The hit reality show Big Brother has had a lot of returning players throughout its 22 seasons on the air. For instance, there have been former winners who returned to compete for $500,000 again. In addition, there have been houseguests who got very close to the grand prize and came back to try winning the game one more time. Furthermore, there have been early-outs who deserved another fair shot at competing.
On the other hand, not all of the returning players on Big Brother were a good idea. At times, these veterans had a good (or at least neutral) reputation from their original seasons, but showed their true colors on the second time around. Other times, the houseguests returned with more experience but had an even worse placement than they did before. Find out who are some of the five best and five worst returning players of all time on Big Brother.
BEST: Janelle Pierzina (BB6, BB7, BB14, BB22)
With the announcement that Janelle Pierzina was cast on Big Brother 22: All-Stars, she has now competed in the series four times. Janelle first appeared on BB6, where she placed third. Then, she came back for the first-ever All-Stars, a.k.a. BB7, where she once again ended up in third place.
Given how strong of a player she was in the past, the other players were quick to evict Janelle on Big Brother 14. Nonetheless, Janelle has been one of the smartest and most charismatic contestants in Big Brother history and has competed in a season from each decade that the show's been on the air: the 2000s, the 2010s, and the 2020s.
WORST: Nicole Franzel (BB16, BB18, BB22)
After placing 7th on Big Brother 16, Nicole Franzel was brought back to compete on BB18. All in all, it is no secret that Nicole's victory on season 18 has been long contested by Big Brother fans. Generally, many viewers believe that Paul Abrahamian deserved to take the grand prize that year.
Nicole Franzel is a rare example of a returning player that had a better performance on their second time around but actually scarred their reputation along the way. As one of the All-Stars on Big Brother 22, Nicole F is once again facing a lot of criticism within the fandom. Ultimately, one must wonder if it was in her best interest to go back at all.
BEST: Dan Gheesling (BB10, BB14)
Towards the end of Big Brother 14, Dan Gheesling no longer had the fanbase or his fellow houseguests on his side. With that said, BB10 winner Dan was still a standout player on his second time around, stopping at nothing to bring himself to the Final 2. In hindsight, it also made Ian Terry's victory much sweeter that he defeated one of the greatest players in the history of the show.
Between "Dan's funeral" and getting to the Final 2 again, Dan was a great returning player that brought a lot of entertainment to Big Brother 14.
WORST: Frank Eudy (BB14, BB18)
Frank Eudy was, without a doubt, a producers' favorite on BB14. While some may argue that he was indeed a strong player during that season, it is hard to look past his overall demeanor on his second time competing on the show.
As a returning player on Big Brother 18, Frank was seen groping Da'Vonne Rogers and calling her a "sl*t." Controversies aside, Frank ended up in 7th place on BB14 only to be evicted in 12th place on BB18. All in all, it is hard to argue against the fact that Frank wasn't too great of a veteran to play the game a second time.
BEST: Da'Vonne Rogers (BB17, BB18, BB22)
Da'Vonne Rogers has yet to prove herself as a fierce competitor on Big Brother. With that said, she is a rare example of a houseguest that fans always feel compelled to always root for, no matter where she places on the season.
This year, Da'Vonne is back to compete on the show's latest season, Big Brother 22: All-Stars. Once again, Da'Vonne has been incredibly entertaining to watch and immediately got the fandom on her side. Despite having a less-than-stellar track record thus far, there's no denying that Da' earned her place as an All-Star.
WORST: Jessie Godderz (BB10, BB11)
Jessie Godderz was considered a charismatic player on Big Brother 10, which ultimately landed him a spot on the following season. However, it is fair to say that Jessie didn't bring much to his time on BB11 and hasn't had any significant staying power with fans ever since.
As the 10th place on BB10 and 9th place on BB11, Jessie also didn't improve his track record significantly by coming back on the show. Moreover, he wasn't able to survive even one nomination the second time around, bringing into question whether his experience hurt him more than it helped.
BEST: Will Kirby (BB2, BB7)
Big Brother 2 winner Will Kirby is largely credited for reinventing the U.S. edition of the show after a less-than-successful first season. A few years later, Dr. Will came back to the series to compete on BB7, which is otherwise known as the first-ever All-Stars.
During that second season, Will was able to get to the Final 4. Nonetheless, it was Will's friend from BB2, Mike Boogie, who took the grand prize at the end. Ultimately, Boogie's win is still reflective of Will's game play to get them there.
WORST: Paul Abrahamian (BB18, BB19)
Paul Abrahamian is one of the strongest competitors in the history of Big Brother. On BB18, he won six competitions and made his way to the Final 2. Then, Paul won eight competitions on BB19 and once again finished the season as the runner-up. But on the other hand, it is of note that Paul's return to the show is very controversial.
At first, Paul left Big Brother 18 as the "robbed" player who should've won. On BB19, however, Paul wore black leggings and applied black-colored makeup to make fun of Dominique Cooper, who is a Black contestant. Overall, it is debatable if Paul should've bee brought on as a returning player.
BEST: Mike "Boogie" Malin (BB2, BB7, BB14)
Mike Boogie has been facing some legal woes, but that doesn't change his great performances on Big Brother and his overall staying power among fans.
Over the years, Boogie competed three times: BB2, BB7, and BB14. He was a fierce competitor on all three seasons, representing a huge threat to the other houseguests and providing a lot of entertainment to viewers at home.
WORST: Jeff Schroeder (BB11, BB13)
Jeff Schroeder may have gotten a nice edit from the show, but his return to Big Brother 13 is largely contested by those who were inside the house with him. The accusations around Jeff include racial bias and homophobic remarks, all of which weren't shown during the season's regular broadcast but were seen on the live feeds.
In hindsight, bringing Jeff back for BB13 and assigning him to be the show's official exit interviewer was a very controversial move that the show still gets criticized for.