Why Rick Devens and Dee Valladares were quietly pulled into Big Brother

This week launched season 28 of Big Brother with a twist that immediately got fans talking: the casting team didn’t bring in one former Survivor player.

The producers said the decision wasn’t made in a vacuum. It was a team effort involving the Big Brother crew, CBS, and Survivor casting director Jesse Tannenbaum. With cross-promotion between the network’s biggest reality franchises gaining traction — and with Survivor 50 airing while these conversations were happening — the timing felt impossible to ignore. In other words, CBS saw the perfect opening to bring two proven game players into the Big Brother house.

“They could really shake things up in the Big Brother house.”

When it came to Rick Devens, the producers didn’t hide their excitement. Grodner echoed what many fans already know: he’s entertaining, strategic, and unpredictable in the best possible way. “He’s a strategist and he’s creative,” she told EW. “If we’re looking for someone to stir things up, do some things unexpected, it felt like he was a really good fit.”

Dee Valladares, meanwhile, was described as equally dangerous in a different way. Grodner praised her personality, calling her magnetic and saying people naturally gravitate toward her. The producers stressed that while Devens and Dee share a competitive mindset, their styles are different enough to create serious friction, and that could spell trouble for everyone else trying to survive the social game.

But the casting team made one thing clear: they weren’t looking for names who only wanted camera time. Meehan said the priority was bringing in people who genuinely want to play. “We want people that wanna come and play the game, and they’re not here just to be on TV,” he said. That mindset, he added, was the top factor when deciding who belonged on the season.

Devens, a former morning news anchor, certainly doesn’t seem driven by the spotlight alone. After appearing on Survivor: Edge of Extinction and later Survivor 50, he made it obvious that his passion for the game is what keeps him coming back. That same fire is exactly what could make him a wild card in Big Brother.

And Dee’s résumé is just as impressive. After winning Survivor 45, she went on to compete on season 41 of The Challenge: Vets & New Threats. She picked up two individual challenge wins there, adding to a Survivor run that already included three individual immunity wins and one reward victory. Even though she was eventually eliminated in episode 12, her competitive edge is exactly why the Big Brother cast should be on alert.

Grodner and Meehan said the fun of this casting move is watching two major CBS personalities translate their Survivor instincts into a different kind of battle. “It’s amazing to be able to bring people from another huge CBS show and to see how they play the Big Brother game from a Survivor game,” Grodner explained. Meehan agreed, adding that Devens and Dee are both strong players in their own right, even if they approach the game differently.

And unlike Survivor, fans won’t have to wait weeks between appearances. New Big Brother episodes air Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays at 8 p.m. ET, with live streaming available on CBS and Paramount+.

This season is already shaping up to be unpredictable, and if Devens and Dee bring the chaos the producers are promising, the biggest surprises may still be ahead. Stay tuned — more updates are likely just around the corner.