‘Big Brother’: Dr. Will Kirby Reflects on His Win 20 Years Later and the Game’s Evolution (Exclusive)

Over the years, many a Big Brother legend has come and gone. But, when it comes to those very legends of the game, Dr. Will Kirby was the one who started it all. Kirby won Season 2 of Big Brother, which aired in 2001. The former competitor, who is considered to be one of the best and most entertaining players that have been featured on the show, recently got to reflect on his time on Big Brother exclusively with PopCulture.com.

Back when Kirby originally won Big Brother, the game was only beginning to develop. While the competition has since incorporated the Power of Veto, various safety competitions, and countless twists, the second season only had a Head of Household who would nominate two houseguests for eviction each week. Even though there weren’t nearly as many chances to escape eviction as there are today, Kirby managed to do exactly that. He relied on a strong social game to get him through to the end, which ultimately led to his win. His social game also helped him when he returned for Season 7 of Big Brother, the first All-Stars season, where he came in fourth place.

Ahead of the premiere for Season 23 of Big Brother and in honor of the 20th anniversary of his winning season, PopCulture.com got to catch up with Kirby, 48, via e-mail. The former champ and current Chief Medical Officer of LaserAway not only reflected on his time on the show, but he also shared some insight about just how far the game of Big Brother has evolved. Scroll through to read our full Q-and-A with Kirby.

PC: It’s been two decades since you won. So, to reflect on that period, what expectations did you have going into your first season of ‘Big Brother’?

Kirby: It’s been two decades?!?!? Twenty years?!?!? It feels even longer than that actually! Thinking back, when I made the decision to participate in Big Brother, I was apprehensive, anxious, concerned. See, I was putting a pause in my medical career and taking a huge gamble. But, I was also excited. It was an electrifying feeling to go from being an obscure medical intern to the possibility of entertaining the nation and garnering fame and money. To answer your question, my expectation going in was that I was going to have an incredible, unique life experience… I was almost levitating when I first set foot in the house!

Are there any moments from Season 2 or the first All-Stars (Season 7), in particular, that stand out to you all these years later?

There are many memorable moments I have from my Big Brother experiences and as the cliché goes, the highs were high and the lows were low. But, you can’t ever let the wins get to your heads or let the losses get to your heart. To get more granular, I loved meeting the Survivor contestants when they spent a night in the house in Season 2 – the show almost didn’t feel real up to that point because of the isolation we were experiencing and because there was no precedent upon which I could compare. When Gervase [Peterson] arrived, however, I fully recognized that there was a television audience watching my every move so I tried to bring more energy – He was just eating a cooked rat on my TV and now he was in my backyard!

And I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that 9-11 occurred when I was in the Big Brother house in 2001. That was a truly baffling situation and nothing that the three of us left in the house could easily comprehend without the context. In Season 7, Neil Patrick Harris woke me up one morning and gave me Christmas presents! Read that again: NPH woke me up and gave me presents! So even though considerable time has passed, a number of unbelievably unique incidents, good, bad, and bizarre still shine through!

On that note, is there anything that you would change about your gameplay that season (or on Season 7)?Any regrets?

I really try to live with no regrets. Could I have hit a few jokes harder? Been a little more charismatic? Focused a little more on humor? Maybe. But that’s so hard to do without context. Viewers don’t realize how difficult it is to actually entertain without feedback. Try this: Crack a joke in your house right now. Did anyone laugh? Then how do you know if it’s funny? But, if I’m being honest, I feel like I “left it all on the field”. The fans might debate “best players” and “best seasons,” “best speeches,” and “best show moments” but true students of the non-scripted genre agree that I set a standard that has been hard to match.

Please let me challenge you: What other player provided a true emotional experience? I was hated and loved, cherished and despised, adored and detested, all in the same season. Just like any real relationship, I tried to provide the viewers with a kinetic, unpredictable, authentic experience. I wanted them to wonder what would happen next so that they would truly be entertained and enjoy the ride. Please go to Paramount+ and watch Season 2, watch Season 7. If you have an honest conversation with yourself afterward, you might find that the other seasons and the other houseguests don’t offer the same dynamic rollercoaster agenda that I pushed when I played.

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There’s been a big focus in recent seasons on jury management, especially amid conversations about players (people like Tyler Crispen, Paul Abrahamian) who were “robbed.” What are your thoughts on this trend, particularly how it can affect the game in the future?

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: The person who wins the season, deserves to win the season. The keys don’t lie. Did jury management play a part? Of course. And so did luck. And so did manipulation, and charisma, proper alliance structure, intelligence, grit, etc. The list goes on and on. Please allow me to make an analogy: If the clock is winding down and LeBron James takes a last-second shot that doesn’t go in, did he lose the game for the Lakers? Not at all. The fans and the sportscasters might be focused on that last potential “buzzer beater” shot that banged off the rim but there was an entire game that was played in the preceding 48 minutes. The rebounds, assists, steals, free throws, etc. all were factors that played into that final score. Tyler and Paul absolutely were not “robbed”. Sure, they didn’t win but they played great games and should be very proud of themselves. Yes, their final shots didn’t fall the way they hoped but that doesn’t accurately reflect what they accomplished while playing.

Would you care to comment on the “Big Brother Curse”?

It’s no secret that some former Big Brother players (especially former Big Brother winners) have experienced major downward spirals after the show. But that’s life, right? If you take any random sampling of people and follow them over time you’ll have a few that sink, a lot that just dog paddle, and a small, select few who fly! Look at Jamie Kern, Frankie Grande, Dan Gheelsing… a lot of former Big Brother players have gone on to achieve great success! So, does a ‘Big Brother Curse’ exist? Whispers abound, but I personally don’t believe in it. It’s my contention that you make your own luck in life and that if you are a good person and work hard, you’ll be successful and happy. Winners win, it’s really that simple.

How do you think you and your game would have been perceived today (both by the other players and the audience)?

In professional wrestling it’s great to be the hero, but it’s also great to be the heel. You just don’t want to get lost in the middle. Many times a seemingly interesting player turns out to be a one-trick pony or even outright forgettable — that’s something I would never be. Let’s be really transparent: Some fans loved me, and some fans hated me, but all the true fans respected the fact that I provided them with entertainment. And, after all, isn’t that why we watch TV? To be entertained? Is that the whole point? I won a lot of the haters over. And, no one is more shocked than I am that my popularity has become even more robust over time.

My game was initially misunderstood but eventually, it was appreciated and that’s exactly what would happen if I played again today. I’d slowly win the viewers over and have them frolicking in merriment while the befuddled houseguest held hands and sang kumbaya as I collected the grand prize as rainbow confetti rained down on me!

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You’ve moved on to have a different role in the show, serving as the jury roundtable host and, in the second All-Stars, the “neighbor.” In one of your recent Instagram posts, you did tease the “neighbor” role. Would you be interested in coming back in that capacity? Or maybe even as a player again?

I’m honored to have served as the sole host of the Big Brother jury roundtable and I think I’ve done it for seven different seasons now! When I recognize that television powerhouses like Allison Grodner, Rich Meehan and Chris Roach allow me to serve the franchise in that capacity, I’m truly grateful for that immense privilege. It’s no secret that the Covid pandemic altered the course of the show last season and the “neighbor” twist unfortunately didn’t get to meet its potential. In terms of my stance of returning as the “neighbor,” my official comment is, “no comment.” I simply can’t discuss that possibility at this time.

And as far as playing again goes, I just don’t see what else there would be for me to accomplish if I played again. If I felt like there was a group of houseguests that could be worthy adversaries then I’d have to consider it but, as it stands right now, there just isn’t just an interesting enough group to play against. Fans might scoff at this notion but, very sincerely, ask yourself: Who really deserves to come back and play again? Tell me. I’m listening. 

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Shifting to your post-BB life, you have a dedicated career in the dermatology industry and your group just opened your 68th clinic and are expanding rapidly – What an achievement! What has this process/journey been like for you?

It took me twenty years to be an overnight success! But seriously, I’ve been diligently working in the aesthetic dermatology field for nearly the past two decades as you noted and I’m extraordinarily proud of the LaserAway (www.LaserAway.com) team. We are currently opening at least one new clinic per month. With a presence already in nine of the ten biggest cities in the US, we are on a steady march to have clinics all over the nation. My Chief Medical Officer role has afforded me the ability to be a leader in the aesthetic industry and I’m so fortunate to have an occupation, a team, and a cause that invigorates me! 

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It sounds like you have a lot on your plate already with your growing business, journalistic pursuits, and your role as a professor. Are there any other goals that you’re looking forward to career-wise? 

I’m using the skills I’ve garnered as the lone health and beauty reporter for Life & Style Magazine and in my monthly column for Aesthetic Authority and I’m mixing them in with the vocational life lessons I’ve received as an associate clinical professor of dermatology and as the CMO of the nation’s leader in aesthetic dermatology to slowly transition a tiny bit of my professional time toward energy-based device and injectable research. The aesthetic industry is evolving so rapidly that having a research arm affords LaserAway the vantage of seeing exactly what’s coming down the pike. In summary, 20 years ago you may have known me as a young, polarizing, albeit entertaining, reality television personality but now I’m just a freakishly handsome dermatologist. 

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I have seen you pop up on shows like The Real Housewives of Orange County, in animation on Robot Chicken, and many appearances on The Doctors. And Dr. 90210 was wildly popular at one point! You once filmed an episode of The Young and The Restless and even won a Big Brother edition of The Price is Right. Would mixing your dermatologist skills and your reality television skills be something that you would consider in the future? A Dr. Will reality show, perhaps?

I’m not going to tell tales out of school but I recently filmed a magical television project. Extremely, extremely high profile. It was the physical manifestation of a forty-year dream. It’s going to air this fall and you won’t hear my voice, and you probably won’t even see my face, but I didn’t do it for the fame and I certainly didn’t do it for the money. I did it for me. Just for me. And that’s the track I’m on these days; I’m only putting energy toward things that I enjoy and that make me happy. I only work with people I love and respect! And that’s also my exact advice to every single person reading this interview: Do things for you! Focus on projects that you enjoy, that you respect, and that make you happy! And only work with people you love!

This Q-and-A has been edited for clarity. Disclosure: PopCulture is owned by ViacomCBS Streaming, a division of ViacomCBS.