The wife of a Survivor legend is opening up about her husband and the whole Big Brother experience among other things. Rick Devens is one of three reality TV veterans currently competing on Big Brother 28 alongside former Survivor winner Dee Valladares and BB26 alum Angela Murray. Not long after Season 50 of Survivor concluded, Rick was asked to go into the BB house.
Rick’s wife, Becca, is used to seeing him on TV, as he finished fourth on Survivor: Edge of Extinction before doing Survivor 50. She admits to being nervous initially about him being on Survivor, but after two go-arounds on that show, Becca was thrilled to have him go into the Big Brother house.
For her, it’s been a very different experience from Survivor, which is already taped by the time it airs as opposed to BB. Not having her husband beside her to watch the episodes has been very different for her. Becca spoke exclusively to Reality Tea about how she feels Rick is doing in the house, while also addressing his game, plus the ups and downs of his time on the show so far.
Becca addressed Rick’s HOH backlash
Throughout the game so far, Rick has been in a relatively good spot, with his alliance The Toolshed seemingly in control for the most part. Rick won Head of Household in Week 2 while later claiming the Power of Veto that same week.
Rick’s big HOH move to get Rome out wasn’t the only thing that had fans and former contestants talking. Many were outraged over a conversation he had with houseguest Kamu Kirk. The two noticed Drew and Barrett dressed in unicorn-themed garments, prompting Rick to wonder if they were wearing women’s clothes. Kamu responded with “Bro, miss me with that drag stuff.” Kamu added that he has a reputation to uphold as an MMA fighter. The conversation was deemed as anti-drag and offensive to some. That includes Frankie Grande, who perceived Rick and Kamu’s behavior as ignorant.
Becca addressed that backlash surrounding her husband. “If Rick thought that speaking up in that moment was going to improve the situation or his game, I think he would have,” Becca told Reality Tea. Rick got plenty of criticism for not speaking up and calling out Kamu. From Becca’s perspective though, “choosing not to intervene in a conversation that’s strategic doesn’t mean that you’re endorsing what they’re saying. I think those are two very different things.”
While that controversy may have changed some people’s opinions about Rick, Becca says she knows her husband and what he stands for. “At the end of the day, I know him, and I know he’s inclusive and he would be mortified that people think that he’s not,” she admitted.
One of this season’s houseguests, Jason De Puy, is a drag queen who previously competed on RuPaul’s Drag Race.
Becca reveals her true feeling about reality trolls
As with any reality show contestant, they have their share of haters; even a Survivor fan favorite like Rick. Becca has experienced it before from his days on Survivor. She compared the online bullying that reality stars get to something you’d see on an after-school special.
After a couple of weeks of online hate during Survivor 38, Becca had one conclusion about online reality TV trolls. “They’re trolls, they’re bots, they’re 12, they’re 20, they’re sad,” Becca told us. She realizes, though, that Rick’s energy, while also being “corny,” as she put it, is not for everybody.
Nowadays Becca takes any online trolling with a grain of salt. “I’m enjoying the trolls; it amuses me. I’m enjoying responding to them,” admits Becca since Rick has been on Big Brother. While she doesn’t quite understand the motivation behind trolling, Becca says, “It’s so fascinating to know, like, why is it their hobby?” Having a husband who works as a news anchor, Becca says she’s used to hearing him criticisms of all sorts.
Rick is “bored” on Big Brother
There are noticeable differences between BB and Survivor which may be impacting Rick’s mood in the house. Big Brother lasts much longer than Survivor, and there’s a lot more downtime. The show is much more of a marathon than a sprint. On Survivor, Rick played aggressively, while often idol hunting and successfully planting numerous fake idols.
According to Becca, having to be more laid back may be affecting Rick on Big Brother. She said he wasn’t going on BB out of excitement. Before leaving, he told Becca, “I’m gonna play to win.”
“I know that he’s playing from a different angle,” adds Becca. Not having a tribal council to perform at, according to her, has changed how Rick has had to play Big Brother.
Since his HOH reign ended, Becca believes Rick has taken a more laid-back approach. “I do think he looks bored. I think he looks exhausted.” She admits to being “a little concerned about overstimulation,” on Rick’s part. While she credits him for realizing during his HOH that he must slow down, Becca says, “I don’t think he’s having fun.” Becca believes he realized he must be more strategic and chill if he’s going to win.
Big Brother airs on CBS on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays at 8 p.m. ET while it streams on Paramount+.
TELL US – DO YOU THINK RICK DEVENS IS PLAYING A DIFFERENT BIG BROTHER GAME THAN HE DID ON SURVIVOR?
