Professional dancer Christie Valdiserri was originally slated to be one of 16 houseguests competing for the $500,000 prize this season. The 27-year-old was announced alongside the other contestants in the official cast announcement on July 1. However, by the time fans came back on Monday, she was no longer a part of the season. Luckily we don’t have to speculate about much, as CBS and Big Brother released a video from Christie herself explaining the situation. It appears, despite the quarantine she had been under in sequester, she tested positive for COVID-19, barring her from the cast. “I have no idea how I got it,” she explained in the video. “I have the vaccine, and I’ve been following all the guidelines up to this point. I have absolutely no symptoms, I feel perfectly fine. So I’m really grateful for that, but it’s really frustrating because I won’t be playing on Big Brother this summer.” Valdiserri then went on address the adversity she’s encountered previously due to her alopecia, a condition that has left her completely bald. She uses her previous struggles to digest the disappointment of not getting to play, and thanks fans who have already been inspired by her story. “I have put myself out there and shared this vulnerability of being bald,” she said, “and all the comments, good or bad, are affecting everybody else that also is bald and experiences this vulnerability. So spread love. Whether you’re just finding out about alopecia, or you know what alopecia is, you know that we’re unstoppable, and I’m going to bounce back in one way or another.” In an announcement Monday, Christie was confirmed to be replaced by 25-year-old A.I. engineer Claire Rehfuss. The NYC resident considers herself a diehard fan of the live feeds and is inspired by the game of season 17’s Vanessa Rousso. She plans to go after the “strong alpha dudes” early and form a “black widow” women’s alliance. You can find out more about Claire in the link above. Big Brother 23 premieres with a live move-in on Wednesday, July 7 at 8 p.m. ET. The season will air on Sundays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, all at 8 p.m. ET/PT. Next, check out our preseason interview with Big Brother 23 Executive Producers Allison Grodner and Rich Meehan.
