‘Big Brother Canada 11’: Host Arisa Cox On The Importance Of Representation And Diversity: ‘It’s Bigger Than Just A TV Show’

Over the years, “Big Brother Canada” has worked hard to make sure that contestants are being represented across the reality series, ultimately allowing viewers at home to see themselves on screen.

Thanks to a “team effort,” involving “Big Brother Canada” host Arisa Cox, “everyone came together to make that happen,” she told ET Canada’s Jedson Tavernier, who was a houseguest on season 9 that “felt more comfortable” thanks to the show’s efforts.

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“You know, if you come up with a great idea and nobody is into it, it can die on the vine. But our production, our network, we care so deeply about this thing that to some is just like this little reality show, but it means so much to some people. It means so much to me,” she said of the show’s inclusivity.

“And to me, it felt very clear that if you assume that minorities in a country have to stay minorities on every screen they’re on, then their experience is going to mirror some of the inequities that you’ll find in the country where there is a minority and a majority,” she explained. “We’re very proud of being so multicultural in this country. Why not use this as a way to remind people of what that brings, the richness that it brings to our experiences here?”

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While Cox noted that “nothing’s perfect,” not even Canada, she explained how “there’s a lot of knowledge being shared in ways that weren’t in years previous,” which “presents an opportunity because making the experience mean more to more people means that it’s bigger than just a TV show.”

“I think it’s that simple. I think if we’re proud of it, let’s show it,” she said. “It’s not something that’s just great for black kids or just great for indigenous kids. It’s great for everybody because everybody needs to be reminded that there are so many different shades of the human experience that we have here in this country.”

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Cox added that “it can be really special for some kid out there who’s watching and see someone who looks like them or who they relate to in any way and see them succeed.”

“That’s a really beautiful aspect of our show that I really hang on to.”

New episodes of “Big Brother Canada” Season 11 air Tuesdays at 7 p.m. ET/PT, Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT and Thursdays at 7 p.m. ET/PT.