This summer, two highly popular Survivor players swapped living on Fijian beaches for the Big Brother backyard. I’m talking, of course, about Dee Valladares (Survivor 45, Survivor 50) and Rick Devens (Survivor: Edge of Extinction, Survivor 50)
Fans just saw Valladares and Devens playing on Survivor 50, where they placed 14th and 7th, respectively, as both were seen as huge targets for different reasons. As they both embarked on their next reality TV adventure, competing for the title of Big Brother winner, another Survivor and Big Brother player gave them a few pointers on what the BB game entails.
Cirie's Survival Tips for Big Brother 28
Survivor icon Cirie Fields shared a few survival tips with her fellow Survivor 50 castmates as they entered the Big Brother game. Fields is well-known for her six Survivor games as well as her memorable Big Brother 25 run in which she played for over 90 days and finished in fifth place, delivering a masterclass in social and strategic gameplay.
During a Big Brother Unlocked episode, Fields appeared via Zoom and gave Valladares and Devens a couple of pointers to help them successfully infiltrate the BB house. As Fields hilariously smirks at the thought of Valladares and Devens stuck in Big Brother, she remarks, "Bless their hearts. They’re clearly going to need my help."
Tip 1: Fields advises Valladares and Devens to settle in for a "looooong bumpy ride," with Survivor’s gameplay style being much more quick-paced than that of Big Brother, as Survivor’s elimination cycles last a couple of days, whereas in Big Brother, there's a week in between every elimination, and there’s much more downtime at BB between competitions.
Tip 2: Fields clarifies the notion of Survivor being considered a harder game due to the hunger, but Fields admits she prefers to be hungry rather than to listen to the same story being told repeatedly while being in isolation. Speaking to Devens, specifically, Fields says, "Stop talking so much, bro. Every thought does not have to be a newscast."
Tip 3: Fields mentions how, if all of the other players disappear into a room together and either Valladares or Devens isn’t invited to that conversation, they shouldn’t knock to be part of it; they should know they are the topic of conversation already.
Tip 4: Wake up early to get first dibs on the toilet. Usually, everyone has to go at the same time in the mornings.
Tip 5: Fields is emphatic that this is the most important survival tip she can give: for players to mind their own business. Fields expresses, "Half of the mess in the BB house starts because somebody overheard something they weren't supposed to hear, and they go repeat it. Secrets become currency later."
Fields wraps her segment up by sending love and good luck to both Valladares and Devens. Fields lastly says, "Y’all make me and Jeff [Probst] proud."
Cirie's Big Brother 25 journey recap
Fields’s Big Brother journey was more of an ordeal than an adventure, and it is well known that she did not enjoy her BB experience. For starters, Fields was ultimately sequestered with strangers for over 100 days, and a few of them were notorious for being the worst kind of roommates. (Yes, I’m talking about Cameron Hardin, Red Utley, Luke Valentine and even "f****** Bowie Jane Ball").
While Fields was accompanied by her son, Jared Fields, it was clear he was more of a hindrance to her game than anything else. Also, to make matters worse, Big Brother 25 was notorious for being plagued by uneven physical endurance competitions, which clearly gave a leg up to 20-something male competitors like Jag Bains and freaking gold-medal swimmer Matt Klootz, making the endgame highly predictable and a snoozefest to watch.
Lastly, as previously mentioned, Fields was also accustomed to Survivor’s much faster paced game mode, therefore making her BB journey a thorn in her side. However, she also demonstrated to Survivor and BB fans what she’s made of, and it was a true delight to see her gaming in real time that summer, especially alongside her "adopted daughter", Izzy Gleicher, also lovingly known to fans as Izzy Fields.
How are Dee and Devens doing on Big Brother, so far?
As to how Valladares and Devens are doing during the first week of their Big Brother experience, here’s a quick recap. As part of the first twist of the season, Valladares, Devens, and Big Brother 26 alum Angela Murray came into the BB28 house alongside 14 other houseguests to compete throughout the summer for $750,000 USD.
Valladares, Devens, and Murray competed head-to-head to become the first HOH of the season (the leader of the house who has immunity and who single-handedly nominates people for eviction). Valladares was ultimately successful and nominated three people for possible elimination.
The three reality TV vets then formed a majority alliance called "The Crossovers" alongside Barrett Pfeiffer and Drew Campbell, who, as of the first week, control the house. Alongside other houseguests, they will ultimately choose who to evict first between Taylor Brown, Yash Patel, and Ashley Trail. (Mallory Aurichio was first nominated alongside Brown and Patel, but after winning the veto/immunity, Aurichio was replaced with Trail)
Valladares and Devens were also involved in another alliance, "The Red Corner," alongside Haley Thogmartin, Kamuela "Kamu" Kirk, and Chuk Anyanwu, but the Survivor duo created the Crossovers to counteract any possible decision made by the Red Corner. While things could quickly change, Valladares and Devens plan to play together and protect each other for as long as possible.
Julie Chen Moonves admits she was "personally not happy" when she was told 2 #Survivor players would be on #BB28, though her tune changed after researching Dee and Devens. She gives her thoughts on them, and why she feels Rick "doesn't get" the game
— Mike Bloom (@AMikeBloomType) July 15, 2026
Full interview:… pic.twitter.com/5zN4C6rmWA
Julie Chen's thoughts on Survivor players being on BB
Last but not least, longtime Big Brother host Julie Chen Moonves also expressed her feelings about Survivor players running amok on Big Brother. In an interview with Mike Bloom for Parade, Chen Moonves disclosed that she initially wasn’t happy about having two former Survivors in Big Brother, as opposed to when Fields was in BB, since no one can help but love Fields.
Later, as she did her research on both Valladares and Devens, Chen Moonves changed her tune as she felt a kinship towards Devens as they're both news anchors and loved Valladares’s achievements and personal story as an immigrant from Cuba. Chen Moonves also revealed Devens lost her again when she saw him overplaying throughout the week, and is secretly pulling for Valladares to be the first woman to win both Survivor and Big Brother.
As for who is her ultimate winner pick for the season, Chen Moonves said, "I put five bucks on Drew or Latrice. [It depends on] if I like someone’s story, Latrice’s affinity bias because she’s 57; I’m 56. She works on the Upper East Side of Manhattan; I used to live on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. So I was pulling for her. I’m from Queens, I’m from New York City, so I relate to her. But then I put $5 on Drew because I liked his story. He’s 22. His mom is an immigrant from Mexico. She came to this country and learned how to speak English by watching Big Brother. I said, 'Kid, I’m putting five bucks on you now.' Now I’m like, '…alright.' I’m kind of pulling for Dee because I love the game and I love that she gets the game.”
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