"Cemented status as a legend" – Big Brother alum Brendon explains why wife Rachel has more to lose than gain after Big Brother 27 twist

Rachel Reilly’s journey on Big Brother 27 ended after a competition twist led to her elimination, bringing an abrupt close to her run in the season. Her exit drew strong reactions from viewers and immediately sparked discussion online.

On September 8, 2025, her husband and fellow Big Brother alum, Brendon Villegas, addressed the development in an interview on The Secret Alliance Podcast. Reflecting on Rachel’s return as a past winner, he explained, 

"Rachel already had a very, very um, cemented status as a legend, right? So it's like, what do you have to gain? You don't have a lot to gain. You have a lot to lose."

Brendon Villegas on wife Rachel Reilly’s Big Brother 27 exit and its risks

How Brendon learned about Rachel’s elimination

Brendon revealed that he was first informed of the development through a call from production just hours before live feeds were set to return. At the time, he was with his son at Chuck E. Cheese at the restaurant when the call came in.

The news confirmed online speculation that had already been spreading among fans. Brendon noted,

"The rumors were swirling online… Rachel's name always pops up no matter what because she's always in danger in that game."

The difficulty of her exit

Brendon explained that Rachel’s elimination was a challenging moment for their family and for her fans. He described her tendency to put pressure on herself, which made the situation harder to process.

He stated that he knows Rachel puts a lot of pressure on herself, noting that this is what many "successful" people do. He added,

"I know Rachel, the first thought in her head is going to be I let my family down. I let my fans down. I let you know, CBS, I let all these people down who thought I was going to come in and win this again."

Brendon also described his personal reaction when he first learned of the elimination, explaining that it was a "big blow" and hard to hear, noting that it was always a possibility and a reality just the way it happened.

Why Rachel had more at stake than other players

For Brendon, the format of Rachel’s return created additional risks. He expressed concern that she only received one week of safety, limiting her ability to secure long-term alliances early in the season.

He recalled that even when Rachel first started, they did not know she would have only one week of "safety," which to him was very limited. He explained further,

"For her to have gone like 10 weeks without being nominated, without being voted on, without being evicted was insane. And then to have that happen was like just a gut punch."

Brendon also connected her exit to structural elements of the season, explaining that production likely tried to squeeze as much as possible into the pre-jury phase to boost ratings but did not leave enough time for the last few weeks. He added that once he realized there was a competition dependent on people picking each other, he felt Rachel would be at a "loss."

Stay tuned for more updates.