‘Big Brother 17’: CBS issues statement on Audrey Middleton casting

So how did “Big Brother 17” find Audrey Middleton? We imagine that it is pretty easy to be cynical about this and say that she may have just been recruited by CBS, who may have very much wanted their first transgender contestant ever. After all, there is a climate for transgender stories right now given the Caitlyn Jenner transformation and the “Transparent” television show.

However, a new statement by CBS at least reveals that this is someone who wanted to be on the show under their own accord, and was not just picked up at a bar in Santa Monica or somewhere else. In a statement per Entertainment Weekly, the network insists that there was no conspiracy on the show to make sure that she tried out. Also, they stressed yet again that she plans on discussing it in the first episode of the show:

“Audrey Middleton is a Big Brother super fan who applied online, like many other hopeful Houseguests, and was open about her transition in the application process … It is customary for Big Brother Houseguests to share personal news inside the house, and Audrey plans to discuss her story with the houseguests in her own words during the premiere episode on Wednesday, June 24.”

To us, the interesting thing about Audrey is mostly that we found her very interesting before we even knew that she was transgender, mostly because of her personality. She has a really dry sense of humor, and she even compared herself to a non-sociopath version of Dexter Morgan. She’s calculated, and while her story is important, we also hope that she has a great game to go along with it.

With that said, isn’t it weird that CBS is promising something in a statement that is not a sure thing? What if Audrey decides against talking about it, feeling that it could put a target on her back? She may consider all options strategically, especially if it starts to feel to her that she could be a viewer / production favorite.

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