Julie Chen Moonves to Miss ‘Big Brother’ Eviction Episode Due to COVID; Jerry O’Connell Will Replace

Julie Chen Moonves will miss the live Big Brother eviction episode after being diagnosed with COVID-19, the CBS host announced Thursday.

Moonves wrote that she woke up with a sore throat last Friday, and then went to see a friend who is an ENT. She was diagnosed with COVID that same night.

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“Thankfully this is only the second time for me and it’s been very mild,” Moonves wrote. “No fever and just a sore throat.”

Unfortunately, Moonves continued, she is still testing positive this week, “despite feeling good, strong and my cough being gone.”

“I must sit tonight’s Big Brother live eviction show out,” she wrote.

Jerry O’Connell will fill Moonves’ spot on Thursday night’s episode. “I hope Jerry fits in to my dress,” Moonves quipped, adding that she also hopes O’Connell “has a ball and tells the houseguests I miss them but will be watching from home.”

“See? Chenbot is human after all! Love one another and enjoy tonight’s show,” she concluded.

O’Connell confirmed his substitute duties later on Thursday via the official Big Brother Instagram.

“Jerry O’Connell here. I’m one of the hosts of The Talk,” he said in a video statement. “Tonight, I’m going to be the substitute teacher for Big Brother. Julie Chen Moonves is a little under the weather, we love her.”

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