Julie Chen Returns to Big Brother

According to CBS's Big Brother 2001 website, Julie Chen will be returning as host of Big Brother – currently scheduled for its season premiere on July 5, 2001. Viewers may remember Julie Chen's debut from last year in which her breathless delivery on the first show's introduction of the Big Brother house: "Wow, that was intense," made critics cringe and viewers – well, they didn't know what to think, except that her debut practically made her a legend among Big Brother lovers and haters alike. Ok, well – if not a legend, perhaps just a target.

Morning television fans may know Julie Chen from her continuing stint on The Early Show where she delivers news in a similarly breathless tone despite a dedication to hard news. And she even has her fans – according to some reports, Big Brother fans, pining for their nearly-forever-cancelled show, would sometimes tune in just to hear her voice and wax nostalgic for Big Brother moments.

A return to the show for Julie will enable her to continue her bi-coastal lifestyle, as during last summer she continued as news reader on The Morning Show in New York City and Big Brother host in Los Angeles. And, indeed, Julie Chen exploited her position to the greatest extent. CBS producers, amazingly, allowed Julie to read the news on the Morning Show and, a few minutes later (and even on the same show!), interview the latest ejectees from the house. Julie seemed to be creating something that had not, as yet, been seen. What was it?

By all appearances, Julie Chen is the only one of the Big Brother stars to have any kind of television presence nearly ten months after the show ended. Where are you, Eddie, Brittany, George, and Jordan? Somewhere in the great beyond. But seriously, rumors have it that Brittany has recently auditioned for a role in Men in Black II – and avid readers of fluff are still anxiously waiting Jordan's tell-all biography of the stripper's life. Yes, still waiting.

But what, in the final analysis, is the evaluation of Julie Chen's work in last year's Big Brother? After a few rocky weeks, Julie seemed to reach her stride through the middle weeks of the show, with some noticeable lapses. Without going into detail, we can simply ask, was she good or not? Apparently she was good enough. Some Big Brother observers have reminded critics that Julie's shining moment came not before the TV cameras, but during the final show on the internet camera. There, Julie became herself when the staring eye of live television seemed to turn off, and Julie became an unwitting target of the internet audience. There, she revealed herself to be natural, fun and, well, normal. Let's hope this is the Julie that returns to CBS on July 5.

O'Sean Aeighlans currently lives in Boston where he works in the financial services industry.

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