Anyway, now that we know it’s a reality and the February 12th premiere is mere weeks away, the rumors are once again surfacing faster than tears in Amber’s eyes. Some we can confirm, others are plausible, and some are just plain wrong. Let’s see which is which, shall we?

Some of this will be old news to you, and others maybe not. I continue to get e-mails asking about the following factors, so it’s time to set the record straight.

What We Know For Sure

Here’s what we can definitely confirm:

• There will be 14 houseguests
• There will not be another America’s Player
• The season will last just as long as the summer edition
• The theme is “Dirty Laundry”
• Julie Chen will return as host
• The live feeds will be back
• Big Brother: After Dark is confirmed on Showtime (Sho2)
• The cast has already been chosen

What is Definitely Possible

Other rumors are hard to confirm or deny, but some are more plausible than others. Here’s what we think are definitely a possibility:

• Houseguests will each have a “dirty little secret” and these secrets will be part of the game itself, with monetary incentives for discovering them
• One of the contestants is a transvestite
• Evel Dick and other BB alumni will make guest appearances and/or voice appearances
• We’ll finally have a season in which no one knows each other before the show begins
• Changes in the way the Veto competitions work
• Zach will break into the house and steal things to sell on eBay (okay, I made that one up)

What’s Just Not True

We’ve all heard some whoppers in the weeks gearing up to a new season, and these are some of the new ones. Here’s what’s NOT going to happen:

• Prior houseguests returning to play
• A shortened season lasting only six weeks
• Evel Dick hosting the show
• Viewers choosing who gets evicted each week
• After Dark showing the jury house instead of the BB house
• The cast being made up of celebrities

I’m sure there are other stories floating around, but these are the main ones we’ve been hearing. Big Brother 9 begins February 12th, and will air Tuesday, Wednesday, and Sunday nights on CBS. Wednesdays will be the live eviction nights, by the way.

This season we’ll be trying something a little different with the live feed recaps. LauraBelle and I will be glued to the feeds as usual (just try and keep us away!), but we’ll be blogging all of the action instead of the lengthy daily recaps. Watch this space for links and lots more Big Brother goodness!

In related news, want to know what Vanna White has to say about Jen Johnson? Check out my interview with Vanna at About.com Game Shows.

Questions, comments, or tidbits to share? Join us in the forums, send me an e-mail, or leave a comment below.

Don’t forget, you can sign up for the live feeds at a discounted price right now! Watch Big Brother 9 on SuperPass!