'Big Brother' cast includes two Kentuckians

Two Kentuckians will be cast members of the new season of the Big Brother reality competition on CBS.

Joe Arvin, 41, is originally from Lexington and now lives in Schererville, Ind. Arvin, a chef, says he plans to use his cooking skills to help get him to the end of the competition. "Everyone loves to eat; never get rid of the cook," he told CBS.

In its 14th season, Big Brother puts a group of 12 competitors into a house full of cameras and microphones while subjecting them to a series of competitions and eliminations. The last contestant standing wins a cash prize of $500,000. This year, four of the most successful Big Brother players, whose identities will be revealed later, will return to play their own game and for their own separate prize.

The other Kentuckian in the Big Brother cast is Wil Heuser, 24, a marketing consultant from Louisville. His biographical sketch said he plans to strategize his play among alliances that form within the house. It also notes that he is afraid of snakes and bananas. Heuser apparently auditioned for American Idol in 2009 and has an online comedy show called The Wil Show.

The new season of Big Brother begins at 9 p.m. July 12 on CBS.

This story was originally published July 5, 2012 at 4:23 PM with the headline "'Big Brother' cast includes two Kentuckians."