EXCLUSIVE: Julie Chen Sounds Off on the 'Big Brother' Season 18 Showmances

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Julie Chen doesn't have high expectations for this season's showmances on Big Brother. She calls them "flirt-mances."

"They're not real, full [romances]," Julie tells ET. "I chalk that up to, in part, there's no real loyalty in the house … if they had a real showmance, then you probably would have a level of loyalty where it's like, no matter what, I've got this person's back."

"I think the one flirt-mance that has potential to be a real romance, and it might happen outside the house, is between James [Huling] and Natalie [Negrotti]."

Natalie actually told ET before she entered the house that she was very much down for a showmance.


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"My guy needs to be by my side, wanting me to win, rooting for me, and just giving me back massages," Natalie said. "If that doesn't happen, then I don't really want a showmance."

As for the other showmances, Julie doesn't see them going anywhere.

"Forget about Corey [Brooks] and Nicole [Franzel]," Julie says. "That's a one-sided thing. He looks like her as a kid sister. I think he adores her, but not in a romantic way."

Corey told ET he wasn't looking to be on "a dating show or anything like that," and he was more interested in bromances.

"I think guys are gonna run the house this year," Corey said. "Get a couple good guys on my side, win the competitions … it's gonna help me form alliances."


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Julie also doesn't put much stock in Paulie Calafiore and Zakiyah Everette's flirting.

"That's a summer flirt thing," she says.

Before entering the house, Zakiyah confessed to ET that she was not just looking for a hookup. She was looking for a husband!

"I do want a showmance, that would be great," she shared. "I mean, if it's going to be something, I want it to be something … it's going to be for real. We're doing this, we're doing it for real."

Julie's response? "A husband?!" Still, The Talk host notes the show has had some success in the matchmaking department.

"We've had three marriages result," Julie recalls. "Rachel Reilly got both, she got a check and a husband, and she got the bonus child … Jordan [Lloyd], she got the check, the husband and a child on the way."


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There's also Danielle Donato and Dominic Briones, though neither of them won the show -- and they're not parents yet.

"But you know, one outta three ain't bad," Julie jokes.

"I just don't see Zakiyah and Paulie having much more than a friendship outside of you know," Julie adds. "I think they're having you know, a fine time together during the summer, but nothing of substance lasting beyond."


Big Brother
airs Sundays and Wednesdays on CBS at 8 p.m. ET, and goes live on Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET. Check out more of our chat with Julie in the video below.