What Happened to Julie Chen Moonves? Jerry O’Connell Replacement Explained

Fans of Big Brother might be wondering what happened to host Julie Chen Moonves and why she has been replaced by Jerry O’Connell in the September 12 episode. This is a shock because Julie hasn’t missed a single live eviction episode through all seasons of Big Brother, but there’s a good reason why she won’t be there. That said, many viewers may not know who Jerry O’Connell is and want to know when Julie might return to Big Brother Season 26.

Why has Jerry O’Connell replaced Julie Chen Moonves on Big Brother?

Julie Chen Moonves has been replaced by Jerry O’Connell on Big Brother sadly due to illness as she has tested positive for COVID. Fortunately, the case looks to be “very mild” as she stated in a statement on X.

Chen says that she woke up on Friday morning with a sore throat and her friend, an ENT doctor, confirmed that she had a case of COVID-19. This marks the second time that she has had it, but the symptoms are mild enough that she doesn’t have a fever.

However, considering that she is still testing positive, she will be sitting out the live eviction show on September 12 and is thankful to Jerry O’Connell for filling in for her on short notice. Hopefully, she will recover soon and be ready for the remainder of the season.

Who is Jerry O’Connell?

Jerry O’Connell is a 53-year-old actor who is currently a co-host for The Talk on CBS and is the host of a syndicated version of the game show Pictionary.

O’Connell is well-known for various acting roles including Quinn Mallory in the Sliders television show, Vern Tessio in Stand By Me (1996), Frank Cushman in Jerry Maguire (1996), and Detective Woody Hoyt on Crossing Jordan. He also voiced Captain Marvel in the 2010 superhero film Superman/Shazam!: The Return of Black Adam.

He was nominated for the Best Lead Actor in a Drama Series at the Canadian Screen Awards for his work in Carter, and he was also nominated for Outstanding Daytime Talk Series Host alongside his fellow co-hosts in 2023 and 2024.

However, as reported by Deadline, The Talk will be canceled by December of this year.