Extended For Two Additional Weeks, Season 8 Delivers More Hours for More Gameplay and Drama than Ever Before Season 8 Jumpstarts with the Fans: Vote Now at BigBrotherCanada.ca to Protect Houseguests from the First Eviction Further Details About the #BBCAN8 Theme Revealed During ET Canada's One-Hour Primetime Special this Sunday at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Global Watch the Two-Night Premiere Beginning March 4 at 7 p.m. ET/PT on Global

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Follow us on Twitter at @GlobalTV_PR To share this release: http://bit.ly/2Vro8zY #BBCAN8 TORONTO, Feb. 26, 2020 /CNW/ - Big Brother Canada bounds to new heights with a supersized season where 16 Canadians embark on an unforgettable and extraordinary journey. Debuting Wednesday, March 4 at 7 p.m. ET/PT, this season's houseguests face the biggest test yet: an extended season lasting two extra weeks – creating more hours spent in the house than ever before, allowing for more challenges, more twists, and of course…more drama! Whether it is physical strength, mental prowess, or social dominance, houseguests must hone in on their super strengths – and perhaps even morph their identities – to become the ultimate winner and claim the #BBCAN8 title! This season is the origin story of Big Brother Canada's next batch of superheroes and they come from all walks of life including: a blue collar lobster fisherman and first-ever houseguest from P.E.I.; a powerlifting champ and father of two from Alberta; a risk-taking, self-proclaimed chameleon from Quebec; a professional wrestler who prides himself on his strong mental endurance from Ontario; a tough and determined disability caregiver from British Columbia; and a "brain transformation specialist" from Ontario. Starting today until Saturday, February 29, Canada has the power to keep their favourite houseguests safe from the first eviction by voting on BigBrotherCanada.ca. Fans can vote as often as they like to attempt to save their favourite houseguests. Then, watch the voting results play out during the premiere on Wednesday, March 4 at 7 p.m. ET/PT to see which houseguests receive the fewest votes and find themselves in immediate danger. For an exciting look into the new season, watch Big Brother Canada's Supersized Season 8 Preview with ET Canada airing Sunday, March 1 at 8 p.m. ET/PT. ET Canada's one-hour special features interviews with this season's new houseguests, a catchup with Season 7 winner Dane Rupert in his hometown of Kelowna, B.C., an exclusive tour of the new #BBCAN8 house led by host Arisa Cox, and a special sneak peek into this season's theme. Meet the 16 houseguests entering the #BBCAN8 house and competing for the grand prize of $100,000, $10,000 worth of groceries courtesy of Summer Fresh, and an unforgettable dream vacation for two anywhere in the world from Expedia: SEASON 8 HOUSEGUESTS

Click here to download photos of the Big Brother Canada houseguests and visit BigBrotherCanada.ca for full bios and exclusive online videos Angie Tackie

Age: 33

Hometown: Winnipeg, Man.

Occupation: Communications Officer

About: Coming from a family of over 70 people, this outgoing communications officer plans to soak up every moment of the BBCAN experience.

Brooke Warnock

Age: 26

Hometown: Calgary, Alta.

Occupation: Social Support Worker

About: This intelligent and adventurous social support worker knows how to thrive under chaos and believes her fellow houseguests will underestimate her social game.

Carol Rosher

Age: 44

Hometown: Nanaimo, B.C.

Occupation: Disability Caregiver

About: This loyal, fun, and unpredictable disability caregiver is one tough cookie who will have no problem backstabbing an alliance but will remain true to her ride-or-die.

Christopher "Chris" Wyllie

Age: 28

Hometown: Markham, Ont.

Occupation: Brain Transformation Specialist

About: Both brains and brawn, Chris believes he has the right balance of intellect and strength to influence the house and win the game.

Hira Deol

Age: 30

Hometown: Brampton, Ont.

Occupation: Accountant

About: As the first Canadian Sikh on #BBCAN, this caring husband and father wants to play an honest and integral game, but watch out for his competitive side.

Jamar Lee

Age: 23

Hometown: Ajax, Ont.

Occupation: Warehouse Worker

About: Confident and competitive, Jamar plans on winning as many comps as he can to become a #BBCAN legend.

John Luke Kieper

Age: 22 (turning 23 on May 7)

Hometown: Kamloops, B.C.

Occupation: Journalist

About: John Luke may seem like a laidback, carefree guy, but don't peg him for a floater. This extremely athletic scholar plans to downplay his intelligence by outsmarting the houseguests.

Kyle Rozendal

Age: 31

Hometown: Okotoks, Alta.

Occupation: Electrician

About: This 10-time National Powerlifting Champion may look like an alpha male at first glance, however this husband and father of two has a sensitive side that may affect his game.

Madeline Di Nunzio

Age: 30

Hometown: Toronto, Ont.

Occupation: Substitute Teacher

About: This bubbly animal lover plans to persevere through each competition, using her competitive mentality and never giving up.

Michael Stubley

Age: 25

Hometown: Prince George, B.C.

Occupation: Military Infantryman

About: With Special Forces Selection training, this proud military infantryman plans to use his athleticism, intellect, and charm to take down the house and be the last houseguest standing.

Minh-Ly Nguyen-Cao

Age: 28

Hometown: Montreal, Que.

Occupation: Flight Attendant

About: This feisty world-traveller isn't afraid of taking any risks but plans on using her social skills to build a reliable and trustworthy alliance.

Nico Vera

Age: 31

Hometown: Toronto, Ont.

Occupation: Sales Manager

About: A long-time lover of BBCAN, Nico is here to put the super in superfan! This charismatic sales manager plans to balance staying out of the spotlight while using his charm to become a superstar houseguest.

Rianne Swanson

Age: 29

Hometown: Chetwynd, B.C.

Occupation: OR Nurse

About: This OR nurse is a social butterfly and will have no problem maintaining a persuasive game.

Sheldon Jean

Age: 24

Hometown: Ottawa, Ont.

Occupation: Professional Wrestler

About: This professional wrestler believes he has the full package to win Big Brother Canada with his killer combo of physical, social, and mental strength.

Susanne Fuda

Age: 24

Hometown: Vaughan, Ont.

Occupation: Corporate Recruiter

About: This petite firecracker plans to rely on her social skills at the start, and then pull out the comp wins as she gets further in the game.

Vanessa Clements

Age: 26

Hometown: Mill River, P.E.I.

Occupation: Lobster Fisherman

About: This proud lobster fisherman is excited to represent P.E.I. and plans to trap the houseguests into underestimating her mastermind abilities.

Big Brother Canada's two-night premiere airs Wednesday, March 4 at 7 p.m. ET/PT and Thursday, March 5 at 8 p.m. ET/PT, followed by the dramatic fallout on Sunday, March 8 at 8 p.m. ET/PT. New episodes continue to air Wednesdays (7 p.m. ET/PT), Thursdays (8 p.m. ET/PT), and Sundays (8 p.m. ET/PT). #BBCAN8 extends from series to site at BigBrotherCanada.ca with free live feeds, houseguest interviews, live show votes, and more, beginning early March. Stream Season 8 along with past seasons for FREE on GlobalTV.com and the Global TV App. Commissioned by Corus Entertainment, Season 8 of Big Brother Canada is produced by Insight Productions Ltd. in association with Corus Entertainment and Endemol Shine. Executive Producers are John Brunton and Erin Brock. SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS: Twitter:

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@bigbrotherca

@globaltv About Corus Entertainment Inc.

Global is a Corus Entertainment Network and is available through all major TV distributors, including: Shaw, Shaw Direct, Rogers, Bell, Videotron, Telus, Cogeco, Eastlink, SaskTel and the new STACKTV, streaming exclusively on Amazon Prime Video Channels. The Global TV App is available on iOS, Android, Apple TV, Android TV, Google Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV, and Roku. Corus Entertainment Inc. (TSX: CJR.B) is a leading media and content company that develops and delivers high quality brands and content across platforms for audiences around the world. Engaging audiences since 1999, the company's portfolio of multimedia offerings encompass 34 specialty television services, 39 radio stations, 15 conventional television stations, a suite of digital assets, animation software, technology and media services. Corus is an established creator of globally distributed content through Nelvana animation studio, Corus Studios, and children's book publishing house Kids Can Press. The company also owns innovative full-service social digital agency so.da, and lifestyle entertainment company Kin Canada. Corus' roster of premium brands includes Global Television, W Network, HGTV Canada, Food Network Canada, HISTORY®, Showcase, National Geographic, Disney Channel Canada, YTV and Nickelodeon Canada, Global News, Globalnews.ca, Q107, Country 105, and CFOX. Visit Corus at www.corusent.com. About Insight Productions Ltd.

Insight Productions, known for its award-winning ratings juggernauts, is Canada's most established content producer and an industry leader in the development, financing, and production of hit programming, both scripted and unscripted, as well as digital content. With thousands of hours of programming under its belt, the company has created some of the most dynamic and top-rated programs in the world including Big Brother Canada (for which Erin Brock serves as EP and Showrunner alongside EP John Brunton); The Amazing Race Canada; The JUNO Awards; Top Chef Canada; Intervention; and original formats including The Launch and Battle of the Blades. Insight's scripted programming includes award-winning Ready Or Not; Falcon Beach; Hatching, Matching & Dispatching A Fury Christmas; But I'm Chris Jericho!; and The Jon Dore Television Show. In 2017, Insight produced The Tragically Hip: A National Celebration, a live concert special watched by one in three Canadians. Insight Productions was founded in 1979 and has since created thousands of hours of groundbreaking content. For more information on Insight Productions, please visit www.insighttv.com, or on Twitter @insightprod or Facebook www.facebook.com/InsightProductions. SOURCE Global