‘Big Brother’: Rachel Reilly on If She Would Be Loyal to Keanu & Playing Without Brendon
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Rachel Reilly met an unfair fate on Big Brother 27 after she was taken out by the Mastermind’s second twist — The White Locust Resort. Coming back as the only veteran player and winner, she had a big target on her back from day one. However, she was never put on the block and never had any votes against her this season because she formed alliances with almost everyone, even her frenemies.
After coming into the game through the Mastermind twist, she was also taken out by it. When the houseguests entered the White Locust retreat, one of them wasn’t going to check out, and it turned out to be her. She had three minutes and 30 seconds to get a ball through a hamster wheel maze to the center, but failed to do so in the allotted time. This caused her to be eliminated from the game and become the first jury member.
Making it to the first spot in the Jury is no stranger to Rachel, as she met a similar fate in Season 12, but was voted out instead of taken out by a competition. She went on to win Season 13 against Porsche Briggs. Big Brother has brought her her husband, Brendon Villegas, and their two children, as well as money, and a chance to play a game she loves.
Rachel talked to TV Insider about whether she would have remained loyal to Keanu Soto after forming the Frenemies alliance with him or not. She also talked about how hard it was to play without Brendon in the game for the first time.
CBS
Why did you want to come back for a third time?
Well, honestly, I love Big Brother, and I’m such a fan of the show. I feel like these opportunities in life don’t come around all the time. When you’re given an opportunity to play your favorite show, that has given you so much. I mean, I won the game. I met my husband on the show. We have two beautiful children because of it, and even my sister played Big Brother. How could I ever turn that opportunity down?
I was dying to play All-Stars, but I was pregnant at the time, so I just couldn’t imagine getting that invitation and turning it down.
The first two times you played with your now-husband, Brendon. How hard was it to play without him this time?
It was so hard to not play Big Brother 27 with Brendon. Not only when you play with your fiancé/boyfriend, do you have such an advantage because you have someone in there that you can completely trust, but you also have someone in there who is fighting in the game for you. At the end of the day, I always had my number one ally. I also had someone I could 100 percent depend on, rely on, someone to talk to and vent to, and someone who makes you happy when living in his house.
Playing this season without Brendon was very hard. However, I went into this season thinking I needed to get to know the players, strategically form alliances and friendships, and make as many connections as I could, so I could play this game socially and strategically, and win as many competitions as I could.
When I played with Brendon, I was a totally different person at a totally different place in my life. But now I’ve evolved as a player and a human, I think that I was able to go into season 27 with a different perspective and different mindset of how to play the game, and I think that even though it was hard to not have my person with me, I was able to navigate it and do a really good job. Enough so that I was never nominated, never received any votes against me. I truly don’t think that if I hadn’t been taken out by this twist, I don’t think I would have been nominated.
Even making it to the final two chairs, I didn’t see a path to where people were going to target me, at least to the final five. I really do not see a path where they would have. Expect the unexpected in Big Brother always. I do think I played a good game, as good as I could have. The game has changed so much as well from when I played. I played a totally different Big Brother-type game.
Would you have stayed loyal to Keanu? If not, who would you have taken to the final two?
Unfortunately, I could not remain loyal to Keanu. After he tried to get me evicted and tried to convince Vince [Panaro] to put me on the block, I did not trust him. There was a time when I would have been 100 percent loyal to Keanu, and I would have taken him to the final two, knowing that I probably could have beaten him because I had a better social game than him, and I had more friends in the jury. But once he tried to get me evicted, there was just no chance that I could have taken him to the final two or even worked with him much longer.
He and I became so much at odds. We were on this such up and down, hot and cold, relationship, where it was just too much that I think it was probably a detriment to my game and probably to his. So, we wouldn’t have been able to work together much longer.
I would have taken either Ashley [Hollis] or Ava [Pearl] to the final two. I would have loved to stay true to the deal I made with Ava, and I truly adored her. Ashley was my BB bestie. If she would have made it to the final three, and I had the chance to pick her, I would have picked her. To be honest, I think I would have beaten Ashley. At the end of the day, it would have been a strategic move, but it is also personal because you are picking someone that you are going to beat, but also someone that you truly want to sit next to.
I would have taken Ashley. Ava would have been my second choice.
Who did you feel most betrayed by in the White Locust competition?
I felt extremely betrayed by Ava. I thought that she and I had had a better relationship than we did. I think that when I was trying to strategically explain to her how the White Locust maze was going to work, I felt like she didn’t want to listen to me. I felt like she didn’t respect what I was trying to explain to her. I don’t know that Ava understood, even though she is a fan, how that competition needed to be executed, and because of that, I felt very betrayed by her decision to pick Vince, of all people.
I think it was a bad decision. If her intention was to try to force me out of the game, then maybe it was a good decision on her part, but I don’t believe that that was her intention. I think strategically, it didn’t make sense for either one of our games.
Big Brother, Season 27, Wednesdays, Thursdays & Sundays, 8/7c, CBS
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G
Rachel wouldnt have solved that puzzle if she had gone first. Never made it past the outer ring. Legends dont have to keep yelling that theyre legends.
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O
Rachel's just a bully. If she doesn't get her way she pouts. Glad she's gone
70 5
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C
Ding-Dong the witch is dead, which ole witch, the wicked witch! Rachel was too old to compete with these kids! I’m glad she’s gone!
62 11
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Rachel would never of solved the wheel, if she had 10 minutes.
Just kept going back & forth on the outer ring 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
She's just a huge drama queen...
Terrible big brother this season,,,
All players, played stupidly
45 3
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O
What was unfair about it? She was afford time and her entire strategy was to screw someone else not on her team. This was a indirect vote. It honestly was the most fair eviction of all time. No back door no railroading everyone had the opportunity to not be eliminated.
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B
I waS disappointed in this years Big Brother, Rachel was the reason, Drama and so self centered.
43 3
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G
I almost quit watching because of her ..God what a bully!!
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B
Rachel lying in that wheel was the best thing of Big Brother so far! She thought she was the best and I hated that she was running the entire season!!!!! Glad she’s gone for sure!!!!!!!
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O
I was thrilled when she did not finish the maze!!! Her game play was horrible!! She is a bully!!!
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C
Such a horrible narcissist that bullied everyone in the game and didn't understand that they were fed up with her behavior. Horrible role model to young women. You can play this game ruthlessly without being an entitled controlling bully. Good riddance! She never stood a chance even if she went first.
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P
Bye Felicia!!!!!!!
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Queen of crying!!! Nothing else, she was a cry baby on The Amazing race too! She gives criticism, but can't take it !
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People are not comprehending because clearly they're not actual long-term fans, Big brother never does competition elimination particularly during jury. After a surviving 60 days and making it into jury players are rewarded with a regular continuation of the game, I didn't even understand why they still were nominating three people this week or doing Big brother battle back. None of it made any sense. They should have switched back to the normal nominating two people allowing for the playing veto and then of course gathering votes. That's how this game is played. I feel because of the Big brother battle back that people were normalized to these single competition but what people aren't realizing is that Big brother battle back didn't eliminate somebody it actually gave somebody a gift which was coming off the block. You don't take a legend that's won the game who's not touched the block the entirety of the game who's won competitions and play the strongest social game then eliminate them in a single competition after making jury the same night. This was a terrible decision on productions part oh super fans are upset even prior players such as Janelle have stopped watching and canceled their subscriptions to Paramount Plus. Haters going to hate. Rachel is a strong personality personally I did not like her her original season but loved her in subsequent seasons. I also think strategically it was done the judges alliance should have avoided doing the wheel not wanted to do it.
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G
Most stupid show i have ever seen. Unfortunately roomie watches it religiously. All they do is stage whisper about each other and lie. Cant understand the popularity.
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C
Lmao and here you are to complain about it 😂
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P
That was not a fair elimination . It might have worked as a have not completion. At this point that wasn't fair
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G
As if BB has ever been "fair."
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C
Wow, you people don't get it. Rachel was the only reason to watch this season. No one else has a clue. This was NOT a fair way to take someone out of the game. Rachel deserved so much better.
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She is a bully and a whiner
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She took herself out of the game. Her "teammate" chose her to go so she'd have more time. As far as her being "the only reason " to watch the show, I disagree. The other players came in with their own unique personalities that have made it enjoyable to watch. I get every one has their favorites and I'm not saying anything bad about her cause I've enjoyed her too, but the other players have brought something to the show as well.
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C
The fix was in. She was going to win but now that NFL Football is back CBS doesn't care about Big Brother. They used her to get ratings for the show all Summer and then got rid of her as soon as they didn't need her. I hope there's some other twist where she can come back and still wins. The jury will be a majority of women so she'd win easy.
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I am waiting for the next twist when Rachel is brought back into the game.
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She made it interesting
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i hope not
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If you have won you should not be able to come back and play again
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