Derek Frazier got the honor of runner-up in Season 23 of Big Brother, but unlike most runners-up, he did it without a single competition win. That wasn’t by choice, however, and after a season with absolutely zero wins, Frazier thinks it’s time for the CBS series to change its competitions.
I spoke to Derek Frazier the morning following the Big Brother Season 23 finale, and we referenced his frustration of frequently losing competitions, at times due to being a larger player. I asked Frazier if he felt it was time for the long-running series to alter its competitions to accommodate different body types, and he shared:
I think it is. You know what? I’ll say this. I, in the beginning, was very frustrated because I felt like, hey – when they said new beginnings? I was thinking we were going to get some strength comps up in there. I thought we were going to get some sandbags. Let’s put some water above our heads and see who can hold it the longest, you know. I thought we were going to have a little bit more things that would’ve been something for me as a big guy to advance in. In the beginning, it was very hard because I kept losing, and losing, and losing, and I was trying, you know? And then, once we got down to the six and we got to that egg competition? I was like, ‘Ok, they’re going to give me some more things.’ Then we got BB Comics, and I’m like, ‘Ooh, we’re getting a little close.’ And those comps started to ease up. I think as the next season transitions in, I think there will be a little bit more comps that will be for guys that are like, you know, us, the big guys.
Derek Frazier hoped that in all the changes Big Brother made for Season 23, there would also be a change to competitions. Unfortunately for him, there were no strength competitions, and though he came close to a win a couple of times in Season 23, he always fell short. Frazier hopes that the series will be more mindful of all body types in future seasons and will level the playing field in some competitions for all players.
Representation was important for Derek Frazier on many levels when he agreed to be on Big Brother. While Frazier could’ve written off his losses as intentional for strategic purposes, he explained that as a larger man, he wanted to show that quitting was not an option even if he wasn’t successful.
I wanted to represent that, and I wanted to show no matter how many times I fell, no matter how many times I messed up. I still was going to keep going and be myself. I was not just doing it for the big guys. I was doing it for the black men, I was also doing it for the gay men, and I was doing it for the big guys too! Because I wanted to show that no matter what, I’m not afraid of these little six-packs. I will walk around shirtless and say, ‘Look at my keg,’ and I look good. I wanted people to feel that confidence because on these reality shows, sometimes they don’t show that part of America, and that’s a part of America! We’re beautiful too. So, show us, and I think this season did really good. I think Big Brother and the production team and everyone did amazing. The casting team did amazing by picking people of all different types of sizes, all different types of races, and everything. I think that was beautiful.
Modern Big Brother seasons have primarily revolved around very physical competitions, which has caused debate in the fandom. It has allowed the most physically fit players to have a massive edge in the game and made it advantageous for those players to align and slowly eliminate the rest of the Houseguests. A better mix of mental and physical competitions or bringing back classic competitions like the Pressure Cooker (in which HouseGuests stood holding a button until they gave up) could be a solution to help even the odds and make it so players like Derek Frazier could see the endgame with a better shot at winning it all.
Big Brother Season 23 is over at CBS, but Big Brother: Celebrity Edition arrives in February. For more on the franchise, check out our conversation with winner Xavier Prather and why he said he would never try his hand at Survivor.
