How Much Do 'Celebrity Big Brother' US Contestants Get Paid?
By Lillian Marx
Why would any star press pause on their day-to-day life in order to move into a communal house where cameras are on them at all times and they are forbidden contact with the outside world? Celebrity Big Brother US is a publicity boost, for sure. But it also comes with a substantial cash incentive.
According to TMZ, contestants get $200,000 just to sign on to the show (or at least, that was the Season 1 figure). After that, they get paid for as long as they stay in the house. And if they make it all the way to the end, there’s that $250,000 prize. Not bad for a month of “work,” a.k.a. hanging out.
The celebrities definitely make out better than their non-famous Big Brother counterparts. Yes, the prize money is bigger in Big Brother than in its star-studded spin-off—half a million dollars vs. a quarter million—but otherwise we’re talking about two very different pay scales.
For one thing, Big Brother contestants have to film for longer. It’s one thing to maintain your dignity and sanity for a month; 100 days is a whole other ball game. The CBS casting website puts it pretty starkly: “This group of individuals, while meeting the technical requirements of the program, must also have sufficient physical, psychological, and mental capacity to endure approximately 100 days in a monitored house under extraordinary conditions.” Kind of intimidating, right?
Still, the contestants have an incentive to stick around as long as possible. According to Reel Rundown, they get a $1,000 weekly stipend. The runner-up will also get a $50,000 prize, and “America’s Favorite Player” is rewarded with $25,000. None of that is paid out until after the show airs, according to CBS.
Whether it’s the cash, the fame, or the experience, something about Big Brother is clearly worth it for contestants: The show is going 20 years strong. Meanwhile, Big Brother: Celebrity Edition has only been around since 2018, and there are rumors that it won’t be renewed for a third season. No word on whether money is the obstacle in this scenario or not, but at hundreds of thousands of dollars for a month’s work, we’re not talking small change.