It’s hard to believe another summer is upon us and the start of Big Brother 23 is just days away. It’s also hard to believe we don’t have a house tour yet, or the cast videos that always help us make our first impressions. But the show must go on, as they say, so I’ve done some digging on social media, read the cast questionnaires, and have consulted other BB fans on social media, so I think I’m prepared to dive into this season’s first impressions.
Now keep in mind these are very VERY first impressions and my thoughts are likely to be all wrong and change within days of the season launch, but it’s way too fun to not to this as if I’m shooting in the dark each season, so let’s go.
Big Brother 23 Cast First Impressions
Azah Awasum
First of all, let’s get right to the best part of Asah’s questionnaire: NO SHOWMANCES! I am an immediate fan of anyone who is anti-showmance. But that’s not all that excites me about Azah. She seems like a real Big Brother fan, and not just someone who watched Big Brother 16 in sequester. Her favorite player is Jun, so that means she’s been watching a long time or has at least gone way back in a BB binge. That impresses me. And she mentions everyone’s favorite BB10 episode, Keisha’s Birthday. I think we are all going to like Azah! Here’s to hoping she plays with that old-school BB mentality that she seems to appreciate.
Most likely to: Cook her way into the hearts of the HGs.
Brent Champagne
I really don’t get a lot from Brent. At first glance he looks like the typical BB meathead. And his written interview doesn’t show much substance. So I would have to say, at the moment, I think we will find him to be very boring. He probably won’t make any good moves, and will likely be looking for a bromance alliance and an actual showmance. He claims to be very charming, but he didn’t pull out that charm in his bio.
Most Likely To: Be in a showmance and a bro alliance within the first week.
Britini D’Angelo
Oh, Britini. This girl has A LOT of energy. Not only have I seen her essay-length questionnaire answers compared to Rachel Berry from “Glee,” but I’ve also seen some very energetic TikTok’s from her. One Twitter friend summed her up nicely when she asked how they were able to mate BB All-Stars winner Marissa with BB21’s Tommy. That is such a perfect comparison to Britini and you’ll soon see why. As far as her potential gameplay goes, she says she likes to take risks, so there’s some potential there. But here’s to hoping she doesn’t drive us too crazy.
Most Likely To: SHOUT IN THE DIARY ROOM!
Christian Birkenberger
Based on the brief CBS cast leak, Christian was a last-minute replacement for BB23. That’s neither here nor there, but I think it’s an interesting tidbit to point out to any readers who aren’t on social media and have no idea about that. As for how I think Christian might be as a player, I don’t have much of an opinion on that yet. His answers were very short and he didn’t say much to sell himself to us. And he talked about Jeff using the coup d’etat to backdoor Jessica during BB11. I’m not sure if he is confused or if that’s a typo. But I’m going to take that as a sign that he’s going to be an awful BB player.
Most Likely To: Be evicted first.
Christie Valdiserri
In my opinion, Christie is slight stunt casting. She’s a Sports Illustrated swimsuit model and is verified on Instagram, but I like her energy. So I am going to overlook the fact that she was likely recruited. I am excited that she really wants to beat the alpha males at competitions. I think her competitive sprit will definitely help her in the game. IF it doesn’t hurt her. You know how that can go. But I’m here to see how she’s going to play the game.
Most Likely To: FINALLY start a successful female alliance.
Derek Frazier
Derek is already slipping into early fan favorite territory. I know you’re probably asking WHAT, HOW? IT’S TOO EARLY. Oh, let me tell you, it’s never too early for Twitter to stan a BB player. Derek’s TikTok has been shared many times already, and people are in love with his sass and wit, and his LGBTQ+ pride. BB21’s Kathryn even tweeted that she can’t wait to be his best friend. I think we are going to enjoy Derek. I don’t think his famous father, Smokin Joe Frazier, the boxer, will impact his game any. If it even comes up. Some secrets are best kept in the BB house, but I don’t think that one is game-changing.
Most Likely To: Be the Diary Room Queen
Alyssa Lopez
I think Alyssa might be there to play. She is definitely a favorite among the straight male fans at the moment, but I think she might be one of the stronger players based solely on what I’ve read. She talked a lot about Jessica Graf’s game in Big Brother 19, and how she didn’t just follow Paul like most of the cast, so it’s nice to see someone going into the house already against the whole herd mentality aspect that often plagues the modern game of Big Brother. Will she stay true to her answers? Well, like everyone who fills those things out, only time will tell. It’s easy to talk the talk, but not always as easy to walk the walk.
Most Likely To: Fight on the Live Feeds and we are ready!
Derek Xioa
I can’t believe we are going to have to once again worry about which person we are talking about. Why do they have to cast two people with the same names? But anyway, I think Derek is going to be a smart player. And I don’t think that just because he’s wearing glasses. Ha. He is a chess player and and founded his own start-up, so he might have some moves up his sleeve. And based on his Instagram, he’s a world-traveler and loves adventure, so I think people will gravitate toward him.
Most Likely To: Fight Azah over who gets to cook their way to the finale!
Brandon “Frenchie” French
If you’re part of Big Brother Twitter, chances are you’ve heard of Frenchie. He has a lot of friends on the social media platform, but he’s also not everyone’s cup of tea. But that’s how it goes for most people. Frenchie has been working to get on BB for a long time, and based on his own Twitter account, named his daughter after now-former casting director Robyn Kass. Did that level of auditioning finally pay off for Frenchie? Who’s to say. As for what Frenchie could bring to the game, he’s full of energy and is a people person and father, so those could all benefit him well. But as a superfan, as we’ve seen in the past, he could overplay that game a bit.
Most Likely To: Let us know who won HOH and veto on the Live Feeds (at least he better!)
Hannah Chaddha
When I first read that Hannah was willing to get messy and “bathe in people’s blood” I got very excited. We haven’t seen that kind of cut-throat gameplay in a long time. But then I got nervous for her. The game has changed a lot in the past several years, and cut-throat gaming usually doesn’t work anymore. And if you do play that way and get to the end, you’re likely not going to get rewarded for it. So if she does play the game this way, it’ll be exciting to watch, but something tells me we won’t be seeing much of that because she’ll be out the door.
Most Likely To: Lie, backstab and get evicted Week 2.
Kyland Young
Out of everyone in the BB23 cast, I think Kyland seems to have the best game plan. But of course when he enters the house as part of a team’s twist, he will probably have to rethink things. Big Brother has a way of making you do that. But I was impressed with his strategy plan “My strategy is to combine the subtle influence of Derrick, with Cody’s charm, Dan’s strategic thinking, and hold back on showing how good I am at competitions until I have to (hopefully not needed until the end, like Kaycee in season 20).” Say what you will about some of the people he mentioned there, but it worked out for all of them, and I think a mixture of all of those people’s traits would make one formidable player. I hope he can pull it off.
Most Likely To: Actually win the game (I know that’s a bold statement, but first impressions are easily thrown out so who cares, right?)
Sarah Steagall
Sarah is a forensic scientist, and as someone fascinated by forensics and true crime, I’m excited for her to play. Of course I don’t know how her career can help her with BB, because as a friend told me, she would be great if BB involved solving a murder … but I don’t know, I think she has to be pretty smart, so whatever, friend! Let me live my life. She plans to float, and was very upfront about it. And that’s a strategy that has paid of for many people in the past. Will she be able to pull it off? Time will tell.
Most Likely To: Become a piece of furniture and get dragged to final 3.
Tiffany Mitchell
From what I can tell reading Tiffany’s questionnaire, she’s just there to hang out and have fun. I got Jenn City vibes from her, which might make want to rethink who is most likely to get dragged to final 3. But really, Tiffany offered almost nothing from her bio, and came off as very much a recruit or casual viewer, so I’m not sure what to expect from her. She does plan to utilize her alter ego, so I can’t wait to see who that is and how it works for her.
Most Likely To: Self evict.
Travis Long
Every season has to have someone to hate. And I hate a feeling Travis might just be the guy. Fans on social media are already lighting candles for him to be the first boot, but you know that’s not going to happen. He’s going to join up with Brent in forming the bro alliance and probably dominate the season. Let’s hope the team’s twist keeps that from happening.
Most Likely To: Win first HOH or the first Teams competition and set a horrible pace for the game.
Whitney Williams
Whitney realizes that it’s hard to go into the game with a set strategy because the casting and twists can change everything. So the fact that she enters the game with an open plan means she could be good at adapting to situations. She could actually play the game pretty well. She’s a mother, so there’s a chance that could impact her game. She could use that to her advantage pretty easily. I do get a vibe that she’s a bit of a showboater though, so that could get annoying.
Most Likely To: Be fed lines in the Diary Room.
Xavier Prather
Xavier has already heated up social media with some hot modeling photos, so I think he’s going to be a popular guy as long as his game play and personality lines up with his good looks. One of my favorite things about his interview is he mentions Britney Hayne’s and Danielle Reyes’ Diary Rooms. That means he’s seen BB3 and appreciates a good Diary Room! So that excites me.
Most Likely To: Give us what we want in the Diary Room.
