Rachel Reilly's 'Big Brother' Season 28 return comes with an unexpected twist
The much-awaited ‘Big Brother’ Season 28 is finally here with new twists and popular alums returning to the house. One of the biggest twists featured on the CBS show’s premiere episode was the return of the iconic Rachel Reilly. She appeared on ‘Big Brother’ Season 28 Episode 1, which aired on July 9, 2026, and told the cameras, “Get excited, America, because that’s right. I’m back b**ches.” In a confessional, she added, “Now, I’m back, with a vengeance, ready to get that double crown.” This marked Rachel’s fourth time entering the 'Big Brother' house. Fans previously saw her in action during Season 12 of the show before she went on to win Season 13. Later, she returned in Season 27 as a mystery houseguest.
As Rachel entered the competition, the new housemates cheered. Another alum who joined Season 28, Angela Murray, was shocked to see Rachel. In a confessional, she told the cameras, “I did not expect Rachel, honestly. My mouth, you could pick it up off the floor. I don’t want to get paranoid, but she can build an army against me if she wanted to.” While Rachel’s arrival was a surprising twist, it did not last long. In a shocking turn of events, she was sent home after she was chased by a velociraptor and thrown into a volcano. The show's host, Julie Chen Moonves, announced, “I can confirm that Rachel has fallen into the volcano and reached her untimely demise.”
Rachel then shared an update on Instagram on July 10, 2026, as “proof of life.” In the video, she shared, “So, the volcano was extremely hot. It was much better than the White Locust…because that was horrible. But I will say, once you hit the volcano, you just, like, evaporate. So you’re good. No big deal. But I’m here. I’m alive. That was a crazy experience, you know?” Her mention of white locust refers to her exit from ‘Big Brother’ Season 27.
Ahead of the show’s premiere, CBS announced that the season would feature “additional surprise houseguests.” Rachel's arrival appears to be exactly what the network was referring to. Notably, the announcement also mentioned, “This new group of Houseguests is stepping into a summer where nothing is as it seems, where every twist rewrites the rules, and where time becomes the ultimate twist.” Rachel Reilly's surprise appearance in the premiere has raised fans' expectations, with many now eagerly awaiting the arrival of more surprise houseguests.
