‘Big Brother’ Staple Leaves Ahead of Season 23

The Big Brother world lost a long-time member of production this week when casting director Robyn Kass announced she is leaving the franchise, at least for the foreseeable future. Here’s what you need to know.

Kass Called Her Depature Bittersweet

Bitter Sweet news. I’ve been offered some big opportunities in the New Year. After a lot of thought, I’ve decided to move forward w these projects & take a leave from #BB23. I am excited & have no doubt you’ll be in good hands this season!🤗Be safe & Happy New Year! 🎉 #staytuned

— Robyn Kass (@Kassting) January 22, 2021

In a tweet, Kass informed Big Brother fans that she has decided to pursue other opportunities and will not be a part of the show for the upcoming 23rd season.

“Bitter Sweet news. I’ve been offered some big opportunities in the New Year. After a lot of thought, I’ve decided to move forward w these projects & take a leave from #BB23. I am excited & have no doubt you’ll be in good hands this season! Be safe & Happy New Year! #staytuned,” wrote Kass.

Some Big Brother fan-favorite cast members were quick to offer her words of support and their gratitude.

“Thank you for giving me the opportunity of a lifetime. Blessings and prosperity your way,” wrote Angela Rockstar.

“WE LOVE YOU ROBYN CANT WAIT FOR YOUR BiG NEWS!!!!!” wrote Rachel Reilly.

WE LOVE YOU ROBYN CANT WAIT FOR YOUR BiG NEWS!!!!!

— Rachel Reilly (@RachelEReilly) January 22, 2021

Some Fans Were Excited, However

Hope this means we’ll be getting a more diverse cast and not the same stereotypes and characters that have plagued this show for years.

— natalie (@tenacious_z) January 22, 2021

One viewer wrote, “Hope this means we’ll be getting a more diverse cast and not the same stereotypes and characters that have plagued this show for years.”

Another wrote, “Hey guys is it just a coincidence that Robyn Kass quit the same year CBS decided that half of all their reality casts should be BIPOC.”

A third added, “I love BB, and hopefully the change in who is casting will lead to a more diverse cast, and not just Instagram influencers in the making.”

But Big Brother alum Audrey Middleton pointed out that this might not change anything.

“The problems are not entirely gone. Robyn is not the sole person responsible for casting,” wrote Middleton. “She interviews thousands of people with her team and pitches them to producers. The producers approve who they want to move on and the NETWORK execs have the final say. … The core of the issues with development lie within the producers and higher-ups. Don’t expect everything to change that easily. Now there is a new shield for them to take heat.”

Kass Said Casting Has Gotten Harder Over the Years

In a recent interview with Oprah Magazine, Kass said that two things have made casting significantly harder than in the early seasons:

The first is the savviness of the people auditioning. It is a reality show, and you really want people who are authentically interesting without trying too hard and not trying to be a “reality TV personality.” I think now so many seasons in, the fans want it so bad that they end up screwing themselves by trying too hard. They try to say something that they think we want to hear, or read a book from an ex houseguest that doesn’t really know anything about casting, and take that advice.

The second is social media. Social media has been a blessing to us and a curse all at once. It makes the ease of finding people across the country a lot more accessible. We don’t necessarily have to fly to all of these small towns to talk to and meet people. We can look at their Instagram and see what they do on their off time.

The curse of it, I think, is the fandom is harsh. Harsh to production, harsh to houseguests. When Big Brother started it was the only one of its kind. It was a social experiment, people with different lifestyles coming together and talking about their differences. Now I think everyone’s scared to talk about their differences because if you say something that a fan doesn’t agree with, you’re on blast, and now everybody’s after you. If we had a show of 16 people that were all nice and polite and gracious, then the fans would be upset that the show is boring, and there’s no drama. You can’t win, and it’s something I’ve accepted through the years.

She also said that it’s “sad” when the fans attack her on social media for casting choices, making assumptions about the process and about her intentions behind it.

“I’m sad that people think that I cast specific people for specific purposes when that’s not true,” said Kass. “And I don’t even try to defend myself anymore because even when I try to tell them really what’s going on, they call me a liar and it turns into something bigger. So I step away from trying to explain how the casting process goes down.”

Big Brother 23 will return in the summer of 2021. Until then, we might get a new season of Big Brother Canada this winter/spring.

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