
Arisa Cox celebrates 10 seasons of Big Brother Canada
By John Powell – GlobalTV.com
She started her Big Brother Canada journey as the host and now she’s juggling the responsibilities of also being an executive producer of the show. Arisa Cox has been with Big Brother Canada since the very beginning and has grown professionally in front of and behind the camera just as the series has. Now that the series has reached its tenth season, Cox finds herself taking the time to reflect on how far she and the show have come.
“I remember season one and that epic ending. We all crossed our fingers and just wanted and wished for a second season. Season two was like, fire! It was an incredible season. At the time I was thinking…This is outrageous and I’m not going to say this out loud but I just want to get to season five. That was insane though! That was pie in the sky thinking and hoping. All these years later, we are just so happy about the impact the series has made on the Canadian television landscape,” she said proudly.
Big Brother Canada has had many iconic moments. From Topaz Brady voting for the wrong winner to John Pardy cutting Neda Kalantar to Ika Wong shredding everyone’s letter from home, season after season Big Brother Canada always brings the drama, gameplay, plenty of tears, and all of those genuine heart-felt moments that the series is famous for.
For its landmark tenth season Cox says there are a few surprises in store for the houseguests and fans too.
“It’s so fun when you see something that’s a reference to something from another season. We may not point out the reference explicitly but fans will know. The houseguests are also going to recognize that some of these things are throwbacks. If you saw the house, there is a phone in it. On the very first night of the very first season Suzette (Amaya) answered the phone and became the very first Head of Household. The phone is there all these years later but maybe it will be used differently? Who knows? As a fan though, I love finding all of those deep cuts and I am so, so excited about that,” she said.
Whether it is the backstabbing, the showmances, the strategic gameplay, the twists, the friendships or the spirit of competition that draws them in, Big Brother Canada fans keep coming back season after season. Cox has her own take on what makes Big Brother Canada must-see TV.
“For me, the game is really simple but at the same time it is extremely complex. If you just want to watch it for being a fun little show. You can. If you want to go all the way in, you can watch the free live feeds, follow the show on social media, read all the articles, watch all the YouTube shows, listen to all the podcasts and watch the show three times a week. That’s the next level. You can also be somewhere in the middle where you might be following some of the updates, you dip into the live feeds but really, you’re just watching the show and it is something to talk to your kids about or your co-workers or your family. That’s like a level you can be on as well. I think the enduring success of Big Brother Canada is about the different ways you can engage with it,” she said.
What Cox is also very proud of though is how the series reflects Canada and its people.
“One thing that this show does really well is it shows some of that texture that we are so proud of in this country. It is so diverse, there are so many different kinds of people who make up the fabric of who we are here. I think that is a huge thing, a special thing that we’re really protective of because it is really unique,” she said.
Reviewing the landscape of reality television, Survivor USA has its first All-Star series with season eight. Big Brother USA did the same with its seventh season as did Australian Survivor. Some have wondered whether Big Brother Canada would be following suit soon with an All-Star season of its very own?
“I think the chatter happens every season now. (Laughs) Have we thought about it? Of course. We will do it eventually? Of course. We have such a wealth of iconic players, people who are unpredictable, ballsy, who have that fighting spirit, so many incredible past players. I would love to see it,” she said with a wink and a smile.
The season ten premiere of Big Brother Canada airs March 2nd at 8 p.m. ET on Global Television.