Things were looking up for ‘Big Brother 27.’ After a shaky start to the season, the drama, blindsides, and cast were getting more entertaining. One houseguest was at the center of it all. ‘Big Brother’ winner Rachel Reilly was the most important player of the season, involved in all of the key storylines this season had to offer. Now, in an instant, everything has flipped on its head.
Rachel is no longer in the house but instead, “evicted” from the game and placed in the jury house as its first member. Evicted is in quotes as the reality television star was “evicted” due to losing a competition. The controversial exit has left fans and ‘Big Brother’ alumni stunned, and has led to a groundswell of support.
‘White Locust’ twist
In ‘Big Brother Reindeer Games,” a spin-off version of ‘Big Brother’ that aired in the winter of 2023, it heavily focused on competitions. There was no voting people out. It wasn’t a traditional season of ‘Big Brother.’ Fans and the cast, which was filled with alumni such as ‘Big Brother’ winners Taylor Hale and Nicole Franzel, knew Reindeer Games was a competition-based format. In Reindeer Games, there was a competition involving a hamster wheel in which one player would enter. If they completed the game in the time allotted, they would then choose the next player to enter, but that person was given less time. The more players that go in, the less time you have to complete the puzzle. If you didn’t finish during the time given, you were eliminated from the show.
Many speculated that this twist would take part in this current season of ‘Big Brother.’ The tagline CBS gave was, “Many enter, but not all leave.” It was an ominous feeling, but even with that, there was hope that the producers would fix the gimmick of the twist to match how the traditional version of ‘Big Brother’ is played.
The callouts
After winning a crapshoot competition, Ava was safe from the twist and, in turn, chose the first person to compete. Ava picked Vince. It was a poor decision, as Ava had often spoken about disliking Vince. From her words, she chose him over Rachel, who had volunteered, because Rachel touched her arm. Watching the footage back, it was a typical ‘Big Brother’ panic move. It was exaggerated in my eyes. Rachel was just trying to explain why Ava should pick her. Ava played emotionally. Ultimately, she shouldn’t have been forced to make this choice anyway, since the twist itself is terrible.
From there, Vince controversially chose Lauren, then Lauren picked Morgan, and Morgan chose Rachel. From Morgan and the rest of the house, this wasn’t an attempt to target Rachel. They believed she could finish the puzzle. Unfortunately, with three minutes and 30 seconds left, Rachel failed to complete it and was eliminated, not evicted.
With this twist, the integrity of the game has been shattered. For 25 years, evictions have been decided by votes. At the very least, they’ve had a chance to save themselves with the Power of Veto, or now, the BB Blockbuster. Rachel didn’t get that chance. She was gone in an instant. Live feeders didn’t even witness it unfold, as an entire day of feeds was blocked to avoid backlash. When they returned at midnight, Rachel had vanished. It was the pure definition of a Big Brother nightmare.
Alumni speak out
Brendon Villegas, Rachel’s husband and former two-time player of ‘Big Brother,’ released a statement about Rachel’s “eviction.” It’s heartfelt and really puts into perspective the impact Rachel’s ‘Big Brother’ legacy has had on many fans and past players.
Plenty of winners have voiced their displeasure. Andy Herren, winner of ‘Big Brother 15,’ sounded off on the show’s controversial twist. Nearly everyone’s feed on X or TikTok was filled with alumni calling out production and talking about how their love for the show has dwindled with each awful twist. So much so, many are considering the ‘White Locust’ twist to be the final straw for longtime ‘Big Brother’ fans. Rachel’s elimination trended #1 in the United States on X with over 70,000 tweets.
The aftermath of Rachel’s exit
In defense of the twist, producers Allison Grodner and Rich Meehan defended it, saying, “there was absolutely a social element to this.” They also commented that this type of twist may be seen again in future seasons. We’ll see if fan backlash affects the show’s game plan in the upcoming seasons.
Rachel’s elimination leaves a massive hole in the season. She was involved in practically every major storyline. Her frenemy relationship with Keanu, her going after Vince, and wondering who is going to take the shot at the former winner. Not to mention, Rachel entered the jury portion of the game having never been nominated for eviction. Now, the rest of the cast has had to regroup, and it’s even led to them trashing production over the game-changing twist. Watching her go out like this would bring a tear to your eye, knowing just how much Rachel cares for and has championed the franchise of ‘Big Brother.’
In the game, Lauren soared to power as Head of Household. She nominated Ashley, Morgan, and Will for eviction. Morgan was her initial target, but the gamer secured her second straight Veto win. She took herself off the block, and Lauren put up Keanu as the third and final nominee. Much of the talk this week has centered around Rachel, with Ava bashing her for whatever reason. Morgan and Vince have continued their “cheatmance,” and Keanu and Ashley are still heartbroken over Rachel going, finding commonality in their games after all this time.
Who will be evicted?
Will was looking to be a near lock to be safe, but things are beginning to turn, and Ashley could stay him over. If Ashley or Will wins the BB Blockbuster, Keanu is evicted. It should be a simple eviction. Just a shame it’s with three of the most liked people left in the house.
Week 9 player ratings
Morgan – Mid 4
She’s winning comps and has respect from the house.
Vince – Low 4
He’s a few people’s #1 in the house.
Ava – High 3
Unless it’s by a comp, I don’t see her going home anytime soon.
Lauren – High 3
Competition threat, but she still can’t make her own decisions.
Ashley – Mid 3
If she can survive the block, she’s not in a bad position.
Kelley – Mid 3
Good week for Kelley, and she is gaining a little bit of respect. Be on the lookout.
Will – Mid 3
Could get to the finale, but I think he’s become an easy out that won’t reach the final two.
Keanu – High 2
He has to win out to reach the finale night. Whenever he loses, he’s as good as gone.
What to watch
Last night’s episode showed Rachel’s stunning elimination from the game. There’s still a lot of discussion being had about how production edited the episode and how the twist went down. You can check out all the latest stuff going on at Joker’s Updates. Wednesday’s episode will focus on the aftermath of Rachel’s departure and on how Lauren handles being HOH. Thursday will send another houseguest packing to the jury house.
