Big Brother players run the gamut, from those who are sweet as pie and win the hearts of fans, to those who are clever and strategic and do the same, going down as some of the best players ever in the reality game. There are also some who fall on the other end of the spectrum and are labeled as villains, but rightfully so. They lie, cheat, backstab, and manipulate their way to the end of the game, or, in some cases, to an early eviction.
But in between these notable players are a selected number who don’t necessarily deserve the hate they receive, whether it’s from fellow houseguests, fans, or both.
Sarah Beth Steagall (Season 23)
In the most recent season, Sarah Beth has been getting a lot of flak from both others in the house as well as fans. Even past players have spoken out against her, including fan-favorite Janelle, who suggests she has “worms for brains,” according to Cheatsheet.com.
Fans know that Sarah Beth is actually far more intelligent than she lets on in the house, making others believe she is a voice actor when, in reality, she is actually a forensic scientist. Many in the house don’t like her, or at least haven’t gotten to know her. And her plan to backdoor fan-favorite Derek X. has put her on many fans’ least favorite lists. But in the end, it is just a game. And Sarah Beth is playing to the best of her abilities. As much as fans don’t want Derek X. to go home, it is a smart move on her part.
Brandon “Frenchie” French (Season 23)
Frenchie quickly went from fan-favorite and frontrunner in Big Brother 23 to public enemy number one in the house. Both fellow houseguests and fans began to question Frenchie’s strategy as he overplayed his hand. He quickly became paranoid, tried to make alliances with pretty much everyone, and began to fight back against people he thought wanted to get him out.
But in the end, Frenchie was a die-hard Big Brother fan. He might have gotten over-excited but it’s understandable given his love for the game. So, fans and fellow houseguests shouldn’t have pushed back so hard against him.
Paul Abrahamian (Season 18, 19)
This might be a controversial choice, but Paul played a hard game both times, not unlike some of the other top players. Sure, he was far more confrontational than other strategic players like Dan Gheesling and Derrick Levasseur. But he was also as confrontational as other winners like Jackson Michie and Dick Donato. Yet he was chastised for it instead of gifted with a win.
Paul goes down as the only person to ever be named runner-up in two seasons, not to mention two seasons in a row. He didn’t play a good social game, particularly with the members that made up the jury. But he still played a good game.
Frankie Grande (Season 16)
Frankie went from being one of the most popular people in the house to having everyone turn against him, seemingly at the drop of the hat. He took it all in stride, even pulling out a veto win during a competition that was supposed to be played in pairs (his partner Caleb abandoned him, willing to put himself on the block to get Frankie out.) It remains one of the best Veto plays in Big Brother history.
Despite the fact that Frankie had lied to people in the house, including about his true identity as the half-brother of mega-pop star Ariana Grande, he didn’t deserve all of the pushback he got.
Da’Vonne Rogers (Season 17, 18, 22)
Da’Vonne alluded to the hate she received in the house in previous seasons when she appeared on the All-Stars season, noting that she felt she was portrayed in a manner that was not honest about her. She was always viewed as an instigator of conflict when in reality, she was merely defending herself. Though she did admit that she had a tough time keeping things in when they bothered her.
This is a rare case when fans actually sided with Da’Vonne, which led to her becoming one of the fan-favorite players on the show. It’s no surprise, then, that she returned to play a second time and again as an All-Star, and that Da’Vonne ranks among the former Big Brother players who would make good hosts.
Chima Simone (Season 11)
Chima admittedly took things too far when she threw her mic pack in the pool and stormed off after the Coup d’Etat power rendered her HoH and nominations useless. But looking back, it was understandable.
It seemed as though all the work Chima did to try and help the underdog side of the house was for naught, and the pendulum swung once again in favor of the dominant players. Her frustrations were totally understandable, even if she reacted from emotion immediately following the events.
Keesha Smith (Season 10, 22)
Keesha returned for the All-Star season and she had been all but forgotten by fans and players, despite the fact that she was a close ally to Memphis, who also appeared on All-Stars. She was also integral to one of the most memorable scenes from the series when she got into a huge blowout with Jessie Godderz – one of the biggest himbos from Big Brother – on her birthday.
She ended up flipping allegiances to side with The Renegades, which might have cost her the game. Nonetheless, Keesha placed fourth on season 10 and played a solid game, thus deserving more credit, and less hate, than she gets.
Jessica Graf (Season 19)
The second Jessica sided with Cody Nickson in the house, it seemed like her game was doomed to fail. Despite this, however, she stayed true to her showmance. And she has proven that it was more than just an on-screen showmance, as the pair are now married with two children.
While viewers rewarded Jessica with special powers, clearly noticing that she was unfairly being dragged down by others (even though she was part of a dominant alliance), players in the house blamed her for Cody’s mistakes, which wasn’t fair.
