Rachel Reilly, a winner of "Big Brother 13," has expressed her desire for "Survivor" alums Dee Valladares and Rick Devens to "steamroll" the competition on "Big Brother 28." Reilly stated that if these "Survivor" players can successfully navigate and win the game, it might encourage more direct competition between veteran reality show contestants and newcomers in future seasons.
"I kind of want them to steamroll it, because I feel like if Dee and Devens can outwit, outplay, outlast these people, and if they can win competitions and use their powers at the right time, I’m hoping that for future seasons if we do see another ‘Survivor’ player or if we see any more returnees, that we have more of an outright battle from the beginning," Reilly told Page Six.
Reilly also commented on the current dynamics of "Big Brother 28," noting how Valladares, Devens, and "Big Brother 26" alum Angela Murray have managed to dominate, attributing some of this success to the newer contestants sharing information with the established players, referred to as the "Icons."
However, not all "Big Brother" alumni share Reilly's view. Danielle Reyes, the runner-up of "Big Brother 3," stated her preference for "Big Brother" alumni to win the show, emphasizing the long-standing, informal rivalry between "Big Brother" and "Survivor" contestants. "If you’re ‘Big Brother’ alumni, we do not want them to win. We want to see them play the game, but we don’t want them to win because that’s our kingdom," Reyes explained.
Britney Haynes, a "Big Brother" alum, agreed with Reyes, citing an unspoken rivalry between players from the two shows. Haynes pointed out that if Valladares were to win both "Survivor" and "Big Brother," it would be a historic achievement that has never been accomplished before, suggesting a desire for a "Big Brother" player to be the first to do so.
Haynes also reflected on past seasons where veteran players competed against new contestants, like "Big Brother 14," where Dan Gheesling lost to Ian Terry. She noted that the sentiment against veteran players in "Big Brother 28" does not appear to be as widespread as in previous seasons.
The discussion took place as the alums gathered to celebrate "Big Brother's" 1,000th episode. All three expressed enthusiasm for the show to continue bringing back players, with Reilly suggesting a potential "Legends" or full "All-Star" season. Reyes specifically mentioned "Big Brother 2" winner Monica Bailey and "Big Brother 3" winner Lisa Donahue as deserving of another chance to play.
"Big Brother 28" airs on CBS, with episodes available for streaming the following day on Paramount+.