Big Brother27 is just around the corner, and with the season including a new set of companion episodes every other Friday to unpack the game,Big Brother: Unlockedhas a ton ofBBalumni to choose from for their hosts. Throughout the run of Big Brother, the show has had different styles of aftershows and follow-up interviews that gave viewers more insight into the game after a houseguest had been eliminated. While things likeHouse CallsandBig Brother’sinterviews on the now defunctEarly Showare long gone, the network is reviving a new type ofBBaftershow.
Big Brother27, which is surely hopeful it can hinge on the success of the previous season, is bringing in a whole new concept for gameplay analysis inBig Brother: Unlocked. The show, which has yet to reveal its trio ofBBalumni hosts, will bring players back to unpack the game every other week, giving them substantial time to work through what’s been happening in the house. With the show looking to give viewers insight into the strategic gameplay they may miss from fast-paced episodes that can’t show everything happening in the house,Big Brother: UnlockedneedsBBexperts.
10Derrick Levasseur
Big Brother 16
As one of the most praisedBig Brotherwinners of all time,Derrick Levasseur has made a name for himself unpacking the game he played masterfully. While some feel that Derrick’s “perfect”BBperformance broke the game in some ways, others have enjoyed revisiting his time on the show consistently in the last decade. Appearing onBig Brother16,Derrick used his real world skillsas an undercover police officer to his advantage in the game, adapting to the people he was talking to, situations he was in, or challenges he was competing in. Derrick’s social mastery was tremendously impressive.
While Derrick took home the grand prize of $500,000, his gameplay being as incredible was it was for the time has made him a bigger name than taking home the win. As he’s continued in his post-Big Brotherlife, Derrick has hosted podcasts about the show and true crime, sharing his takes on deception in various shades. Currently hosting a reality TV competition podcast, The Winner’s Circle, with hisBBally,Derrick has done a great job moving from being a player in the game to a host who can analyze the gameoverall. He’d be great forBB: Unlocked.
9Rachel Reilly
Big Brother 12 & 13
An incredible player in her own right,Big Brother12 houseguest andBig Brother 13 winner Rachel Reillywould be a phenomenal host for Big Brother: Unlocked. Rachel first appeared onBig Brother12, where her showmance with Brendon Villegas and her competition prowess put a massive target on her back quickly. A well-rounded game player,Rachel was a threat to the rest of the house too quicklyand wound up eliminated prior to the jury phase of the game. When she was invited back with her Brendon, who’d become her fiancé by the following season, she changed her game.
Brendon and Rachel worked as a duo throughoutBig Brother13, with Rachel winning competitions as needed and making it clear she was a genuine social strategist. While her gameplay can sometimes be seen as brash or overwhelming to some, it worked to get her through the end of the game onBB13 and bring her the win.Rachel’s gameplay brought her back into theBBcommunity after her season, and as a fan of the game, she’s been open about her enjoyment ofBig Brotheroverall. Rachel would be able to unpack the game with a practiced ease.
8Cody Calafiore
Big Brother 16 & 22
As Derrick’s partner throughoutBig Brother16,Cody Calafiore became the most intensely followedsecond-hand man in the 2010s era ofBig Brother.While he was a competitor in his own right, Cody’s social strategy wasn’t as adept as Derrick’s throughout the season. Instead, Cody was a physical competitor who did a great job at standing out in competitions, and made social connections where he could to ensure that he and Derrick were safe in the game. Coming in second place,Cody came back toBig Brotherwith something to prove and was able to move through the game successfully.
After winning the second iteration ofBig Brother: All-Stars, Cody became one of the most sought after voices in theBBcommunity. Working as a host of The Winner’s Circle podcast with Derrick, Cody has been analyzing and unpacking the gameplay of recent seasons in the past few years. As he’s been present on shows likeBig Brother Reindeer GamesandThe Traitors, Cody’s become a lot more knowledgable in the reality TV space. As a potential host ofBig Brother: Unlocked,Cody would be able to thoroughly discuss the houseguests and their competitive prowessfor casualBig Brotherviewers.
7Janelle Pierzina
Big Brother 6, 7, 14, & 22
One of the earliestBig Brotherlegends,Janelle Pierzina first appeared onBig Brother6and shocked viewers when there was so much more to her than met the eye. A social strategist and competitive player,Janelle held the record for most competition wins for nearly 20 years. An incredible player, Janelle is one of the onlyBig Brotherlegends to achieve such high praise and hasn’t won the game. After placing third onBig Brother6 and 7 in consecutive seasons, Janelle took a break before returning toBig Brother14, thenBig Brother22, where she left pre-jury.
While Janelle hasn’t been successful in winning the game before, she’s one of the most knowledgeableBBalumni when it comes to the game. Creating bonds and strategizing her way through the house, Janelle was able to make deep runs in her first seasons, and was perceived as such a threat in her next two seasons that she was taken out early. WithJanelle as a potential host forBig Brother: Unlocked, she’d be able to move through making sense of the competitors’ strategiesand highlighting moves that some otherBBalumni could miss out on.
6Dan Gheesling
Big Brother 10 & 14
WinningBig Brother10 and nearly winningBig Brother14,Dan Gheesling is a player many consider the best to have ever playedthe game. Happily risking it all to attempt to keep himself safe, Dan is known for his adept gameplay and his ability to think creatively in tough situations. With a target on his back, albeit of different sizes, during both of his seasons ofBig Brother,Dan was able to create major movesout of thin air, changing the way the game was played entirely.
A masterful social strategist, Dan was able to pull out wins when he needed them, but relied less on competitions than mostBig Brotherplayers do. Overall,Dan’s ability to move through the game has made him an iconin theBBcommunity, and hearing him discuss gameplay would be a great get for the show. If Dan could be a part ofBig Brother: Unlocked, it would be incredible for viewers.
5Chelsie Baham
Big Brother 26
As the most recent winner ofBig Brother,Chelsie Baham’s still got fresh eyes for the gameand appears to be open to chatting about her thoughts based on her social media presence. One of the best players to play in recent years, Chelsie’s social strategy was a masterclass throughoutBig Brother26. She was able to build bonds and create alliances when necessary, spun stories and convinced her fellow houseguests to trust her consistently, and won competitions when she needed to.
As a winner, Chelsie has been lauded as one of the most deserving overall, as her gameplay and love ofBig Brotherbrought her to the finish line. While her time in the house was only a year ago, it’s possible that Chelsie would be able to bring a fascinating perspective to the panel. Though she may not be used to discussing other players strategies,seeing Chelsie onBig Brother: Unlockedwould provide a fresh perspective.
4Jag Bains
Big Brother 25
Big Brother25 winner Jag Bainsplayed an incredible competitive game, and in his time out of the house he’s been able to own his social moves in a very real way. While Jag may have made some vicious moves to make sure he made it to the end of the game with his ally, Matt Klotz, he was clear that he was able to do so because of his strategic prowess.Jag’s ability to move through the game with a target on his back was impressive, but his competitive prowess was really what moved the needle for him.
Winning competition after competition,Jag kept himself safe after nearly being evictedand then being put back on the nomination block several times. Working hard in the game to maintain his sense of positivity, as well, Jag was able to own some of the tougher moments he had in the house after the game’s end. Bringing Jag intoBig Brother: Unlockedwould allow viewers to get another chance to see him unpack strategy in a distanced way, which would be great for those who potentially struggled with him on the show.
3Danielle Reyes
Big Brother 3 & Big Brother 7
ABig Brotherlegend, Danielle Reyes has been able to play the game twice, nearly winning during her run onBig Brother3. WhileDanielle didn’t win during her first runon the show, she was able to create such a masterful social strategy that it inadvertently tanked her game once houseguests were evicted. Because of Danielle’s season,Big Brotherbegan sequestering houseguests who were part of the jury so they wouldn’t be able to watch the show back at home and vote with malice, whichmany felt they did when voting against Danielle onBB3.
Danielle’s gameplay has always been cut-throat, and it was clear duringBig Brother3 andBig Brother7 that she was able to move sneakily throughout the game, getting others to do her bidding. Danielle’s competitive prowess was both mental and physical, which made it clear she was a tough competitor from early on. Like Janelle, Danielle is one of the best to have never won the game overall. Despite facing some backlash from her seasons, Danielle’s been praised as aBBicon for years, andseeing her unpack the gameplay onBig Brother: Unlockedwould be a privilege.
2Will Kirby
Big Brother 2 & Big Brother 7
As one of the first winners ofBig Brotherand an iconic reality TV personality,Dr. Will Kirby probably wants nothing to do with the idea ofBig Brother: Unlocked. Even so, theBig Brother2 winner has recently made the journey back to reality TV onDeal Or No Deal Island, and he’d be a great fit to scrutinize what’s happening with the current houseguests. As a genuine reality TV enjoyer, Dr. Will was arguably one of the most difficultBig Brotherhouseguests for his fellow cast mates to live with, but his strategy was masterful to watch otherwise.
As the winner ofBig Brother2,Dr. Will consistently threw competitions, told his fellow houseguests to vote him out, and lied to everyone, but it ultimately won him the game. Charming and adept, Will knew how to talk to people and found himself reliant on his social strategy over everything else. Making it to the final four ofBig Brother7, Dr. Will hasn’t played the game since, but he was the host of the jury roundtable for years. As an iconic gameplayer and a host in his own right,Dr. Will would be great forBig Brother: Unlocked.
1Taylor Hale
Big Brother 24
As one of the most iconicBig Brotherwinners in recent seasons,Taylor Halecould be agreat pick to be one of the hosts ofBig Brother: Unlocked.In recent seasons, Taylor’s taken over hosting theBBjury roundtable from Dr. Will, and she’s been a part ofBig Brother’srecaps and live shows since her own win. Taking a controversial turn onBig Brother24, Taylor faced major adversity throughout the season and ultimately came out victorious. Consistently working to build herself up in the house, Taylor was one of the most inspirational players in years.
While she didn’t come intoBig Brotherknowing the game very well, Taylor’s social strategy worked as she moved through the summer, and her competitive prowess won her competitions when they were necessary. AsTaylor’s gone through the gameand made herself a part of theBig Brothercommunity in the aftermath,she’d be a wonderful addition to the new aftershow. Taylor could be one of the main voices ofBig Brother: Unlocked.
Big Brother27 premieres June 07, 2025, at 8 p.m. EDT on CBS.
