Can you believe we’re about to embark on the 21st season of the American version of the reality competition series Big Brother? Set to debut on June 25, 2019, the season will see 16 new houseguests from across the country enter a house where they will try to make it through an entire summer of competitions games, backstabbing, evictions, 24/7 surveillance, and total isolation from the outside world to be declared the winner.
From states like New York, Texas, and California, and jobs like marketing, truck driving, and personal trainers, this season’s group is just as diverse as ever. And while we haven’t gotten to know them quite yet, their official bios suggest who might have a leg up on whom in the game that requires physical prowess, cunning smarts, and a level of likability.
After reading through bios of all sixteen new players, here’s a ranking of how likely each one is to win, starting with the least likely to win up to the most.
Cliff Hogg III
Let’s not mince words: the “older” contestants never win, much less last long, with the exceptions of Dick Donato and 75-year-old Jerry MacDonald, who placed third. So we’d be surprised if this 53-year-old cowboy hat-wearing petroleum engineer from Houston isn’t one of the first ones voted out. He could surprise us, given that he’s active in watersports and loves to discuss/debate politics. But the latter might rub people the wrong way, especially if he engages in political debates with those who oppose his views.
Jessica Milagros
Already her insistence on referring to herself as being “30ish” suggests that Jessica might be a handful. Hailing from Chicago and currently residing in Illinois, she’s also a model who loves to paint and calls herself “affectionate.” Nothing about her really screams “winner” or being voted out. She may be a loner or floater who simply gets voted out because she’s there and an easy vote.
Nicole Anthony
The presumed typecast quirky girl, we can already see Nicole being in the underdog alliance, determined to turn things around so her side of the house can win. At age 24, the Long Island, New York native works as a preschool aide, so she’s used to dealing with children which could help her navigate difficult situations in the house.
And she’ll probably get along with lots of people. We don’t see her winning, but rather being viewed as likeable, but dispensable. Thus, she’ll probably be voted out somewhere in the middle.
Isabella Wang
Saying your favourite activity is “spending other people’s money” instantly suggests that this girl might be trouble. Residing in Los Angeles but from New Jersey, the 22-year-old public health analyst clearly has a sense of humour, which could get her far in the game. “I liked when Isabella Wang won season 21,” she presumptuously writes in her official bio, adding that her strategy to win involves “bribery.” Will her humour and frankness get her far? We don’t quite think it will, but we doubt she’ll be first out, either.
Kathryn Dunn
A dedicated marketer, this 29-year-old Texas girl will likely fill the role of sweet, southern girl. Focused in her everyday life on social media, she’ll probably want to get noticed so she can increase her number of followers. This could be by causing drama, being in a showmance, or playing a hard and ruthless game. We’d bank more on one of the first two, and don’t see her as a likely candidate for the win - especially considering that she has never watched Big Brother.
Kemi Faknule
Another marketer, Kemi might form a bond with Kathryn over their similar careers and withdrawal symptoms from social media and their phones. Considering herself to be a positive person, this 25-year-old from Maryland, who lives now in Brooklyn, also ironically also calls herself a b**** and says she can be “extremely vicious” when provoked.
So…we suspect drama, fights, and a relatively early exit for this girl if she lives up to her self-professed reputation.
Tommy Bracco
With classic good looks, this 28-year-old from Staten Island, New York describes himself as optimistic and driven. As a Broadway dancer, he obviously has the flexibility, balance, and dexterity required for some of the challenges, so we predict he’ll do well, particularly for the endurance comps. A family man, he’s used to living in a house with lots of people. So he might just adopt the Big Brother cast as his new family, and fit right in. He might ruffle some feathers, or float all the way to the end. It could go either way with him.
Holly Allen
The 31-year-old from Lander, Wyoming currently resides in Los Angeles, and serves as a wine safari guide. She’s obviously fit, which means she’ll probably do pretty well in competitions. The fact that she fosters dogs and loves enjoying scenery through road trips and taking pics along the way makes her sound super-approachable, and probably quite likable. So she may play a pretty good social game. But the fact she admits she hasn’t really watched many past seasons of the show means she isn’t familiar with the ins and outs of Big Brother. She might be worth ranking higher, but as the past has shown, those with intimate knowledge of the game tend to come out ahead.
Ovi Kabir
His picture simply screams sweet and innocent Tennessee boy. But sometimes, sweet and innocent doesn’t get you far in the game. For this 22-year-old college student who describes himself as “relatable” and someone who likes to party, Ovi will probably get along with everyone in the house, and indeed says part of his strategy is to get to know everyone on a personal level.
That’s a good thing, as he could play a fly-under-the-radar “nice guy” game. But if he doesn’t play things right, Ovi might be deemed a target, or end up a second- or third-place floater who’s deemed easy to win against.
Christie Murphy
From Staten Island and currently living in New Jersey, this 28-year-old boutique owner sounds like she might be the one to get on other housemates’ nerves, referring to herself as the “whistling girl” who’s always singing or whistling. Being a lesbian, she feels as though this will help her get along with the guys, and not be a threat to the girls since she won’t be after any of the men. She could be right, and we can see her being the shoulder everyone cries on, and effectively playing both sides. So we’ll place her in the middle of the pack for potential winners.
Jackson Michie
A server from Nashville now living in Los Angeles, this 24-year-old man with the seriously defined jawline is probably an aspiring actor and will likely grab the attention of many of the women in the house. He sounds confident that he will be able to win competitions...when he wants to. As long as he makes some good alliances (or at least one strong one) – likely with the other workout-loving buffed men in the house, or perhaps a showmance - he’ll probably go pretty far. Otherwise, he runs the risk of being labeled a threat and instantly targeted.
Analyse Talavera
The Californian beauty is just 22 and a college soccer star, which means she’s an athlete through and through. Admittedly obsessed with tanning and shopping, she’ll probably find herself in a showmance (she’s clear she wants to flirt with the guys), or perhaps stirring up some drama, more than she does winning.
That said, if she aligns with the right people, it could take her all the way. But her strategy of “playing both sides of the house,” and throwing competitions to hide her allegiances, might put a target on her back early if she isn’t clever about it. If she plays it right, though, she could be the last female standing.
Nick Maccarone
Being a therapist gives this 27-year-old from New Jersey an instant leg up on other contestants. It seems those with professions that require talking, motivating, investigating, and other similar cognitive-related skills always do well (hello, Derrick Lavasseur!) So he will likely go far, knowing how to navigate difficult situations and conversations, helping to calm rough situations, and being a shoulder to cry on. Plus, as a lover of sports, he’ll probably do pretty well in competitions, too.
Jack Matthews
This 28-year-old Jason Momoa doppelganger from Chicago, currently living in Tampa, Florida, is a fitness trainer, which means he’ll likely be seen working out in the backyard most of the time. He looks approachable, and describes himself as honest and someone with integrity and character. These are great qualities for a human being, but don’t always get you so far in Big Brother where lying, backstabbing, and manipulating people is the name of the game. That said, we have a good feeling that Jack will make a lot of friends in the house, won’t cause drama, and will win tons of competition, catapulting him to a potential win.
David Alexander
A photographer from Atlanta, this 29-year-old describes himself as “high energy” and positive. Into CrossFit training, he’ll probably forge an alliance with Jack (who also does CrossFit) and they could become a pretty powerful duo. For that reason, along with him claiming to have the “gift of gab,” which is essential for swaying a jury, we see David going pretty far in the game – if he doesn’t get himself caught up in a distracting showmance, that is. But it appears he has never watched the show, though he plans to watch two seasons before entering the house to get a feel for how things work. Hopefully he picks the right seasons to watch!
Sam Smith
This 31-year-old truck driver from Pennsylvania sounds like the life of any party, so he will most likely get along with everyone in the house, despite his blue collar career that's drastically different from most others in the house. Will he perform well in competitions? That’s unknown. But he will probably play a fantastic social game, which could take him far. And with his rugged good looks, he’ll probably catch the attention of some of the women as well, which could hinder his game, but it might help it as well. If he plays his cards right, we think Sam could very well take home the top prize.