Rachel Reilly entered the reality TV world back in 2010 when she participated in Big Brother 12. Reilly instantly became unforgettable for her iconic one-liners, going head-to-head with the majority alliance, and for her showmance with eventual husband Brendon Villegas. After winning Big Brother 13, Celebrity Fear Factor, and participating on several seasons of The Amazing Race, Reilly is now ready for her biggest adventure yet: Survivor.
After returning to Big Brother 27 last summer, Reilly expressed interest in playing Survivor by saying, “I would love to test my mental fortitude and my skills on Survivor, out on that island,” she told TV Insider. “So, I’m hoping for that to happen. That would be really exciting.”
Even Survivor host Jeff Probst shared his thoughts on Reilly becoming the first person to complete the CBS reality show trifecta: Survivor, Big Brother, and The Amazing Race. Probst said, ”Well, first she’s got to apply… she’s got to want it bad enough to send in a little two-minute video and say, here’s why I should be on. There’s no secret passageway to getting on Survivor.”
When Probst was asked if Reilly had a shot to actually getting on the show, he replied, ”I think she’s got a shot. Yeah.”
It’s been almost a year since Reilly’s comments, and she has now revealed how she’s been preparing for when the moment to get on an aeroplane to Fiji and play Survivor finally arrives. Reilly divulged that playing Survivor is a lifelong dream, which she constantly talks about with her husband.
Speaking of her husband, he’s been helping Reilly to prepare, as Reilly shared, ”[Brendon] is in the process of teaching me how to get a really good fire going.” Villegas also advised her to get used to eating a handful of rice a day and learn how to build a shelter.
For context and for anyone unfamiliar with Reilly’s history on TV, here’s a little recap: as previously mentioned, Reilly first participated on Big Brother 12. Unfortunately, Reilly was eliminated in 9th place, and Hayden Moss ultimately won the season. Survivor fans remember Moss for his participation in Survivor: Blood vs Water alongside his then-girlfriend, Kat Edorsson from Survivor: One World, making him the first Big Brother contestant to play Survivor.
Reilly returned to Big Brother 13 a year later alongside her original showmance, Villegas. Even though Villegas was evicted early, Reilly went into overdrive and eventually became the winner of the season. Reilly eventually married Villegas in 2012, with whom she shares two kids.
Reilly then participated in other shows, including The Amazing Race (20, 24, and 31), The Traitors US (1), Snake in the Grass, Celebrity Fear Factor, and Worst Cooks in America, cementing her legacy on TV for being a force to be reckoned with in whichever show she chose to appear. Reilly is also highly memorable for being hilarious, energetic, and loyal to a fault, as well as being a social and strategic threat.
As previously mentioned, too, in 2025 Reilly returned to the BB house for a third time for Big Brother 27. During BB27, Reilly arguably played her best game yet, as she was part of the majority alliance, was never nominated, and won several competitions. At the final nine, Reilly was controversially eliminated under the White Locust twist, and became the first jury member.
Fans were in an uproar due to her elimination because of the nonsensical twist, as she hadn't even been nominated and wasn’t able to compete for her safety at any point. While Reilly took it in stride after the season ended, many were and still are upset about her elimination, which went against the ethos of the game, and many clamoured for her to hopefully participate in Survivor ASAP.
Please make it happen, Probst!
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