‘Big Brother’: 1 Controversial Houseguest Is Ready to Play Again in 2023

Big Brother fans might not be ready to see any returning players after the All-Stars fiasco in season 22, but some former houseguests desperately want to jump back into the game. In particular, one Big Brother 16 contestant recently revealed in a 2023 interview that they want to return to the house.

'Big Brother 16' houseguests Frankie Grande, who said he wanted to play again in 2023, and Derrick Levasseur visit 'The Talk.' Frankie wears a white suit over a pink shirt. Derrick wears a dark gray button-up shirt. — Frankie Grande and Derrick Levasseur | Photo by Sonja Flemming/CBS via Getty Images

Frankie Grande was a houseguest in ‘Big Brother 16’

From the jump, Big Brother fans were confident that Derrick Levasseur would win season 16. His status as an undercover cop, hiding his profession, and how easily he manipulated his fellow houseguests made him an early frontrunner. For this reason alone, some viewers didn’t enjoy season 16 because of its predictability. But we must admit that a handful of other players made it entertaining.

Frankie Grande, the brother of singer Ariana Grande, was a superfan of Big Brother, and it was his dream to play. The producers granted Frankie his wish in 2014 when he joined the season 16 cast.

Frankie won the first Head of Household competition, but the infamous Battle of the Block twist dethroned him. However, Frankie conspired with HOH Caleb Reynolds to form an eight-person alliance called the Bomb Squad, so he was safe from eviction. After the Bomb Squad’s memorable downfall, Frankie joined a new alliance called the Detonators.

Frankie’s relationships with fellow houseguests and dominant competition performances secured his safety for weeks. However, others started to categorize him as a threat. And in Week 7, Nicole Franzel, one of the two HOHs, nominated Frankie and Caleb for eviction. Caleb tried to sabotage the Battle of the Block in order for Frankie to be backdoored, but Frankie won the competition by himself, securing his safety.

Frankie later won HOH in Week 11. But thanks to the BB Rewind Twist, the remaining houseguests redid the entire week. Caleb won the HOH instead of Frankie and sent his former alliance member to the jury house. So on Day 88, Frankie was evicted from Big Brother 16 and finished in fifth place.

Frankie revealed in 2023 that he wants to return to ‘Big Brother’

Frankie discussed returning to Big Brother during Entertainment Weekly’s RuPaul’s Drag Race podcast, Quick Drag, on March 7, 2023. And he was outspoken about his desire to play the CBS reality competition series again.

“I’m not done with Big Brother. Like, there’s no way I’m done with Big Brother,” Grande shared. “I’m cautious because I’m afraid of going out like Janelle [Pierzina] did in the last season of All-Stars.”

As fans recall, Janelle, one of the best Big Brother players of all time, was targeted early in season 22. Ultimately, she was the third person evicted from the house and finished in 14th place.

Grande added, “I know that I’m gonna walk into that house with a massive target on my back, so I would need it to be, like, Big Brother: Legends. Honestly, the only way that I would be safe is if I was in that house with Dan Gheesling, and Mike ‘Boogie’ [Malin] and Derrick Levasseur, and, you know, the biggest, Janelle, get her back. Britney [Haynes], I want Rachel [Reilly] in there. I want to be in there with all humongous players. If that was the case, I think I would be able to find a path to the end, but otherwise, I’m just going to be there for one week. What’s the point? You know.”

The concept of Big Brother: Legends has been floating around the fandom since season 24. However, CBS has yet to confirm if it’s in the works for the 2023 season of Big Brother.

When will ‘Big Brother’ premiere in 2023?

Fans have to wait a few more months to see if Frankie Grande gets to return to Big Brother in 2023 — season 25 won’t premiere until late June/early July. But who’s to say that it will feature any former houseguests?

CBS is holding open casting calls for Big Brother 25, so the upcoming game will likely feature (at least) some new players. But only time will tell what the Big Brother producers have in store for the milestone season.

Big Brother 25 premieres in the summer of 2023. And all Big Brother seasons are available to stream on Paramount+.

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