners of the United States. But CBS must apply its diversity initiative to the people behind the camera, too. And if they do so, hopefully, we’ll see change in Big Brother Season 25.

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When does ‘Big Brother’ Season 25 start?

CBS renewed Big Brother for season 25 on the night of the season 24 finale. And the show announced that, like the seasons that came before it, Big Brother 25 would air in the summer. CBS hasn’t revealed the premiere date, but it should start in late June or early July 2023.

Sadly, we won’t know much about season 25 until the weeks leading up to its premiere. But some Big Brother fans speculate that it might feature former houseguests.

All seasons of Big Brother are available to stream on Paramount+. Big Brother Season 25 premieres in the summer of 2023.

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