Big Brother Canada is back this month premiering on March 5 on Global and StackTV. Along for another wild ride is legendary host and executive producer Arisa Cox. Big Brother Canada isolates individuals from the outside world and immerses them in a fully monitored house documenting their every action. It’s a curiosity to some, a lifelong obsession to others, and to Arisa Cox it’s better than Christmas. 

What are your thoughts on the return?

It’s better than Christmas, it’s better than my birthday, it’’s better than New Year’s. Very few things are more fun to me than knowing we’ve got an incredible season in store. nd that it’s going to be surprising. We don’t have the end in sight when we start. Every single player could win and the season could go a million different directions. And that’s what’s so exciting about it for me.

What makes the show click?

I think that it’s without all the bells and whistles. You know, some people have described Big Brother as a couple of people having a conversation in their room. Even without the layer of the competition because we’re dealing with real people and all of their flaws and brilliance. 

It never gets old?

I mean, if you’re interested in game theory that’s a whole level that the show exists on. If you’re interested in romance, if you’re interested in strategy, if you’re interested in how humans make connections and why and how quickly and what the layers are, all of that stuff is so fascinating. It never gets old.

What are you most proud of in terms of your own work on the show?

I think I’m really proud of being part of a really exceptionally thought out social experiment that clearly has stood the test of time. I’ve been in television a long time and shows come shows go. But it is a rare thing to be working on a show with people that you respect, who love the product as equally as I do. And that strives to be better and improve and be more clever and be more inclusive and give our audience more every single year.

Who do you think people will love or just love to talk about in the new season?

Well, I’m thrilled about this cast. When auditions come around, we tend to find more than a few people who are like, ‘Oh, I’m just like, XYZ, I’m just like, so-and-so from season two,’But we want originals. And I’m so thrilled by the number of absolute originals, who are absolutely going to be stars, whether you love them or hate them, because, you know, Big brother is on for two-and-a-half months. And they is this incredible arc that you see that fans are used to right? There could be someone who you absolutely despise at the beginning of the show and by the end you’re rooting for them to win. So I’m very, very happy with the the number of extremely unique people we have playing the game this year.

Is the show’s audience still growing?

I don’t think we’ve hit the ceiling. I think every year there’s new people who just have never seen it. And yes, the hardcores can recall every detail back from season one right up until now. Then there are people who just dipped in and they’re like, where has this been this whole time? 

Any fave memorable moments?

One is the finale of season one, which was quite spectacular because of a voting mistake. It was a very, very dramatic ending because it was going to be a close five-four vote for the win. And someone we love to death Topaz [Brady] made a mistake when she voted for the wrong person. But again, the best part of every season is that you have no idea where it’s going to go. And last season was so dramatic and all the ways I never would have known it would be in an interview preseason. So that’s why I never want to say too much because I want to be able to be wowed.