Season 13 winner Rachel Reilly has returned to the Big Brother house. The former houseguest surprised the Season 27 players on premiere night, informing them she will be playing alongside them this summer. Rachel has become a beloved member of the BB community, but it wasn’t always that way. In fact, she was quite a controversial player in her first season. In honor of the Queen’s return, let’s take a look back at some of the most controversial houseguests of all-time.
The most controversial cast members in Big Brother history

Rachel’s trajectory on Big Brother is proof that no one’s reputation in written in stone. In BB12, Rachel was disliked by most of her fellow houseguests and many viewers at home. While some fans found her over-the-top persona charming, others found it annoying and celebrated her eviction. Her controversial persona earned her a spot on BB13, giving her a second chance to win over fans. It wasn’t too difficult for Rachel to revive her Big Brother reputation. After all, her biggest fault on BB12 was annoying her fellow players. Other polarizing players found it more difficult to repair the damage from their season. Their controversies were more serious than Rachel yelling, Floaters, grab a life vest.” Let’s take a look…
Aaryn Gries – Big Brother 15
Aaryn Gries caused a whole lot of controversy on BB15. The Texas native gained a negative reputation after the live feeds caught her making a series of derogatory comments about the Black, Asian, and queer communities. A couple of houseguests tried to warn her that viewers may be offended by her words. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to curb her behavior and comments continued. Aaryn addressed the controversy in her exit interview with host Julie Chen Moonves. She blamed the comments on her southern upbringing, claiming her comments were taken “out of context.” Hmm. Ok.
Paloma Aguilar – Big Brother 24
Paloma Aguilar started the Taylor Hale hate train in BB24. The Interior Designer developed a confusing hatred for the beauty queen and made it her mission to get Taylor out of the house. She self-evicted from the game on Day 8, but Taylor continued to face bullying in the house because of Paloma’s efforts.
Justin Sebik – Big Brother 2
Justin Sebik’s controversial moment got him removed from the game. In BB2, Justin pulled out of knife during a conversation with houseguest Krista Stegall.
“Seriously, would you be mad if I killed you?” he said with the knife at Krista’s throat.
Prior to the knife incident, Justin made a series of other alarming comments that caused the houseguests to feel fearful of him. Most notably, he threatened physical violence towards one of the houseguests.
“She made a date with the devil,” he said. “If I do get that other one tomorrow, you know, the one I’m going to give the black eye to? If I get her, bro, I will guarantee you will hear her scream.”
Luke Valentine – Big Brother 25
Luke Valentine’s time in the Big Brother house was cut short due to controversy. The Florida native was ejected from the game on day 8 after he was caught using a racial slur on the live feeds. The Houseguest did not appear remorseful for his actions, issuing a bizarre statement on Instagram following his departure.
“Hey, guys, just letting you know I’m alive, I’ve arrived, and you gotta keep the flames stoked until next time,” he told his followers. “We can’t burn out—no, no, no, the fires of love will continue to burn, baby.”
Dick Donato – Big Brother 8
Dick Donato didn’t stumble upon controversy, he searched for it. The BB8 winner got off on antagonizing his fellow houseguests. He mocked their religious beliefs, made comments about their appearance, and went to extreme lengths to make the BB house hell for his fellow players. The Bar Owner was particularly nasty to houseguest Jen Johnson. He screamed at her, called her names, poured tea on her, and tried to burn her with a cigarette. In retrospect, it’s shocking Dick wasn’t removed from the game.
Big Brother is available to stream on Paramount+.
TELL US – DO YOU AGREE WITH OUR LIST? WHO DO YOU THINK IS THE MOST CONTROVERSIAL HOUSEGUEST IN BIG BROTHER HISTORY?