Rick Devens overcame the odds and won Big Brother Season 28. He won over a lot of fans in the process, including host Julie Chen Moonves. She famously didn't appreciate his pro-Survivor superiority stance at the start of the season, but softened ahead of the finale, admitting she was a fan. However, I am curious how she felt after she gave him the layup to declare BB the superior show, and Devens took the easy way out.
Rather than say he preferred his time on the island to Big Brother, or vice versa, Devens had another response prepared. Breaking news: he didn't take a side and said this instead:
I just know that CBS is the king of reality TV!
As Survivor and Big Brother fans alike congratulate Devens for closing out his time on the 2026 TV schedule $810,000 richer, this disgruntled Big Brother fan wanted an answer. In my mind, if I played two games but won a life-changing amount of money on one, that's my favorite show.
Rick Devens feels differently. We had a laugh when I recalled the moment, and he explained that he couldn't lie and say he loved Big Brother more than Survivor. He explained why:
Listen, Jeff Probst changed my life! (laughs) I love that man! I mean c'mon that's like choosing between my two kids. I can't do that. I love Jack, I love Juju. They both bring something to the table. Sorry, Julie. I love Big Brother. You know, I love Survivor also.
There's no denying he's media-trained, and I totally get the analogy. He's not going to be swayed into saying Big Brother is better, but he can see the advantages of both shows and appreciate them. Both changed his life, even if one handed him a life-changing amount of money before the other.
It's somewhat ironic that, like Drew Campbell, Rick Devens would play the middle on this topic. That said, I get where his head is at. There's no sense in shutting one door when you can leave both open and let the cash flow from both directions. Even if he's gained Big Brother fans, he still has a core of Survivor followers who have supported him long before some of us knew who he was.
Maybe it's me with the problem, and there doesn't need to be tribalism when it comes to liking Big Brother and Survivor. Plenty of people enjoy both shows, and we now have a winner who represents both. Devens is certainly one of Big Brother's most memorable winners as well, even if he did get a massive leg up that many of those other winners weren't given.
Jokes aside, Rick Devens made the right moves to win Big Brother, and the jury overwhelmingly agreed. I'm eager to see him compete on reality television again, and whether he'll have anything snarky to say about those shows as well.
Big Brother Season 28 is now available to stream in its entirety on Paramount+. After watching the live feeds all season, I'll need a break before I revisit it, but I'm excited to hear we already have two new seasons on the way!
