It's been over ten years since Dan Gheesling took home $500,000 on Big Brother season 10, yet the former winner's popularity has continued to grow through his entertaining and insightful social media channels. When Dan made his Big Brother debut in 2008, he was a 24-year-old Catholic educator whose original strategy of throwing competitions helped him lay low. As season 10 continued, Dan entered a strong final two alliance with Memphis Garrett, who recently married fellow Big Brother alum Christmas Abbott. In the end, Dan successfully won Big Brother season 10 with a perfect game. Dan never received any eviction votes against him and won against Memphis with a unanimous 7-0 Jury vote.
In 2012, Dan returned to Big Brother as a coach to four houseguests on season 14. Alongside fellow fan-favorites Britney Haynes, Mike "Boogie" Malin, and Janelle Pierzina, Dan re-entered Big Brother as a houseguest on Day 27 after the coaches (minus Mike) voted to reset the game. With another $500,000 on the line, Dan's sneaky manipulation tactics and emotional intelligence, such as the now-iconic "Dan's Funeral" move, saw him once again mastermind the evictions of several houseguests, including his ally, Danielle Murphy, and her showmance, Shane Meaney. Although Dan had a strong case to become the first two-time winner of Big Brother, the Michigan native was ultimately defeated by superfan Ian Terry with a 6-1 vote.
Since Dan's last appearance on Big Brother, the 38-year-old and his wife Chelsea have become dotting parents to three children: Desmond, who turns six on July 3, Miles, who is four, and Celine, who was born in November 2021. Dan frequently shares photos of his family's adventures to his 83,000 Instagram followers, with the Gheesling's recently enjoying a trip to Florida in March. Although Dan doesn't appear to work for St Mary's Preparatory High School as a teacher or their assistant football coach anymore, the Big Brother alum still has a passion for both. Before traveling to Florida in March, Dan uploaded a film assignment from his own high school experience in 1999, praising his former teacher and describing her class as "my favorite & most influential class I ever took."
When Dan isn't taking care of his family, fans can find the Big Brother alum on Twitch as a successful gaming streamer and content creator. Since 2013, Dan has played a number of video games live for his 112,000 followers. Most recently, Dan has focused on the games Elden Ring, Hearthstone, and 20 Minutes Till Dawn, which were released in early June. Dan, who streams every Monday through Friday beginning at 9:30 a.m. EST, also has a popular YouTube channel where he frequently discusses upcoming game releases, fantasy football, and requests from his Discord followers.
Dan entered the Big Brother season 10 house as an ordinary person, ready to dominate the intense social, physical, and mental game. Since his first introduction on CBS, Dan's gameplay has been near impossible to beat or recreate. In fact, Dan continues to be remembered as one of the best Big Brother players in history, alongside Dr. Will Kirby (season 2) and Derrick Levasseur (season 16). Although it doesn't look like Dan has plans to play a third Big Brother game, that doesn't stop viewers from hoping that he one day makes another return, especially since the upcoming Big Brother season 24 is rumored to feature some special guests.
Big Brother airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. EST on CBS.
Sources: Dan Gheesling/Instagram, Dan Gheesling/Instagram Dan Gheesling/Twitch, Dan Gheesling/YouTube