‘Big Brother’ EPs reveal why they brought back controversial contestant Angela Murray: ‘She’s a disruptor’
Angela Murray is back on 'Big Brother 28,' but not everyone is happy about it. For those unaware, Angela was a controversial contestant in 'Big Brother 26.' Right from the get-go, she caused chaos with her "crazy eyes" rant directed towards fellow contestant Matt Hardeman. Shockingly, she was able to evict Matt, even after her rant was perceived negatively by the other houseguests. This trend continued throughout the season, and she somehow got her way despite not being in the good books of the fellow houseguests. From breaking down over a charcuterie board to spreading lies about other houseguests, Angela kept herself and everyone else on edge. She ultimately finished in sixth place, after her last ally, Leah Peters, was evicted during a double eviction.
The audience remained divided about her throughout the season. However, she also made it to the top three of America's Favorite Players contest at the end of the season. She was both adored and disliked. Ultimately, it was her ability to elicit extreme reactions from the fan base that got the EPs Allison Grodner and Rich Meehan to invite her back for a second run in 'Big Brother 28.' “People love her, people don’t like her. It’s kind of a mix,” Meehan shared with Entertainment Weekly. “Which is always interesting to bring in people when there’s strong point of views on both sides.”
The EPs wanted someone who would shake things up this year, and Angela emerged as the perfect candidate. “We have fantastic people and we thought about all of them,” explained Grodner. “But Angela is a huge personality. She’s a disruptor. She causes some chaos in there. As much as she says she’s not going to cause chaos, she’s probably going to at some point. So it’s always fun to try different personalities. She was a big part of season 26, very memorable, and we also like memorable castmates. So Angela was our choice this year.”
For both Meehan and Grodner, Angela stood out the most amongst all the other available options. Her incredible run remains a talking point even after two years, as she won two HOHs and one veto. She also managed to get vetoes used on her repeatedly through her timely alliances. “People can be amazing to bring back for all different reasons, right? They could be incredible strategists. They can be just super memorable, great characters. So there’s lots of different reasons why we choose to bring different types of people back. But when you look at the last few seasons, she’s probably one of the most memorable, who left her mark on the game,” Meehan added.
The 52-year-old contestant was also someone they wanted to see play again. “It’s always interesting also to see when someone plays the game one specific way,” Meehan shared. "When you bring them back a second time, do they change it up? And how do they change it up? Or are they just the same person? So it’s kind of be interesting to see how she chooses to go in and play the game." Back when she entered BB26, she was working as a real estate agent in Utah. As per her Instagram profile, she continues to do so. She is still married to Chuck Murray, and the duo recently celebrated their 36th wedding anniversary.
Apart from 'Big Brother,' Angela has appeared on other shows like 'House Calls with Dr. Phil' in 2021 and 'The Amazing Race' Season 38 in 2025. Currently, she is in the BB28 house with contestants including two 'Survivor' alums. She is locked in with Dee and Rick, and has already become part of an alliance called 'The Crossovers.' To see how Angela fares in the ongoing season, catch new episodes of the show on CBS and Peacock every Sunday, Wednesday, and Thursday.
