How Returning Contestants Might Impact Big Brother 28’s New Season Drama
The much-anticipated premiere of Big Brother 28 is set for July 9, 2026, and speculation abounds that the cast will include returning houseguests, a decision some fear could jeopardize the season’s success. Periodically, Big Brother invites former participants to join the game alongside fresh faces, contrasting with all-star editions where every contestant is a returning player.
While it can be thrilling for fans to watch familiar faces re-enter the Big Brother house, the reality is, these beloved veterans may sometimes be better as part of the past. Mixing seasoned players with novices often brings challenges, and incorporating returning players this season might be a recipe for disaster.
This was especially evident when Paul returned for Big Brother 19, and quickly amassed a loyal following in the house. He was clearly the leader of the house, with his fellow contestants often blindly following him. This phenomenon even caused host Julie Chen Moonves to call the season, "Big Paul," instead of Big Brother, a term that many fans adopted as well.
Janelle campaigned for herself, but the fact that she was evicted by a vote of 8-1 proved that even her former teammates who she coached wanted her out of the game. They successfully removed the Veto Queen from the game early enough that she couldn't do much damage. However, Janelle fans were disappointed that her return to the game was so short-lived.
If Big Brother 28 does have returning houseguests, it would be best if none of them came from Big Brother 27. The season is still too fresh in fans' minds, and it would feel like a repeat of something that they already watched. Giving fans time to miss their favorites makes it much more thrilling when they finally do come back to the show.
In addition, although it's highly frowned upon, returning Big Brother houseguests have been accused of pregaming with each other, especially during the last all-star season. Because they're friends in the real world, it's inevitable that they'll align with each other when they re-enter the Big Brother house. Coming in with a pre-planned strategy for an alliance is completely unfair, especially when newbies with no connections are involved.
When all of the houseguests are new, there's more of an even playing field. There are no superstars to outshine everyone. This makes the game more fair, especially if fan votes are included in the season.
In addition, if Big Brother fans don't like a returning houseguest, this can work against them. During Big Brother 11, fans voted for Jeff to receive the controversial Coup d'Etat power, during which he was able to overthrow HOH Chima Simone. He replaced one of her nominees with returnee Jessie, who was then evicted from the game. This was Jeff's first run on the show, but he was loved by the fans, much more than villain Jessie, who wasn't in Jeff's alliance. If the fans had wanted Jessie to stay in the house, then they wouldn't have voted for Jeff to win the Coup d'Etat, but instead would've protected him.
