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‘Survivor’ winner Dee Valladares revealed as final ‘Big Brother’ season 28 player.

Entertainment Weekly's profile
Original Story by Entertainment Weekly
July 11, 2026
‘Survivor’ winner Dee Valladares revealed as final ‘Big Brother’ season 28 player.

Context:

Dee Valladares, the Survivor 50 winner, was revealed as the final Big Brother season 28 cast member on Big Brother: Unlocked, joining Rick Devens and other reality veterans. The reveal stitches together a cross-show narrative, situating Dee as a strategic threat from her Survivor success and linking her to prior season events and cast dynamics within the BB house. The announcement leverages a time-traveling twist and past finales to anchor her arrival, while positioning her as a central figure in the season’s early dynamics. The move underscores ongoing crossovers between Paramount reality franchises and signals Dee’s aim to win two major competitions. No date for filming The Amazing Race has been announced.

Dive Deeper:

  • Dee Valladares was officially revealed as the replacement for Rachel Reilly on Big Brother season 28, adding her to a cast that includes Rick Devens from Survivor 50 and other veteran reality players.

  • Her identity was announced during a Friday episode of Big Brother: Unlocked, a format that continues the show’s narrative from the BB premiere and ties into Survivor 45’s finale, which Dee won.

  • Dee first entered the Big Brother house sporting prehistoric mammoth fur and declared her goal of becoming the first person to win both Survivor and Big Brother, signaling a high-ambition arc for the season.

  • She is widely regarded as one of the strongest players from the modern era of Survivor, known for a well-rounded, cutthroat game and a high-profile showmance with Austin Li Coon on Survivor 45.

  • In Survivor 50, Dee remained a major threat, but was targeted after taking out ally Charlie Davis and ultimately became the first member of the jury, shaping perceptions of her gameplay.

  • The BB season features several Paramount reality alumni, including Angela Murray and Jason De Puy (EsTitties), illustrating a continuing cross-franchise strategy within the house.

  • Beyond Big Brother, Dee has competed on MTV’s The Challenge: Vets & New Threats, with no announced timing for her participation in The Amazing Race.

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