The Contestants on 'Big Brother' Could Be Paid $10,000 While on the Show

It's no secret that one of the biggest reality shows out there is Big Brother. We love to see these people, basically strangers, live together for weeks on end with almost no chance of escape. The show has been on for about two decades, and every year, fans tune in to see the drama unfold. But watching for so long comes with a few questions.

One burning question on fans' minds is if the contestants on Big Brother get paid. The show airs over the summer, and the contestants are stuck in the house for weeks at a time. At the end of the day, they still have bills and a life outside of the show. So, do they get paid? Here’s what we know.

According to Reel Rundown, the people on Big Brother do get paid, but it's not much. CBS apparently pays them $1,000 every week. Considering that the contestants stay on the show for 100 days or about 10 weeks, that's around $10,000 for being on the show.

But that wasn't always the case. Reality Blurred said back in 2011 that contestants on Big Brother made $750 per week. The Today show also confirmed the same number back in 2007, although it did say that that had reportedly been increased to $4,000 per week. That seems to not be the case now, but it's unclear when the jump to $1,000 weekly was made.

For the newest season of Big Brother, CBS is coming back with an all-new cast for fans to fall in love with and hate. It premieres on July 7, 2021, at 8 p.m. EST on CBS and Paramount Plus. You can also stream previous seasons of the show on Paramount Plus as well.

After the premiere, you can then watch Big Brother on Sundays and Wednesdays at 8 p.m EST as well as live on Thursdays at 9 p.m. EST on CBS and Paramount Plus. The 24/7 live stream of the house also becomes available starting on July 7, but that feature is exclusively on Paramount Plus.

For those who want even more info about the show ASAP, CBS has revealed the cast for this season. One person who was supposed to be a member of this year's cast was replaced last minute. In a video that was posted on Big Brother's Instagram, dancer Christie Valdiserri said she was supposed to be on this season of the show, but she was pulled right before it was scheduled to start because she tested positive for the coronavirus.

Christie says she has no idea how she got the virus since she says she's gotten the vaccine, she's been following the guidelines, and she doesn't have any symptoms. She was replaced with an A.I. engineer named Claire Rehfuss.

Some people believe that Christie should be allowed to compete in the next season of Big Brother because of her openness about her alopecia.

"They gotta put her on next season," one comment says. "She’s clearing representing something more than herself. Hopefully, she gets the call."