Julie Chen shared the big news on Thursday night's 'Big Brother.'
Big Brother is getting a surprising new twist!
On Thursday, Julie Chen announced that the first U.S. edition of Celebrity Big Brother will air this winter.
"Now, you expect us to be back next summer, and we will," Chen told viewers on Thursday night. "But this winter, for the first time ever, the unexpected is coming: Celebrity Big Brother. That's right, a house full of celebrities locked up behind these doors. Can you imagine it? You'll learn all about it, soon enough."
Chen will be back to host the special edition, which will feature multiple episodes per week and include the series’ signature Head of Household and Power of Veto competitions, as well as live evictions. Additional details about scheduling and casting are expected soon.
The U.K. version of Celebrity Big Brother, which ended its 20th season in August, has seen stars like Gary Busey, Brandi Glanville, Pamela Anderson, Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt and Aubrey O'Day compete.
ET spoke with Chen back in 2015 about a potential celebrity edition, where she revealed that they once had Paris Hilton booked for an early U.S. version that ultimately didn't make it to air.
"It was so early on we had confirmed Paris Hilton, and one executive said, 'Who's Paris Hilton?' That's how early it was, OK?" Chen revealed at the time. "Then, we realized at some point -- seasons in -- if we do that, are we jumping the shark? We don't need to get celebrities into this house, because you're probably not going to get the dream team. Let's keep it with people -- real people, if you will. They're fascinating to watch, because they're going to be more genuine."
Chen also shared at the time that viewers would probably never see an American version of Celebrity Big Brother, as an early attempt was shot down. But times have changed!
See more of what she had to say in the video below.
Big Brother airs Sundays, Wednesdays and Thursdays on CBS.