A Contestant and a Dirty Word Slip Out on CBS’ ‘Big Brother’

Hey, CBS happens.

After allowing a four-letter expletive to be used during an episode of “Chicago Hope” this year, the word was heard on CBS again Thursday in its summer series “Big Brother” as two of the housemates argued.

CBS has been bleeping out potentially offensive terms, which have come fast and furiously on the show. A CBS spokesman said the network was unaware the word had gotten through.

Meanwhile, the first ousted contestant, William Collins, who has spurred debate with his confrontational style and linkage to a political leader known for espousing anti-Semitic rhetoric, will appear on CBS’ morning program “The Early Show” Monday.

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Though host Julie Chen indicated the interview would take place Friday, CBS said the plan has always been to allow players a day to “decompress” before such an appearance. Collins could be a source of embarrassment to the network, which failed to uncover his use of an alias and affiliation with a controversial group during his background check.

An estimated 11.3 million people tuned into “Big Brother” Thursday, respectable summer ratings (beating a “Friends” rerun) but only a minor increase over the previous Thursday and less than half the audience watching CBS’ similarly themed hit “Survivor.”

Even so, CBS has been happy enough with the ratings--and especially the program’s delivery of young-adult viewers--to expand “Big Brother” from five to six nights a week. Beginning next week, the one-hour interview show--when people are nominated to leave the house and later evicted--moves to Wednesdays following “Survivor.”

Of course, technically, one can argue the whole game should be over: The nine remaining players walked out the house’s front door--a breach of the rules--to say goodbye to Collins.

CBS said it wasn’t a violation because no one intended to leave and that contestants are allowed to exit the door for that purpose in the European versions.