It took until the very last minute, but we finally know the full lineup of contestants appearing in the 25th season of Big Brother.
A full 16 HouseGuests are set to debut with Big Brother‘s Aug. 2 premier, and their late announcement is already making waves among the show’s fans. Viewers are scrambling to learn as much as possible before the season begins in earnest, but time is quickly running out. The majority of viewers will have no choice but to go into the season blind — where everyone but Matt Klotz is concerned, at least.
The season 25 HouseGuest is already a staple in certain circles, and his name is guaranteed to become even more well known following his Big Brother stint. An athlete with a truly impressive resume, Klotz might just be the biggest name to join this season’s Big Brother roster.
Who is Matt Klotz?
Despite his impressive background, few Big Brother viewers likely recognize Matt Klotz name without prompting. That is, unless they’re frequent followers of Olympic athletes.
That’s right, Klotz is an Olympian. And, in another history-making moment for the 27-year-old, Big Brother‘s first-ever hearing impaired contestant. Broadly considered one of the United States’ best deaf swimmers, Klotz secured his first two gold medals in 2013, at the year’s Summer Deaflympics. He went on to win three more gold medals (out of a total of five medals) in 2017, and broke numerous records — including one of his own, in backstroke — in 2018, and currently stands as the national record holder in the 200 meter freestyle, 500 meter freestyle, 100 meter backstroke, and 200 meter backstroke. His incredible showing earned Klotz the ICSD Deaf Sportsman of the Year award in 2018, and helped him to become a nationally-recognized name.
That name recognition is only set to expand with Klotz’s tenure on Big Brother. As the show’s first hearing impaired contestant, he’s already making waves, and he’s sure to collect even more over the course of the season. Fresh episodes begin airing on Aug. 2 and continue through November, airing three times weekly — on Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday through August, and starting in September on Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday at 8pm ET.