This week, Big Brother announced the return of the AI Arena. This came after the Big Brother 27 houseguests had been revealed. It’s been quite an active news week. The premiere officially kicks off tomorrow with a 90-minute episode, and then another one on Sunday. The biggest thing of interest going into tomorrow’s premiere episode is the mystery 17th houseguest.
A few weeks ago, Big Brother announced that some surprise guests would make an impression during the opening episode. We know there will be a masked visitor and an accomplice, but a mystery houseguest is also making an appearance. Initially, we didn’t know if this unknown figure would be a cameo to introduce the theme of the season: summer of mystery, or someone to compete for the $750,000 prize.
However, in interviews, Julie Chen-Moonves teased that the mystery houseguest would be polarizing. This person would also be someone who would cause a strong viewer reaction. The way Julie spoke about this houseguest made it seem like they wouldn’t simply be making a short appearance, but would become a 17th addition to the Big Brother 27 game.
In an Entertainment Tonight house tour, Julie revealed even more about the mystery houseguest. She seemingly confirmed they would be the 17th houseguest. Julie talks about how the new houseguests will have to decide whether to align or target this person. She also mentions that some may be upset by the new addition. However, Julie believes most will be star-struck by them. Most importantly, she mentions that the houseguests may want to use this person’s knowledge. She also says these new players may have a level of respect to “learn” from this person
These details create the assumption that this person will become a permanent houseguest until their eviction. It also seems like they’re likely a former Big Brother player. The new houseguests may seek this person’s knowledge and wisdom about the game.
There has been speculation that the mystery houseguest could be a celebrity, a former houseguest, or someone major in the reality TV world. This latest video seems to imply this will be a returning player. Rumors have been circulating on who this houseguest could be, but the clues seem to point heavily in the direction of Rachel Reilly.
Julie also mentions that this person has a big personality. Rachel fits that bill completely. On Bluesky, Hamsterwatch composed a list of all the plain-sight clues from the official Big Brother Instagram that point to Rachel as the mystery houseguest. Her husband, Brendon Villegas, has been trying to combat the rumors by denying them (and likely running her social media accounts), but his attempts to disprove the rumors just make them seem more real.
Janelle Pierzina has also pointed out that Rachel has not answered her calls, but she is allegedly on vacation. Many signs are pointing to the mystery houseguest becoming part of the game, and likely Rachel Reilly. We’ll have to wait until Thursday’s premiere to confirm these suspicions.
