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With the addition of “The Mastermind” (Big Brother Season 27’s main antagonist, whose identity will likely remain a mystery), things have gotten off to a rousing start — and they’re only getting more complicated. The recent “Hotel Mystere” theme kicked off with a secret “accomplice” for the masked saboteur, who ushered in the return of Rachel Reilly, and the Season 13 winner has stirred things up in a big way by steering votes and commanding respect (as well as fear). She even caught host Julie Chen Moonves by surprise.

“I knew she’d have an initial impact on the game, but this time around, she is much more of a leader,” Moonves says, pointing to the former winner’s past preference of playing defense.

In typical Big Brother fashion, drama is already ramping up. The instantly infamous “Showergate” kerfuffle made an early target of contestant Ashley Hollis after she used the Head of Household suite to take a lengthy shower, riling up the entire house.

Moonves teases more surprises are on the way, as “the physical house itself has more to be revealed, and the Mastermind is far from done.”

As for whether there’ll be more all-star cameos? According to the host, “Anything is possible!”

Read on for more about this and who Moonves wants to replace her if and when she ever steps down as host of Big Brother in the full interview (conducted on July 30) below.

This season has had some massive twists already at Hotel Mystere — have the results of that surprised you in any way?

Julie Chen Moonves: I was a little surprised how past winner Rachel Reilly quickly got so many houseguests on her side and stay there.  The aura of her celebrity did not fade, and she has held on to many of the others to be aligned with her.

Are there more twists still to come this season?

Absolutely! The physical house itself still has more to be revealed, and the Mastermind is far from done with the houseguests!

Rachel Reilly’s return shook things up so much. Did you anticipate how much of an impact she’d have on the others, and does she really have a chance to win?

I knew she’d have an initial impact on the game, but this time around, she is much more of a leader with alliance members. The first two times she played the whole house was against her and her man, Brendon [Villegas]. I thought her chances to win were very high in the beginning, but the fact that she hasn’t come close to winning anything tells me she might not have what it takes to win this time around.

Will the BB Blockbuster be a season-long element?

No. It will be similar to last summer and go away in a few weeks. Enjoy it while it lasts.

Where did the idea of Unlocked [the aftershow starring Taylor Hale and Derrick Levasseur] come from?

We wanted to offer fans more Big Brother and to offer it from another perspective. What better perspective than through the eyes of those who have been through it and actually have won it!

We saw BB20 winner Kaycee Clark enter the house to help Keanu win the Power of Veto. Can fans expect more alums to pop up later in the season?

Anything is possible. Stay tuned!

Were you surprised by how big of an issue “Showergate” became right at the start?

Yes. Night number one is when everyone is on their best behavior and trying to play nice. For Ashley, I would say she didn’t do anything wrong because the shower was just about 30 minutes, but she stayed in the HOH room for a long time talking with Vince. But neither she nor Vince revealed that. It was surprising to me how everyone had an opinion and started trash-talking Ashley. It really took me aback that Katherine was passively aggressive about it to Ashley’s face. Maybe a bit more aggressive than passive.

At this point in the game, what contestant(s) have you been most impressed by and why?

I am most impressed by Morgan and Mickey. They are sharp, social, true to their word, and loyal to one another. Mickey is very aware of what’s happening in the house and observant about people’s behavior. Morgan can be a bit distracted by Zach, but Mickey has her eye on the prize. Meanwhile, I am most intrigued by Kelley because she is a wild card and plays right on the edge. I can’t figure her out. She seems to be flying by the seat of her pants and loving the danger of it all. She keeps surprising herself with her wins, and it’s wonderful to watch.

Surely you get asked this every year, but are you going to continue hosting Big Brother indefinitely?

Yes! I told my 15-year-old son I am hosting until I think he can take over for me! That would be funny. Our family’s little brother taking over Big Brother.