Julie Chen Moonves believes Big Brother is better at producing lasting love stories than the Bachelor franchise.
The CBS reality show’s longtime host, 55, made a bold statement about the track record of her show’s couples in a People interview published on Friday, July 11.
“We’ve had more marriages than The Bachelor — and we are not a dating show,” she said with a laugh. “Just warms my heart to see it.”
Chen Moonves went on to speculate about why romances often flourish in the Big Brother house.
“I love seeing the transformation of people who go into the house thinking they’re there just to be a real villain and win at all costs, and then lose the game but meet their future soulmate,” she shared. “Big Brother seems to be a silly game, but it’s so much more.”
Chen Moonves reasoned that the high-stakes environment of Big Brother likely contributes to the enduring bonds that are formed.
“These marriages, they last,” she added. “Because when you’re in the Big Brother house, you’re in a pressure cooker with someone where there’s no escape, and it’s 24/7. You see all sides of them. You know what you’re signing up for.”
There are currently six Big Brother couples who are married after meeting on the show. Past weddings include season 11’s Jordan Lloyd and Jeff Schroeder in 2016, season 12’s Rachel Reilly and Brendon Villegas in 2012, season 13’s Daniele Donato and Dominic Briones in 2013, season 18’s Nicole Franzel and Victor Arroyo in 2021, season 19’s Cody Nickson and Jessica Graf in 2018 and season 20’s Bayleigh Dayton and Christopher “Swaggy C” Williams in 2019.
Meanwhile, 18 couples from the Bachelor franchise are still married: The Bachelor’s Jason and Molly Mesnick, Sean and Catherine Lowe, Arie and Lauren Luyendyk, and Zach Shallcross and Kaity Biggar; The Bachelorette’s Ryan and Trista Sutter, Desiree Hartsock and Chris Siegfried, and JoJo Fletcher and Jordan Rodgers; Bachelor in Paradise’s Tanner and Jade Tolbert, Raven Gates and Adam Gottschalk, Kevin and Astrid Wendt, Jared and Ashley Haibon, Joe Amabile and Serena Pitt, Dylan Barbour and Hannah Godwin, Becca Kufrin and Thomas Jacobs, Dean Unglert and Caelynn Miller-Keyes, Kenny Braasch and Mari Pepin, and Abigail Heringer and Noah Erb; and Bachelor Pad’s Blake and Holly Julian.
