The best 'Big Brother' players of all time

Ian Terry first appeared on Big Brother 14 as part of Team Boogie. Because of his superfan status, the others painted a bright red target on his back, but thankfully, he'd end up evading eviction on several accounts. In addition to his mental and strategic gameplay, Ian shocked his co-stars by winning four HOH and 2 POV competitions. Ultimately, he made it to the final two and won by a vote of 6-1. He was among the few past players to return for Big Brother 22: All-Stars. 

Among many Big Brother fans, Vanessa Rousso is considered one of the best players to never win. She was the driving force of the highly successful alliance “The Sixth Sense,” which dominated most of Season 17. Of 15 evictions, Vanessa was responsible for 11 of them, ultimately leading her to the final three. She was evicted by one of her allies, Steve Moss, who was later crowned the season’s winner. 

Danielle Reyes was a force to be reckoned with on Big Brother 3. Although she started on the opposite side of the house, she would end up controlling most of the game with her ally Jason Guy until the season finale, where she placed second. Like many other BB greats, Danielle returned for Big Brother 7, where she was immediately targeted by the others and eventually placed sixth. 

For anyone who wants a crash course on how Big Brother should be played, study the game of Derrick Levasseur. After scheming around the house for 97 days, Derrick managed to lay low the entire summer while simultaneously orchestrating massive game moves. Ultimately, he won Big Brother 16 by a vote of 7-2 and managed to snag the respect of Big Brother players who were and are to come.

Janelle Pierzina is arguably one of Big Brother’s most popular players. After first appearing on BB6, Janelle returned to the game for Seasons 7, 14, and 22. While it may be true that she has never won the game, many, including Julie Chen, consider her to be the “Queen of Big Brother” because of her feisty personality and nine HOH and POV wins.

For those hoping to compete on Big Brother in the future, make sure never to pull a Cody Calafiore. At least the first time around. Due to his extreme loyalty to his ally Derrick Levasseur, Cody placed second during Big Brother 16 after willingly bringing his biggest competitor with him to the final two. After letting the loss settle, Cody returned for BB22 and apparently took some notes. He won four HOH and 4 POV competitions and won the season by a unanimous 9-0 vote. 

Dr. Will Kirby is the winner of Big Brother 2. Although he was nominated four times, he managed to escape eviction up until finale night with the help of his partner-in-crime, Mike “Boogie” Malin. Both houseguests returned for the first iteration of Big Brother: All-Stars in 2006, where he placed fourth.  

Without question, Dan Gheelsing is easily considered one of the greatest Big Brother players of all time. After being an early target in the game, Dan managed to flip the house week after week by planning elaborate productions and convincing his fellow houseguests to trust him. Dan stayed in control the entire game and later won by a vote of 7-0. He was one of four returning houseguests for Big Brother 14, where he came in second. 

Rachel Reilly first played in Big Brother 12, stirring up trouble and staying on the outs with most of her cast mates. She was voted for eviction in week 5 — placing ninth and becoming the first member of the jury. Later, she returned to Big Brother 13, where she played the game harder by focusing on her strategy and winning physical competitions. She won four HOH and two POV competitions and won by a 4-3 vote. 

Talk about a fall from grace. Paul Abrahamian, featured on Big Brother 18 and 19, is likely one of the biggest villains in BB history. However, fans’ disdain for him as a person doesn’t diminish his great gameplay. During both attempts to win the $500,000, Paul managed to control the entire house until the final moments. In this game, making strategic moves is essential, but how you cover them up is just as crucial. Even though Paul made it to the final two more than once, his poor jury management cost him the big bucks — twice.   

Tiffany Mitchell is undoubtedly the MVP of Big Brother Season 23. With the invention of the most successful alliance in the show’s history, Tiffany led “The Cookout,” a group of six Black houseguests, to the final six and ultimately guaranteed one would become the first African-American winner in the show’s 23-year run. 

Xavier Prather is another member of Big Brother 23’s “The Cookout” alliance. Without a doubt, X had one of the biggest targets on his back due to his physical, mental, and social gameplay, which propelled him further in the game. After making it to the final two, Prather won by a vote of 9-0, making him the first Black winner in the show’s history.  

Big Brother Season 24 was one for the books. Week after week, houseguest Taylor Hale made headlines after being the subject of incessant bullying by her co-stars. Although she was nominated for eviction six times in a single season, Taylor persisted and made history as the show’s first Black woman to win the game in 24 seasons. 

Fans of Big Brother love the behind-the-scenes scheming that takes place during the game. In the same way, viewers enjoy seeing a physical beast destroy their competition while trying to stay afloat. If one season features both of these at play, it’s Big Brother 18. Specifically, Victor Arroyo, evicted twice during the show, is the only houseguest in history to win re-entry into the house by winning “battle-back” competitions on two separate occasions. Although he didn’t win the competition, he placed fifth out of 16 and certainly made a name for himself.   

Even though Josh Martinez didn’t possess the master manipulation skills of players like Dan Gheesling or Derrick Levasseur, he’s still a winner in a Big Brother history book. His gameplay during BB19 was chaotic, messy, and nothing short of over-the-top. Accordingly, his behavior made him an early target, but the others kept him around for some reason. During the second half of the game, Josh started thinking strategically and began exposing the lies of his other co-stars. Eventually, he won the final Head of Household competition and took his No. 1 ally Paul Abrahamian, hoping the jury would see through his lies. Thankfully, he made the right decision and was awarded the win by a 5-4 vote. Since Big Brother, Josh has been a mainstay on MTV’s The Challenge.