As “Big Brother 28” gets ready to send houseguests on a time-bending new adventure, host Julie Chen Moonves is taking a trip down memory lane herself. Looking back on nearly three decades of blindsides, blowups, and unforgettable gameplay, she revealed the moments she believes stand above the rest. Check out her thoughts on the show’s most iconic moments below in our “Big Brother” spoilers.
1. Frankie Grande Winning Battle of the Block By Himself (Season 16)
Frankie Grande competed during Season 16 of the show. He did spend most of the game working as part of the clear majority of the house. However, that came to a head during Week 7.
There was a new “Battle of the Block” twist, and Frankie was one of the four nominees. Everyone in the house turned on Frankie that week, including Caleb Reynolds, who was supposed to compete alongside Frankie to get off the block. However, Caleb refused to compete.
That didn’t stop Frankie, as he went on to win the two-person challenge entirely by himself. He saved himself in the game, which helped him make it all the way to the Final 5.
Julie told Parade, “He was public enemy number one. And he was told right then and there, ‘I’m not doing it, you’re on your own’ by Caleb. And he won! When he won, which was crazy, I saw forgiveness and redemption, I saw an apology. And he was crying, like, ‘I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry’ to Caleb. I have chills talking about it.”
2. Keesha’s Birthday (Season 10)
Julie had to include one of the most iconic fights in “Big Brother” history. “Big Brother 10” is where we met the legend Dan Gheesling. However, the house was packed with some power players.
Jessie Godderz overheard Keesha Smith and Libra Thompson complaining about their allies. “Mr. Pectacular” started sharing this information around the house, which led to an outright screaming match between everyone. It all ended with the lamest rendition of “Happy Birthday to You” ever heard.
Julie said, “Number one is Keesha’s birthday and everything before it and after it. Season 10 had so much drama, intrigue, chaos, fighting, and game-playing at its best, all culminating in the worst happy birthday song ever sung and someone saying, ‘Who wants some cake?’ You have to watch to know.”
3. Danielle Reyes’ Diary Room Sessions (Season 3)
Julie sticks with the old-school choices and picks the game-changing Danielle Reyes. Reyes controlled much of the game. The Diary Room is a spot where the houseguests can talk, using it as their personal diary.
That is exactly what Reyes did, who would gloat, make cracks at her fellow houseguests, and gleefully count how many more people there were “to go.” However, the jury saw these comments, and they were the ones voting for her. Needless to say, she didn’t win. However, it also led to a change in the rules.
Chen Moonves said, “All of Danielle Reyes’ Season 3 Diary Room sessions. Those sessions are why we have to sequester the jury.”
Yes, after her season, “Big Brother” started taking evicted houseguests and sequestering them in a secondary location until finale night, and they could vote without having knowledge of what was said or done after they left the house.
4. Janelle Pierzina Becomes a Comp Beast
Julie had to include the dominating performance by Janelle Pierzina during Season 6 and All-Stars. In those two seasons, she had to fight with her back against the wall most of the time. However, she made it work.
Janelle went on to win ten competitions during those two seasons. It was a record she held for over 15 years before it was finally broken in Season 25. She finished just shy of the Final 2 both times, but she cemented her legacy as one of the best competitors in “Big Brother” history.
5. Any Chilltown Moment (Season 2 & 7)
“Chilltown” is not only the most iconic “Big Brother” alliance, it also happened to be the show’s first-ever alliance. It formed during the first week of Season 2 and consisted of Will Kirby, Mike “Boogie” Malin, and Shannon Dragoo.
They quickly declared they would be running the show. However, that backfired, and Boogie and Shannon were quickly voted out. Dr. Will then somehow managed to make it all the way to the Final 2, where he was crowned the winner.
From there, Boogie and Dr. Will returned for All-Stars five years later. Their alliance was known, but they still managed to control things. Their antics were legendary that season, and both made it to the Final 4. This time, Dr. Will was voted out, and Boogie took home the victory.
6. The Cookout Making ‘Big Brother’ History
Finally, Julie had to include the groundbreaking moment the “Cookout” alliance brought to “Big Brother 23.” In the wake of the George Floyd protests in 2020, CBS instituted a new diversity initiative. This would require at least 50% of its reality TV casts to be people of color.
For “Big Brother 23,” six Black houseguests made up the cast of 16. When the game first started, those six houseguests all independently agreed to look out for one another.
It worked, as the “Cookout” dominated the competition and found itself making up the entire Final 6. They earned the reputation of being one of the most successful alliances in the show’s history.
“The Cookout moment that made history,” Chen Moonves muses. “If you know, you know. As a woman of color, that meant a lot to me.”
What do you think are some of the most iconic moments from “Big Brother” over the past 27 seasons?
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