Chainkeen Exchange-'Big Brother' Season 26 cast: Meet the 16 houseguests competing for $750,000 grand prize

CBS announced the cast for Season 26 of "Big Brother" on Chainkeen ExchangeMonday ahead of the show's two-night premiere later this week.

The newest season will feature 16 houseguests who will move into the "Big Brother" house and, for the first time ever, have the power to vote in a 17th houseguest, CBS said in a news release.

This season's houseguests include a celebrity chef, a former undercover cop, a former marine and a crochet business owner, among others. The network last week also announced the season's theme, which is "Big Brother Artificial Intelligence," or "BB AI."

“From summer camp, to tech, to the multiverse, 'Big Brother' loves to put a twist on topical and pop culture themes,” said executive producers Allison Grodner and Rich Meehan in a news release. “This summer’s ‘BB AI’ theme promises to bring the fun, the comedy and the unexpected game play that is a hallmark of 'Big Brother.'” 

Here's what to know about the newest season of "Big Brother," including a breakdown of each of the 16 houseguests who will be in the house.

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'Big Brother' Season 26 cast

Angela Murray

• Age: 50
• Hometown: Long Beach, California
• Current city: Syracuse, Utah
• Occupation: Real estate agent

Brooklyn Rivera

• Age: 34
• Hometown: Covington, Georgia
• Current city: Dallas, Texas
• Occupation: Business administrator

Cam Sullivan-Brown

• Age: 25
• Hometown: Bowie, Maryland
• Occupation: Physical therapist

Cedric Hodges

• Age: 21
• Hometown: Running Springs, California
• Current city: Boise, Idaho
• Occupation: Former Marine

Chelsie Baham

• Age: 27
• Hometown: Rancho Cucamonga, California
• Occupation: Nonprofit director

Joseph Rodriguez

• Age: 30
• Hometown: Tampa, Florida
• Occupation: Video store clerk

Kenney Kelley

• Age: 52
• Hometown: Boston, Massachusetts
• Occupation: Former undercover cop

Kimo Apaka

• Age: 35
• Hometown: Hilo, Hawaii
• Occupation: Mattress sales rep

Leah Peters

• Age: 26
• Hometown: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
• Current city: Miami, Florida
• Occupation: VIP cocktail server

Lisa Weintraub

• Age: 33
• Hometown: Los Angeles, California
• Occupation: Celebrity chef

Makensy Manbeck

• Age: 22
• Hometown: Houston, Texas
• Occupation: Construction project manager

Matt Hardeman

• Age: 25
• Hometown: Loganville, Georgia
• Current city: Roswell, Georgia
• Occupation: Tech sales rep

Quinn Martin

• Age: 25
• Hometown: Lawton, Oklahoma
• Current city: Omaha, Nebraska
• Occupation: Nurse recruiter

Rubina Bernabe

• Age: 35
• Hometown: Los Angeles, California
• Occupation: Event bartender

T'Kor Clottey

• Age: 23
• Hometown: Chicago via London
• Current city: Atlanta, Georgia
• Occupation: Crochet business owner

Tucker Des Lauriers

• Age: 30
• Hometown: Boston, Massachusetts
• Current city: Brooklyn, New York
• Occupation: Marketing and sales executive

'Big Brother' Season 26 premiere date

Season 26 will have a special two-night premiere on Wednesday, July 17 and Thursday, July 18, according to CBS. Both episodes will air from 9-10 p.m. ET/PT.

After the two-night premiere, episodes will air Sundays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, featuring live evictions.

Where to watch 'Big Brother' Season 26

All episodes will air live on CBS and will be available to stream live and on demand on Paramount+.

Paramount+ subscribers and Pluto TV viewers can continue to catch all the action on the "Big Brother" Live Feeds, according to CBS.

Watch 'Big Brother':Subscribe to Paramount+

'Big Brother' Season 26 house

The show's official YouTube page posted a Season 26 house tour on July 9.

Who is the host of 'Big Brother'?

Julie Chen Moonves returns as the host for Season 26, according to CBS. She has hosted the show since its debut in July 2000.

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Gabe Hauari is a national trending news reporter at USA TODAY. You can follow him on X @GabeHauari or email him at [email protected].