During an early episode of “Big Brother” this season, contestant Rick Devens — a 42-year-old father of two from Georgia — showed up on camera wearing a blue bandanna wrapped around his head. Host Julie Chen Moonves was not amused.
“Devens, I don’t know, that looks like a buff,” Chen Moonves said, referring to the colorful accessory worn by “Survivor” castaways to represent their tribes. “This is the ‘Big Brother’ house. I don’t know if I approve.”
Devens smirked, because of course the accessory was a nod to his time on “Survivor.” He had competed in two previous seasons and was deemed so entertaining that CBS decided to bring him over as the rare crossover contestant on season 28 of “Big Brother,” along with former “Survivor” castmate Dee Valladares.
The network synergy wound up being a success: On Thursday night, Devens was crowned this year’s “Big Brother” winner, earning the $750,000 grand prize. (Valladares made it to fourth place before being voted off last week.)
Chen Moonves’s earlier comment wasn’t made in jest, though. She told Entertainment Weekly she was initially irritated by Devens and his “Survivor”-style attire, calling it “a little performative.” But she eventually started to respect his gameplay, she added, and liked him quite a bit.
The “Big Brother” host isn’t the only one to have complicated feelings about bringing “Survivor” contestants into the “Big Brother” fold. The two long-running CBS reality shows, which debuted within months of each other in 2000, have coexisted mostly peacefully over the past 26 years. Still, a mild rivalry exists as viewers and contestants occasionally debate which show is tougher: Is it more challenging to “outwit, outplay and outlast” in the wilderness, or to be trapped in a house as 16 people vote each other out one by one?
Not to mention “Survivor” routinely garners awards and acclaim, and “Big Brother” … does not.
“There’s always been a weird sibling rivalry between Big Brother and Survivor. BB players are treated like the redheaded stepchild of reality TV,” former “Big Brother” contestant Danielle Reyes posted on Instagram last month. “What people underestimate is the mental Olympics of Big Brother. Managing relationships, paranoia, power shifts and emotions 24/7 for MONTHS. So watching Survivor players come into OUR house and potentially win hits differently.”
Throwing Devens and Valladares into “Big Brother” this year stirred up debate again — but in this case, some fans were up in arms over the fairness of the “Survivor” alums being there at all. The pair, who both competed on the milestone 50th season of “Survivor,” formed an unbreakable alliance, along with returning “Big Brother” player Angela Murray. They were called “the icons.”
Not only were Devens and Valladares better prepared for the psychological undertaking of being on reality TV, but their existing fan base meant that they won audience-voted rewards that gave them special powers throughout the season. These powers upended the game, much to the dismay of their fellow houseguests, and kept them safe when they needed it most.
In addition, many of the first-time players seemed too intimidated to challenge the reality veterans, especially knowing that the “Survivor” alums would always stick together.
Clearly anticipating blowback for all of this, Devens was ready with an eloquent defense in Thursday’s finale during the Q&A portion, when the jury of seven evicted houseguests grilled the final two as they decided who should win the grand prize. The question for Devens: Was being an “icon” an advantage or disadvantage?
“I had a feeling I would have to answer this question, and I understand that there were privileges that came with being an icon,” Devens said, acknowledging the instant alliance and that they were automatically granted safety for the first week. And yet, he argued, his notoriety was also a disadvantage, and it was his strong strategy and relationships with people in the house that carried him through: “There was a huge target on us the entire game,” he said.
Some of the jury held grudges against Devens for various actions, particularly because he had to betray one of his closest allies, a non-icon, to get to the final two. But ultimately, his fellow competitors agreed he played the strongest game and awarded him the $750,000 grand prize over runner-up Taylor Brown, a 27-year-old school counselor from Florida. Perhaps unsurprisingly, given his fan base, Devens won an extra $50,000 for being voted America’s Favorite Player. He also took home $10,000 from another challenge.
With minutes left in the episode, Chen Moonves had to address the elephant in the room.
“All right, Devens, for the record,” she said, “which is a better show: ‘Survivor’ or ‘Big Brother’?”
“Ohhhh!” the crowd responded.
Devens, always quick on his feet, responded with the deftness of someone who wants to remain in good standing at the network that just awarded him more than $800,000. He pumped his fist in the air: “I just know that CBS is the king of reality TV!”
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