The first season of Celebrity Big Brother was often reported on by various media outlets for the inclusion of Omarosa Manigault and her discussions about her time in the Trump administration. Reed Gaudens of Fansided reviewed the series premiere positively noting the series "could either be so bad it’s good or just plain bad. Thankfully, it’s the former" while saying of the HouseGuests "weren’t exactly the famous faces we anticipated" for the season. Andy Dehnart of Reality Blurred was more critical of the show noting that most of the season one Houseguests were previously on other reality shows like Dancing with the Stars and The Celebrity Apprentice. In a post season review he noted the first season had been a "delight" when compared to a season of Big Brother.
