"Not her shining moment" — Big Brother season 26 host Julie Chen Moonves reacts to Angela-Matt feud

Big Brother season 26 premiered on Wednesday, July 17, 2024. Viewers witnessed a controversial fight unfold between two houseguests in the very first week of the show.

Angela Murray won the opportunity to become season 26's first Head of Household (HoH). Although she seemed excited to take on the responsibility of her new role, she felt threatened by the other houseguests, specifically Matt Hardeman. Fearing the challenge he might put up against her, she accused him of allegedly threatening her during an emotional outburst.

In an interview for Entertainment Weekly, published on July 26, Big Brother host Julie Chen Moonves shared her thoughts on the feud between Angela and Matt that took the internet by storm.

"I felt it was not her [Angela] shining moment. I can only chalk it up to "heavy is the head that wears the crown." Yes, I went there. I made it Shakespearean because her downfall felt tragic to me," said Julie.

Julie sympathized with Angela, saying she crumbled under pressure. Meanwhile, she also commended Matt for forgiving Angela despite their differences after he was evicted from the show at the end of week one.

---

"I believe in redemption" — Julie hopes Angela can make a positive comeback in Big Brother season 26

Big Brother host Julie Chen Moonves believed Angela could rebuild her image inside the house by reflecting on her comments and her demeanor.

"I believe in redemption and I am rooting for Angela to show us her fun loving side once again. I pray she does," said Julie.

After joining the cast of Big Brother, Angela revealed she was excited to display her bubbly personality and enjoy her time on the show. However, after winning the first HoH competition, she struggled with the pressure of the position. She felt Matt tried to use his "charming" personality to ally with the other female houseguests and plot against her.

The possibility of being challenged and dethroned left Angela feeling threatened, and she warned Matt that she would observe any "showmance" he engaged in. Later, in an emotional outburst, she called him "crazy eyes," accusing him of allegedly verbally threatening her.

In another interview for Access Hollywood, published on July 26, Julie shared what she expected from Angela after she entered the house. As a "50-year-old," Julie thought she would see Angela in a different light. She recalled Angela describing herself as a "wife, a mother, and a nana."

She went on to say that she even rooted for Angela after she became the first HoH. She was happy it was not some "young strapping guy" who thought he could win all the challenges. However, her perception of Angela soon changed after Big Brother aired her argument with Matt.

"On the Wednesday night show, I saw another side of Angela, and I saw how having power in the Big Brother house this season, where you have to nominate not two people but three people, that's a lot of responsibility and that job can get to you and I saw it get to her," said Julie.

Julie added that Angela became "paranoid" when she struggled to believe her friends inside the house. In a private conversation, Matt told Angela that if she targeted him, he would rebel. He warned her not to take her chances with him. Julie said it was not wise of him to show all his cards to his opponent during a fight.

As a result, Angela put Matt on the block, leading to his elimination. The Big Brother host discussed her feelings about Matt forgiving Angela in her interview for Entertainment Weekly.

"I think he had the foresight to see she's probably going to get out of the house and watch the show and regret how she treated him and didn't want her to feel bad," explained Julie.

She negated Angela's comments about Matt's eyes by saying that people "see what they want to see." Angela preached the idea because it fit her "agenda, regardless of the truth."

---

Big Brother season 26 will return with a new episode on Wednesday, July 31, 2024, only on CBS.