Rachel Reilly was a polarizing cast member on Big Brother, appearing both on seasons 12 and 13 in 2010 and 2011. While fans (and other houseguests) found her irritating, her laugh grating, there’s no denying that she was a fierce competitor, proven by her win the second time around.
Some of the things she said, however, were pretty cringeworthy. Whether she was fighting with another houseguest or speaking candidly in the Diary Room, particularly for goodbye messages to evicted houseguests, some comments made fans wince versus laugh.
“You Don’t Even Compare To Half The Gameplayer Your Dad Was.”
Said to Danielle after calling her arrogant, rude, and a “horrible b***h, Rachel said this during her goodbye message. It was cringeworthy mainly because of the already difficult relationship Danielle had with her father Dick, who appeared with her in season 8. They were estranged at the time and even though they came together through the season, it still wasn’t a fully repaired relationship.
The line was speaking highly of Dick but comparing Danielle to her father was a low blow given her difficult past with her brother, even for Rachel.
“I Don’t Call Girls B***hes Because I Don’t Use That Derogatory Term.”
What was funniest about this line, which Rachel said in a goodbye message to Monet, was that in many other goodbye messages, Rachel did indeed call evicted female houseguests b***hes. Fans instantly recognized this disconnect and rolled their eyes at Rachel outright lying.
Even beyond goodbye messages, Rachel used the word to describe many players throughout the show, both in Diary Room reveals and in heated discussions and arguments with people like Kristen. She contradicted herself here by using a term she calls derogatory here multiple times on camera.
“Floaters, You Better Grab A Life Vest.”
One of the most memorable quotes in Big Brother history, this was spoken after Rachel won an HoH competition, a very important one seeing as she would likely have been heading home if she hadn’t won. She proceeded to call out all the “floaters” in the game, referencing the people who were playing in the background, not winning any competitions.
It was a clever line that used a term that houseguests had long before coined to describe people who tried to stay out of the spotlight and “float” to the end of the game. But it was also kind of corny.
“I’ve Fought So Hard That I Have To Get Another Injection Of Botox…”
The quote continued: “because I have so many wrinkles right now.” Some would argue that Rachel was shallow, with other houseguests like Britney often poking fun at her hairpieces and excessive make-up. Rachel was confident in herself and didn’t care what others said, which was admirable.
She made clear with lines like this that she was often in on the joke, poking fun at herself by suggesting she had botox before (and needed some again). It was a Rachel way to describe the stress she felt in the house, but also pretty superficial.
“He’s Jewish And So He Wears A Yom Kippur…I Believe That’s What It’s Called.”
She began by pointing out that Andrew stood out to her because of this. Rachel’s lack of understanding of diverse cultures and others outside of her bubble was cringe-worthy. Though she is joined by many other past houseguests who weren’t exposed to different races and cultures in their lives, this line was completely tone-deaf.
What she was referring to was the kippah, also known as a yarmulke, the brimless, cloth cap worn by Orthodox Jewish men either all the time or during prayer. Yom Kippur, meanwhile, is the holiest day of Judaism (as well as Samaritanism) whereby the focus is on atonement and repentance, typically through intensive prayer and fasting. They are very different things, though both part of Jewish culture.
“You Think You’re So Smart Because You Have A Fashion Degree?”
This was one of her comments to Kristen during an argument after Rachel’s big competition win, which secured she and Brendon’s safety for another week. After accusing Kristen of making out with Hayden in the bed beside her the night before, the two got into a heated discussion.
This comment is cringeworthy because Rachel – one of the Big Brother houseguests fans think should return for an All-Star season - was implying that having a fashion degree was below her degree in chemistry, or that it meant Kristen was not as smart as she was. Hayden fittingly retaliated in Kristen’s defense, suggesting that as someone so intelligent, Rachel should try to string a sentence together without saying the word “like” multiple times within it.
“Two HoHs, Kristen!”
In the same argument, Rachel went on to rub it in Kristen’s face that she had won two HoHs while Kristen had not won anything. While it’s good to feel happy and in power after winning, becoming arrogant and throwing it in other peoples’ faces is never a good idea. The power only lasts for a week, and when the next HoH is crowned, if it isn’t someone on your side, that attitude could backfire.
Indeed, Hayden went on to win that season. Rachel did return in season 13 and won, which means the strategy either worked or she learned from the first time around and toned down her game. Always unapologetically herself, however, gloating about her wins was cringeworthy.
“Don’t Wow Anything, Kristen.”
Once again, the battle of words between Rachel and Kristen was among her best moments on the show. In their Diary Room sessions, several of the houseguests discussed how they were enjoying the moment, breaking out the proverbial popcorn while they sat back and watched.
By the end of the fight, a clearly frustrated Kirsten simply put her hands on her face and said “wow!” to indicate she couldn’t believe what was coming out of Rachel’s mouth. Rachel’s response, while spoken in the heat of the moment, was childishly hilarious. It made her come across as immature and petty.
“She’s Clearly Showing What Side She’s On.”
Again after the big fight, Rachel became angry with Kathy for hugging Kirsten and Hayden in support, suggesting it was like “they were her best friends in the world.” It was petty and immature, believing that if anyone in the house wanted to support her, they could not support anyone else.
Kathy, meanwhile, was simply trying to stay out of the drama and be there for whoever needed her. It wasn’t fair for Rachel to bring others into the situation and fault someone for being a genuinely good person. Rachel is one of the luckiest contestants in Big Brother history because if she hadn’t won as many competitions at the right time as she had, she would have been on many peoples’ radars to send home.
“I Am Vegas.”
The quote showed not only over-confidence but also a touch of arrogance. At the time she appeared on the show, she was living in Las Vegas and working as a cocktail waitress. So, referring to herself as someone who defined all of Sin City was quite boastful.
Lines like this didn’t bode well when combined with her overbearing personality and the fact that she rubbed many people the wrong way in the house. While Rachel did also work as a model and had earned a chemistry degree, none of that qualified her to make sure a ridiculous statement.