BB28’s Biggest Twist Yet: 4 Legendary Vets Storm In and Leave 13 Rookies Completely Speechless
The 17 keys to the Big Brother 28 house were handed out on Thursday night, but the real shock wasn’t the number of keys — it was who was holding four of them.
In one of the most audacious season openers in recent Big Brother history, four battle-tested reality television veterans crashed the party, leaving 13 wide-eyed rookies to figure out how to survive an ambush they never saw coming. The theme this summer is “Time Trip,” and CBS delivered on the promise of the unexpected right from the jump.
At the center of the storm is Angela Murray, the 52-year-old BB26 standout, returning as the only traditional Big Brother veteran. But she’s far from alone. Joining her are three formidable crossovers: Survivor 50 duo Rick Devens and Dee Valladares, and Jason De Puy (better known as Salina EsTitties from RuPaul’s Drag Race). Together, these four bring decades of high-stakes competition experience, sharp social instincts, and proven winner’s DNA into a house full of relative newcomers.
A House Full of Firepower — and Naïveté
The full cast of 17 competing for the $750,000 grand prize includes:
Angela Murray, Ashley Trail, Barrett Pfeiffer, Chuk Anyanwu, Dee Valladares, Drew Campbell, Haley Thogmartin, Jason De Puy, Kamu Kirk, La Trice Verrett, Lyric Medeiros, Mallory Aurichio, Melody Morris, Rick Devens, Rome Seymour, Taylor Brown, and Yash Patel.
Early houseguest introductions revealed distinct personalities and strategies. Among the women, Ashley planned to lean into an “airhead” perception, La Trice was ready to ditch her press-on nails for competition, softball player Haley warned she’d throw pitches at anyone who annoyed her, and Taylor intended to pit players against each other from day one.
On the men’s side, MMA fighter Kamu focused on aesthetics, Jason was determined to leave his drag persona at the door, Barrett emerged as a big Britney Haynes and Angela Murray superfan, Chuk made expressive gestures while openly eyeing romantic “exploration” with the women, and financial analyst Yash positioned himself as a chaos agent.
First Impressions and Immediate Alliances
As houseguests entered in small groups, alliances and attractions began forming instantly. Ashley was immediately drawn to Rome’s mustache, while Barrett clocked a potential “opposites attract” dynamic with her. Mallory quickly declared her love for Lyric, envisioning a final-two “thick as thieves” partnership. Chuk wasted little time expressing interest in getting to know the women from different states and their unique “twangs.”
Meanwhile, Drew was already spiraling into paranoia upon realizing only 14 players had entered initially, sensing something was off — a suspicion that proved correct.
The Time Trip Twist: Veteran Recruitment
Julie Chen Moonves appeared on the living room screen to drop the first major twist: the traditional first Head of Household competition would be played exclusively by three groups of four already positioned in the backyard. These groups would travel back in time through themed competitions to recruit one of the four veterans — and earn safety in the process.
Group 1 (La Trice, Rome, Mallory, Kamu) traveled to Long Beach, California on July 9, 1988, for a mall-themed competition to recruit Angela Murray.
Group 2 (Drew, Chuk, Haley, Taylor) went to Fiji on July 7, 2018, for a jungle river challenge featuring a Jeff Probst cameo to recruit Rick Devens.
Group 3 (Jason, Lyric, Melody, Yash) headed to Las Vegas on June 27, 2010, for a slushy drink-themed comp to recruit Dee Valladares.
Rome, Chuk, and Jason emerged victorious in their respective competitions, earning safety from the first eviction for themselves and successfully recruiting their assigned veterans.
In a serendipitous twist, Barrett and Ashley ended up without correct vials during the initial grouping challenge, forcing them to sit on the sidelines and watch the chaos unfold.
The Ambush Is Complete
With four seasoned veterans now inside the house — each with vastly different reality TV pedigrees — the 13 rookies face an uphill battle. Angela brings Big Brother institutional knowledge, Rick and Dee carry Survivor strategic firepower and endurance, and Jason adds the flamboyant unpredictability and performance instincts of a Drag Race star.
The rookies’ early bonding, budding showmances, and budding rivalries now exist in a pressure cooker where every conversation could be dissected by players who have already navigated some of the most cutthroat environments in reality television.
As Julie Chen Moonves loves to say: “Expect the unexpected.” On night one of Big Brother 28, the unexpected wasn’t just a twist — it was a full-scale veteran invasion.
The Time Trip has officially begun, and the house will never be the same.
