Big Brother finally dropped its premiere date for Season 25, and unfortunately, the latest rumors about a late start were true. It doesn't sound like a bonus season is on the table or that we'll get the returnees season that was speculated. While the announcement teased an all-new cast, the CBS series released a video compilation of host Julie Chen Moonves announcing all the winners. Surprisingly, it seems like the show might've made an editing error or intentionally shaded one of its most controversial winners: Jackson Michie.
The video is short, but the brief clip of Season 21 caused a stir as it was the only clip of a Big Brother season that did not clearly feature its winner. Check out the video below, which shows a zoomed-out shot of Jackson Michie and runner-up Holly Allen exiting the house, but neither is in the frame when the scene cuts:
Who will be added to the list of #BigBrother winners? 🏆 Catch the #BB25 premiere with a special 90-minute episode Wednesday, August 2nd on @CBS! 🥳 pic.twitter.com/IeOkORYn2vMay 22, 2023
I used my Paramount+ subscription to rewatch that exact moment from the Big Brother Season 21 finale, and Julie announced he won while he was still seated on the couch, which is not the moment featured in the clip. Plus, the audio was edited throughout the clip, so there's no reason why the footage of him learning that he'd won couldn't be used.
It's also strange that while Jackson was the first of the winners shown on the Big Brother stage in this compilation, the clips that followed all managed to capture the winners' faces. Did Big Brother intentionally shade Jackson by excluding him, or was this all a coincidence?
It's hard to say, as there's no denying that Big Brother has made great strides in increasing diversity and acting on problematic behavior by Houseguests following Jackson Michie's win in Season 21. Michie faced scrutiny that season right off the bat for targeting minority Houseguests on the very first night of the game after winning the Camp Counselor challenge.
Jackson Michie would face racism accusations yet again thanks to his close association with fellow Big Brother Season 21 Houseguest Jack Matthews, who was caught using racist remarks to refer to minority Houseguests and making several off-color jokes.
Not long before the moment in the new clip, Julie Chen Moonves asked Jackson Michie if his aforementioned game move was racially motivated. I think it's possible that's why CBS decided not to feature Michie, as the question seemingly stuck with him as he walked out on the stage after winning. Here's a shot of Jackson's face shortly after Moonves informed him of the racism allegations:
Jackson Michie originally came out and denied any racism or bias on his part, but months later, he made a public apology for past ignorance. He is one of the few winners of Big Brother who has yet to be welcomed back to the show for an interview or to host a competition of any sort, and it would appear the controversy surrounding him could be a factor. The same is true with Season 15 winner Andy Herren, but even he was included in the new clip. Whatever the reason for it, Michie's exclusion has fans of the show talking.
Big Brother Season 25 is set to kick off on Wednesday, August 2 on CBS, which is still a long way away. Fortunately, there are still plenty of classic seasons to binge over on Paramount+, which I may or may not be doing as we speak.
