Big Brother 27 (2025) Cast, Twists & Winner — Full Spoiler-Rich Guide

Big Brother 27 (2025) Cast, Twists & Winner — Full Spoiler-Rich Guide

Big Brother 27 – the 25th anniversary season of CBS’s iconic reality show – brought 17 houseguests into a mysterious “Hotel Mystère” with a $750,000 prize at stake. Producers promised “A Summer of Mystery” inside a Clue-inspired mansion filled with secret passageways and hidden clues, and they delivered with twist after twist. From a masked “Mastermind” kidnapper and a secret accomplice on premiere night to weekly triple-nomination “BB Blockbuster” challenges, the season kept everyone – including the players – guessing.

In the end, after 83 days of alliance shifts, blindsides and high-stakes competitions, Morgan Pope emerged as the last houseguest standing, winning Big Brother 27 and the three-quarter-million dollar grand prize. Below, we recap the cast profiles, major twists, key episodes, and how Morgan outwitted a Big Brother legend to claim victory.

Big Brother 27 Meet the Houseguests: Cast Profiles

• Adrian Rocha (23) – A San Antonio carpenter who came in as one of the youngest players. Adrian is a self-professed Big Brother superfan, which immediately put his strategic mind to work in the house. He’s known for his hands-on skills and down-to-earth Texas charm.
  

• Amy Bingham (43) – An insurance agent from Stockton, California. As the oldest woman in the cast, Amy brought life experience – and a few secrets – into the game. Little did the others know on Day 1 that behind Amy’s friendly “mom” persona lurked a secret accomplice role (more on that twist later).

  
  

• Ashley Hollis (25) – An attorney originally from Chicago (living in NYC) who was one of the more polished strategists. Ashley’s competitive drive showed early – perhaps too much so when her two-hour shower in the HOH room caused a stir among the others. Despite “Showergate,” her sharp social game and legal instincts made her a focal point in Week 1.

  
  

• Ava Pearl (24) – An aura painter from Long Island, New York. Free-spirited and creative, Ava claimed to read the energy (“auras”) of her fellow houseguests. She brought a bohemian vibe to Hotel Mystère, but also surprised others with her competitiveness. (Fun fact: Ava’s vibrant personality and mystical talk often lit up the Diary Room sessions.)

  
  

• Cliffton “Will” Williams (50) – A college sports podcaster from South Carolina. Will – who went by his middle name in the house – was the oldest player and a natural storyteller. This Southern dad figure bonded over sports talk and wise-cracks. Will’s strategy was to use his age to appear non-threatening, even as he quietly formed alliances with younger players like Rachel Reilly and Zach Cornell.

  
  

• Isaiah “Zae” Frederich (23) – A young salesperson from Kentucky, now living in Utah. Zae entered as a personable jokester, but within hours he found himself under suspicion as the possible “secret accomplice” due to some too-calm reactions he had on Day 1. This left Zae scrambling to prove his loyalty. Athletic and outgoing, he hoped to leverage his charm – if he could survive the early paranoia.

  
  

• Jimmy Heagerty (25) – An AI consultant from Florida (based in D.C.) with a cerebral approach to the game. Jimmy’s tech background and analytical mindset were on display from the start: he won a Mastermind challenge on premiere night and earned the power to select four competitors for the first Head of Household competition. Seen as a quiet strategist, he carefully navigated alliances and often played middle-man in house disputes.

  
  

• Katherine Woodman (23) – A fine-dining server from Georgia, Katherine was one of the younger women in the cast. Don’t let the polite waitress exterior fool you – Katherine had a subtle social game. She used her hospitality training to be a good listener in the house, often catching whispers of plans while serving up snacks and smiles. Many pegged her as a potential floater, but Katherine had plans to prove them wrong.

  
  

• Keanu Soto (33) – A self-described “Dungeon Master” from Miami (living in Texas). Keanu’s job running fantasy role-playing games made him imaginative and quick on his feet. In the Big Brother house, he became the mastermind of fun – orchestrating murder-mystery roleplays in keeping with the Hotel Mystère theme – but also kept a low profile in strategic discussions. His quirky charisma helped him build trust early on.

  
  

• Kelley Jorgensen (29) – A web designer from South Dakota who flew under the radar at first. Kelley was friendly but unafraid to make bold offers; she even volunteered to go up as a pawn in Week 1 to earn HOH Vince’s trust. This willingness to take risks for her alliance defined Kelley’s gameplay. She crafted a Final 2 deal with Vince on Day 2 and aimed to coast in his shadow until it was time to strike.

  
  

• Lauren Domingue (22) – A bridal consultant from Louisiana. Lauren was the youngest in the house, but her work training brides kept her calm under pressure. Sweet and sociable, she was quickly at the center of a budding showmance – catching the eye of Zach Cornell, who openly hoped “to find love” and was “very intrigued” by Lauren. Showmance aside, Lauren proved adept at puzzles and had a competitive streak when her game (or her showmance) was on the line.

  
  

• Mickey Lee (35) – An event curator from Jacksonville, Florida. Mickey brought big party energy into the house – appropriate for someone who plans events for a living. Known for throwing themed parties on the live feeds (and for a loud laugh that became a house signature), Mickey also had a knack for networking. Whether Mickey’s social butterfly approach was pure strategy or just personality, it helped them avoid early targets while bigger threats took the heat.

  
  

• Morgan Pope (33) – A professional gamer from Palm Springs, California. Morgan’s background in online gaming and streaming hinted at both strategic thinking and influencer-level social skills. Indeed, she proved to be a stealth force in the game. Initially, Morgan kept a low profile – blending in as a friend to all – but she was always observing. Her fellow houseguests later noted that Morgan “played the long game,” staying off the nomination block until it really mattered.

  
  

• Rylie Jeffries (27) – A professional bull rider from Oklahoma, and the toughest of the bunch. Rylie’s rodeo background made her fearless; she treated endurance comps like eight-second bull rides and rarely lost her grip. Early on, some houseguests thought Rylie’s calm, stoic demeanor was too calm – she drew accusations of being the secret saboteur (incorrectly) – but she soon proved her loyalty. Rylie became a clutch competitor and a potential challenge beast as the season progressed.

  
  

• Vince Panaro (34) – An unemployed superfan from West Hills, California. Vince walked in with a twirled mustache and a mischievous grin, immediately giving off “villain” vibes. He promptly won the first Head of Household, leveraging a challenge win in the Mastermind’s lair to seize power. Vince wasn’t shy about targeting anyone who crossed him – earning a reputation as a “chaos agent” HOH in Week 1. Fun fact: he used to deliver packages on the CBS lot and gleefully reminded everyone that he’d been destined for the Big Brother house.

  
  

• Zach Cornell (27) – A marketing manager from Cartersville, Georgia. Boyishly handsome and charming, Zach quickly became a fan favorite. He not only rescued host Julie Chen Moonves in the premiere’s puzzle competition – earning a cool $10,000 reward – but also revealed a romantic side, crushing on Lauren Domingue from day one. Zach’s gameplay balanced physical prowess (he was often in the mix for HOH and veto wins) with social finesse. He even held a unique power: the $10k prize could be exchanged once for safety, allowing him to bribe an HOH to remove him from the block if needed.
  

• Rachel Reilly (41) – The “mystery houseguest” and a Big Brother legend. Rachel entered on Night 1 in dramatic fashion – dressed like Miss Scarlet and declaring, “Floaters, grab a life vest. Reality royalty has arrived!”. A veteran of Big Brother 12 and winner of Big Brother 13, Rachel is one of the show’s most famous champions. She met her husband Brendon inside the BB house years ago and has since competed on The Amazing Race (three times) and even The Traitors. Coming into Season 27 as the sole returning player, Rachel had a massive target on her back – “reality TV royalty” or not. But her experience also gave her notable advantages in competitions and strategy. As we’ll see, Rachel’s presence instantly changed the game dynamics.

Big Brother 27 Twists, Turns and “Hotel Mystère” Surprises

Expect the unexpected was the mantra from Day 1. The premiere episode set a spooky tone as host Julie Chen Moonves was “kidnapped” on live television by a masked figure called “The Mastermind.” Lights went out, alarms blared, and when they returned, Julie had vanished with only a single high-heel shoe left behind on stage. It kicked off an elaborate murder-mystery theme: the houseguests were split into two teams to “rescue” Julie and a relic key to the HOH room. In a mad dash, Zach solved a puzzle first to free Julie – winning a $10,000 cash prize. Simultaneously, Jimmy found the real HOH relic among decoys, earning him the power to pick four competitors for the first HOH competition. He chose Adrian, Ashley, Vince, and himself, and ultimately Vince prevailed to become the season’s inaugural Head of Household.

But the biggest shock was yet to come. After the initial challenges, a 17th houseguest was revealed: Rachel Reilly, descending the grand staircase in a glamorous red dress. The newbies’ jaws dropped – some with delight, others with dread – as the Big Brother veteran joined the game as an official competitor. (Bringing in a former champion among 16 new players immediately set off debate; even outside commentators noted it gave the veteran a “significant advantage” in experience and charisma.)

Rachel’s arrival was framed as part of the “Hotel Mystère” storyline – she was introduced as the “Mystery Houseguest” hinted at in preseason promos. Yet the real twist was a role nobody in the house saw coming: one of the 16 newbies was secretly an “Accomplice” working with the Mastermind. The houseguests were told that if a majority of them could identify the mole among them within the first few days, the Accomplice would be evicted immediately; if not, the mole would officially become a regular player in the game.

For the first 48 hours, paranoia ran rampant. Nearly everyone was a suspect in someone’s eyes. Notably, Rylie and Zae fell under heavy suspicion – a “mob mentality” led much of the house to believe one of them was the saboteur. By Sunday’s episode (Day 4), the houseguests took a blind vote on who they thought the Accomplice was. In a tense reveal, 5 votes targeted Zae and 11 pointed at Rylie – making Rylie the house’s guess.

Julie then dropped the bombshell: the majority was wrong. Rylie was not the Accomplice, meaning the real mole survived and entered the game full-fledged. Immediately the show confirmed to viewers that the secret saboteur was Amy Bingham all along. Amy – who had subtly caused chaos (she had a hidden remote to “zap” the HOH relic and even started the countdown timer that “kidnapped” Julie) – laughed in her Diary Room that she’d fooled them all. However, crucially, the other players were not told Amy’s identity, leaving them in the dark and Amy free to continue playing under the radar.

Beyond the saboteur twist, the premiere night delivered another advantage to the veteran. Because Rachel arrived late, Julie announced that Rachel was immune from the first eviction (her “room wasn’t ready” in the hotel storyline). In lieu of competing Week 1, Rachel got to reside in a lavish haunted Have-Not room and even hand-pick a safety chain: she chose Will to be safe, Will then chose Zach, Zach chose Ava, granting all four of them immunity for the week. This safety-chain twist fit the “hotel guest check-in” theme and immediately created a mini-alliance of the safe players.

It also forced Vince’s HOH nominations to come from the remaining pool of houseguests – some of whom had already raised eyebrows. Vince, who relished his HOH power, cobbled together a nomination plan that merged house consensus with his own agenda: he targeted Ashley Hollis (partly for her notorious marathon shower that annoyed everyone) and Amy Bingham (not knowing she was the saboteur, but sensing she was closely aligned with Ashley). For a third nominee (under the new three-nominee rule carried over from last season), Vince added Isaiah “Zae” – perhaps as a “workout bro” pawn or due to residual distrust from the Accomplice scare. This gave us the first Big Brother 27 nomination block: Ashley vs. Amy vs. Zae on the chopping block.

Big Brother 27 Power Shifts, Alliances and Game Highlights

The stage was set for a wild Week 1. The Power of Veto competition proved pivotal: Ashley won the POV, foiling “Operation Shower” and removing herself from danger. Vince named a replacement nominee (ultimately choosing a muscular male target to sit next to Amy and Zae), so the house still had three nominees heading into the first eviction night.

Here, Big Brother 27 unveiled its “BB Blockbuster” twist – a last-minute chance for one nominee to escape. In a live eviction-night mini-game, one of the three nominees earned safety, leaving two final nominees to face the vote. After that dramatic save (and with Ashley off the block), the house decision came down largely to Isaiah “Zae” vs. Amy. By the end of Week 1, the first houseguest was evicted – a sobering moment that proved even minor mistrust can snowball into an eviction. (From the get-go, Big Brother 27’s motto seemed to be “paranoia will destroy ya.”)

With the Mastermind mystery solved (for viewers at least) and the first eviction behind them, the houseguests settled into a rhythm – but “expect the unexpected” still held true. Alliances began to form in Week 2 that would shape the mid-game. One early bond was between veteran Rachel Reilly and a duo of superfans, Will and Zach; the older Rachel coached them on competition strategy, and in return they provided her some cover in votes.

On the other side, HOH Vince pulled in Kelley – his pawn from Week 1 – and solidified a secret Final Two deal dubbed the “Delivery Alliance” (a nod to Vince’s former delivery job). Vince’s cocky play as the first HOH made him a bit of a common enemy, but he had a knack for survival, often winning or influencing comps at critical moments. Meanwhile, the season’s lone showmance, Zach and Lauren, blossomed into a genuine relationship – they spent late nights whispering in the hammock and became a voting duo as long as they both remained in the game.

Major power shifts defined the middle weeks. The Head of Household throne bounced between opposing sides, leading to several shocking blindsides. Notably, in one mid-season HOH reign, Rachel finally seized power – a clutch victory that unsettled those who’d been targeting her. She made a big move by backdooring a strong male threat who had been conspiring against the veterans and floaters alike. However, Rachel’s assertive gameplay also further united some newbies to plot her downfall. By the time Day 50 rolled around, nearly everyone had taken a shot at someone else, and the jury phase was underway with nine evicted players sequestered to eventually crown the winner.

One of the highlight episodes came during a double eviction night late in the season. With eight contestants left, Julie surprised them with a fast-forward round – two evictions in one night. In a blur of competitions and decisions, Mickey (whose social game had kept them safe to that point) was eliminated first after a lightning HOH and instant vote. Immediately after, the house had to reset for a second eviction.

In a shocking blindside, Rachel Reilly – the legend herself – was taken out during this double eviction. The remaining players orchestrated her ouster swiftly, recognizing it might be their last chance to stop Rachel’s march to the finale. Rachel’s eviction was a turning point: the field was now clear of former champions, and only the new generation remained to fight for the crown.

Throughout these twists and turns, Big Brother 27 kept things fresh with production innovations. Wednesday episodes were extended to 90 minutes to show more strategy and competition drama, and a new Friday night companion show, “Big Brother: Unlocked,” debuted bi-weekly, featuring all-star alumni analyzing gameplay and never-before-seen clips from the house. The house itself – a lavish Art Deco hotel set – became a star of the show, with its suspenseful décor and hidden Easter eggs that sometimes played into challenges.

For example, a late-game veto comp had players scouring the “secret passages” behind the walls for puzzle pieces. Every week offered a new wrinkle, whether it was a costume punishment (the dreaded bellhop uniform that Morgan had to wear for a week) or a surprise luxury competition won by Adrian (netting him and a friend a trip to Paris outside the house). In short, this season was packed with content – fitting for the show’s 25th anniversary celebration.

Big Brother 27 Finale Night: The Winner and Their Strategy

By finale night, it all came down to a Final Three of Morgan, Zach, and Rachel – a trio representing two newcomers and one battle-tested veteran. After Rachel’s roller-coaster journey (surviving multiple nominations and wielding one HOH win), she managed to claw her way to Finale night alongside the showmance charmer Zach and the under-the-radar strategist Morgan.

The final HOH competition – a three-part battle of endurance, memory, and trivia – was fittingly dramatic. Morgan Pope, the 33-year-old gamer who had carefully calibrated her gameplay, won the Part 3 quiz live on stage, just barely beating out Rachel’s score by a question or two. With that, Morgan earned the power to choose whom to sit next to in the Final Two. In a move reflecting her shrewd understanding of jury sentiments, Morgan evicted Zach – her ally – believing (correctly) that taking the Big Brother legend to the end might actually earn respect from the jury. Thus, the Final Two was set: Morgan vs. Rachel.

During the final pleas to the nine-person jury, Morgan and Rachel couldn’t have presented more different cases. Rachel leaned on her proven track record – reminding the jury of her numerous competition wins and that she’d played a bold game “with a target on my back from Day 1,” returning a decade after her original win. She highlighted how she’d been a catalyst for big moves (indeed, many jurors were sitting there because of moves Rachel made or influenced).

Morgan, on the other hand, outlined a subtle but effective strategy: she had formed genuine social bonds with each juror, never acted overly paranoid despite the season’s constant mysteries, and only struck in competitions when necessary. Morgan pointed out that she was never the obvious target at any point – a sign that she managed threat perception masterfully – and yet she was integral in alliance decisions behind the scenes. Her gameplay was often compared to classic winners like Will Kirby or June Song, who “strategically manipulated without painting themselves as targets”. The jury clearly respected Morgan’s social intelligence and foresight in taking Rachel to the end, ensuring the jurors would reward a fresh face.

In a vote that had fans on the edge of their seats, the jury crowned Morgan Pope as the winner of Big Brother 27 in a 6–3 vote. After nearly three months in the Hotel Mystère, Morgan’s name was read as the champion, making her $750,000 richer. The newbie had outplayed the legendary veteran. Morgan’s victory came from a nearly flawless balance of low-key social strategy and timely bold moves. She formed early friendships (she was often seen as the house “big sister”), navigated around the early twists without drawing negative attention, and then ramped up her gameplay in the second half – winning a clutch veto here, orchestrating a flip vote there – to position herself for the endgame. As juror after juror noted in Q&A, Morgan “never burned bridges” personally, even while orchestrating blindsides from the shadows. That jury management paid off when it mattered most.

Rachel Reilly, now a two-time Big Brother finalist, graciously accepted the runner-up spot. She joked that “at least I’ve now been beaten by a newbie, which is a Big Brother first!” and applauded Morgan’s game. Fittingly, Rachel did not leave empty-handed: at the end of the night, America voted Rachel as “America’s Favorite Houseguest,” a testament to her entertainment value and lasting popularity with fans. It was a poetic finish – the Big Brother legend helped make this season one of the most compelling in years, and the crown ultimately went to a deserving new champion.

Big Brother 27 will be remembered for its intricate theme, unpredictable twists, and the dynamic contrast of rookie players versus a renowned veteran. It delivered on the promise of a “summer of intrigue” in the Hotel Mystère, complete with secret plots, surprise guests, and high-stakes drama behind every door. In the end, Morgan’s victory affirmed that in Big Brother, a savvy social game can triumph over even the biggest of targets. As Julie Chen Moonves signed off on finale night, she celebrated 25 years of Big Brother with the fitting phrase: “Expect the unexpected!” – and Season 27 certainly lived up to it.