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Julie Chen has confirmed that she’ll be staying on as the host of Big Brother, according to TMZ.
The wife of embattled former CBS Corporation CEO and chairman Les Moonves, who resigned his positions on September 9, 2018 in the wake of numerous sexual misconduct allegations made against him, has hosted the popular reality TV show for almost two decades and is a longtime veteran of television hosting and news anchoring.
But just who is Julie Chen? Here’s a look at who the Big Brother host is, including her net worth and longtime career in the television and broadcast news industry.
Julie Chen has served as the host of the American version of Big Brother since its premiere
Who is Julie Chen?
Julie Chen is a TV personality, news anchor and television producer for CBS.
She was born in New York City on January 6, 1970.
The daughter of Chinese immigrants, Chen attended the University of Southern California and graduated in 1991 with a degree in broadcast journalism and English.
After interning on CBS Morning News in 1990, she later worked as a desk assistant for ABC NewsOne the following year before being promoted to work as a producer. Chen then worked as a news anchor for WDTN-TV in Dayton, Ohio from 1995 to 1997 before anchoring CBS Morning News and CBS This Morning from 1999 to 2002.
Chen also served as co-host of The Early Show from 2002 to 2010 and started hosting the U.S. version of the reality TV series Big Brother starting in 2000, a position she still holds today.
She also started working as the moderator of the CBS daytime talk show The Talk since its premiere in October 2010, though announced on September 18, 2018 that she would no longer be appearing on the program following the sexual misconduct allegations made against her husband Les Moonves, the former CEO and Chairman of the CBS Corporation.
How old is Julie Chen?
Julie Chen is 48-years-old.
She was born on January 6, 1970.
What is Julie Chen’s net worth?
Per Celebrity Net Worth, Julie Chen’s net worth is believed to be about $16 million (£12.1m).
How does Julie Chen make her money?
Chen’s wealth is the result of her long career in broadcasting and as a TV personality.
She co-anchored The Early Show on CBS and also served as the moderator and co-host of the daytime talk show The Talk for eight seasons. Chen has also served as the host of the U.S. version of Big Brother since its debut in July 2000, making her the longest-tenured host of any country’s version of the reality TV show.
Who is Julie Chen’s husband?
Chen’s husband is former CBS Corporation chairman and CEO Les Moonves. The couple has been married since 2004 and has one son together, Charlie Moonves.
Notably, Chen has stood by Moonves even in the wake of sexual misconduct allegations made against him, even signing off from the September 13, 2018 broadcast of Big Brother as ‘Julie Chen Moonves.’
Julie Chen leaves The Talk
Despite confirming that she’ll stay on as the host of Big Brother, Chen opted to leave The Talk after spending eight seasons as co-host and moderator of the popular CBS daytime talk show.
‘I have been at The Talk since the day it started nine years ago and the cast, crew and staff have become family over the years.
‘Right now I need to spend more time at home with my husband and our young son. So I have decided to leave The Talk,’ Chen said in a taped message as her fellow co-hosts fought back tears.
CBS also hailed Chen’s tenure on the popular talk show, releasing a statement that read: ‘For eight seasons, Julie Chen has co-hosted The Talk with incredible energy, grace and professionalism. Her talents played a big role in our successful launch of CBS’ first network daytime talk show, and in the series growth into an Emmy Award-winning broadcast.
‘All of us here have tremendous appreciation for the dedication and passion she brought to the show every day and for her generous role as an ambassador for CBS Daytime. We are grateful for her many other contributions, respect her decision and wish Julie all the best in everything she does.’
As of yet, no new host has been named as Chen’s replacement. However, she hinted that the job could ultimately go to Carrie Ann Inaba, saying: ‘Carrie Ann, I don’t know but in my opinion you look awful good sitting in that chair, my Asian sister. Just saying’.
She closed her monologue by addressing the show’s hosts: ‘You ladies got this and I cannot be more proud to call you my friends. I love you.’
