Big Brother may be a simple game to understand, but it is a hard one to master. The intricacies behind maintaining a social game and also making the big moves when necessary are tough to get down on the fly, and oftentimes one seemingly minor slip-up can result in the end of a contestant's game. Luckily for some though, production does bring back veterans to play the game for a second (sometimes even third or fourth) time, with these players already having the advantage of experience.
Cody Calafiore, Nicole Franzel, Rachel Reilly, and Mike "Boogie" Malin all won their second time around, while multiple other second-timers have placed in the top three. Not just anybody will be asked back though, and some players certainly showed more to deserve a return than others.
Tiffany Mitchell
As the winner of America's Favorite Player in season 23, viewers would certainly welcome Tiff back for another season. Aside from her popularity, Tiffany also earned a second chance with her strong gameplay.
As the mastermind behind the most successful alliance in Big Brother history, Tiffany sacrificed her game for what she believed to be the bigger cause. The goal of her Cookout alliance was to ensure one member would be the first-ever Black winner in the show's history, and it was successful in its mission. Lack of diversity is a common criticism of Big Brother, so a final six consisting solely of Black houseguests was a historic moment. Tiffany was the first Cookout member to be voted out, but if she was able to play solely for herself, things could have gone differently. She absolutely deserves another chance to try and add a win to her already legendary resume.
Nick Uhas
Cast for season 15, Nick showed the potential of a highly successful player. His season was the only one to feature the quickly scrapped MVP twist, which ultimately led to him coming in 15th place. He became only the third houseguest in show history to be evicted without ever being nominated by the HOH.
Nick was instead nominated by the MVP, Elissa. The alliance he created, The Moving Company, saw the opportunity to evict him as too great to pass up. He was extremely intelligent and athletic, so they felt he could be a big threat later on in the game. Unfortunately, he was evicted before he even got the chance to show his ability. If it were not for the twist, he probably would have survived much longer, making him deserving of a second chance on Big Brother.
Eric Stein
Appearing in season 8, Eric is widely regarded to be one of the funniest players in Big Brother history. Being America's Player gave him plenty of camera time, but also may have ruined his game.
He was pressured into moves viewers voted for him to do, which oftentimes ended up backfiring. Viewers had him betray his ally, Dustin, in order to save fan-favorite houseguest Dick, who ultimately would be the one to get Eric evicted. Dick also went on to win the season, as Eric's plans to target him were constantly thwarted by viewers. He still placed fifth despite not being able to make many of his own decisions. Eric definitely deserves to show his full potential without a disadvantage.
Brian Hart
Season 10's Brian fully admitted in the house that he had never watched Big Brother prior to being cast. This was a bit obvious, as he opened up playing way too hard by trying to make major moves in his first week in the house. This would end up being his only week in the house, but the potential of an interesting player was there.
In the time since, he has hopefully learned more about how to refine his strategy, as he did show great promise. He had an affinity for eventual winner and Big Brother legend Dan Gheesling, and the two meshed well. Now having seen a blueprint for the type of game he wanted to play, Brian could be the perfect early boot to give a do-over.
Kemi Fakunle
Kemi appeared on the highly controversial season 21, and her game was never really given a chance to develop due to being the victim of these controversies. She was constantly bullied by her fellow houseguests and even had production trying to goad her into causing fights, much to the detriment of her game.
Kemi did have a big moment, helping Julie Chen get combative with her bullies during the finale, but it is quite unfair she didn't get to have many moments as a game player. Kemi has been outspoken about how she felt mistreated, so it is unclear if she would even want to come back. As the show moves towards a more diverse and inclusive future though, Kemi certainly deserves a fair shot at competing. Her outspoken and courageous attitude would make for a houseguest who would be easy for viewers to root for.
Parker Somerville
Parker is another player who may have been thwarted by twists. Season 9's "'Til Death Do You Part" twist had everyone playing as a pair, with Parker being paired with Jen Diturno. That random pairing was probably what ultimately sunk his game.
Jen's real boyfriend was in the house, but he was paired with someone else. She was clearly bothered by him in some way, constantly starting problems and dragging the other houseguests into their relationship problems. The house quickly grew tired of her, and Parker was evicted alongside her. He had an interesting personality and seemed very in tune with what was going on in the house, so it is unfortunate his game was ended by factors beyond his control.
Jen Johnson
Jen is probably most remembered for her season 8 rivalry with eventual winner "Evel" Dick, but she also was one of the most fun players to watch on her own. Her list of iconic moments, such as crying over her photo, is very long, and she was pure gold on the live feeds. In addition to this, she also was not a bad player at all.
She was a straight shooter and there to win, even claiming she was there solely to compete for the title of champion, with the money being a bonus. Dick probably went too far sometimes, so seeing Jen be able to give it another try without being viciously mistreated should produce great results.
Jodi Rollins
Jodi fell victim to the premiere night eviction twist in season 14, one of the most hated twists among Big Brother fans. She would not be the first or last to leave the house this way, but her situation was the most brutal of them all. She never got a chance to earn her way back into the house, unlike every other victim of the twist. Jodi lasted only eight hours in the Big Brother house, the shortest stay of any contestant.
Despite this, she appears to still have a good relationship with the show. She has been referenced in competitions across multiple seasons and attended the season 20 premiere. Fans have also shown her love throughout the years on her social media profiles, so viewers would certainly welcome her back.
Marvin Latimer
Having appeared on season 5, Marvin appeared on the show before the America's Favorite Player award was established. If it was though, he easily would have been in contention for it, as he was one of the most memorable players the game has seen. He, unfortunately, had his game end during the first double eviction in show history.
He was extremely honest, saying exactly how he felt about situations and every other houseguest. He was effortlessly hysterical and was a favorite of live feeders. He also helped create the backdoor strategy, one that is used extremely often in modern seasons. Having appeared at the premiere of season 20, he also is seemingly still interested in the show.
Hardy Ames-Hill
Another old-school Big Brother legend, Hardy was an integral member of one of the best casts in Big Brother history. His season 2 counterparts Will and Boogie were both asked back on the All Star season, but Hardy really should have been included too.
He was the one who had their toothbrush scrubbed in the toilet during the infamous scene in his season, but that was far from his only big moment. His rivalry with the iconic Dr. Will was classic Big Brother, as Hardy nominated him all three times he won HOH. Will went as far as saying that he was shocked not to see Hardy in the All Star house in a postgame interview. The greatest player in the show's history saying he is worthy of a second chance is enough of a case for Hardy.