'Big Brother' Legend Officially Retires From the Show
Janelle Pierzina is done with CBS' 'Big Brother.'
One of Big Brother's greatest players is ruling out a comeback. Janelle Pierzina, a four-time Big Brother Houseguest who we consider one of the most iconic players ever, told Entertainment Weekly that she's done competing on the CBS reality show — and maybe on TV altogether.
Throughout the EW Q-and-A, Pierzina seemed to sway back and forth about her feelings about another reality TV run following The Traitors Season 2, which is currently airing weekly on Peacock. However, she was firm that the main Big Brother show — which involves being filmed 24/7 for several months while cut off from loved ones — won't have her on the cast list ever again.
"I really don't want to play Big Brother anymore," Janelle told EW. "As much as I love the show and I'm respectful of what it's given me in my life and what it's done for me, I really don't want to do that. I don't want to sit in a house and talk and talk and talk to people all day long. I just had my 44th birthday, so I'm kind of over that."
She did compliment Big Brother Reindeer Games, the spinoff that CBS launched in 2023. The Christmas-themed contest was short, pre-taped and relied less on physical competitions.
"Now, Big Brother is such a production where you have to be so physical to win those competitions and I don't like that," Janelle said. "So I do like the competitions for Reindeer Games. I think it was a nice change."
Despite her compliments to Reindeer Games, she isn't so sure she could be convinced to compete. She said, "I guess I'm just very pessimistic about what comes my way, or if I'm busy with my career or whatever. I don't know that I have the time to do a lot of TV."
Elsewhere in the EW interview, she notes that she's looking for briefer reality TV shoots, similar to her experience on USA Network's Snake in the Grass. She ruled out Survivor but noted that Buddy Games, the CBS competition show based on the 2019 Josh Duhamel movie, could be the right fit.
Janelle can be seen on Big Brother Seasons 6, 7, 14 and 22, The Amazing Race Season 31, The Traitors Season 2 and Snake in the Grass Season 1, Episode 5.
How to Watch The Traitors
The Traitors is streaming via Peacock, with new episodes dropping on Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET. All of Season 1 is available and six episodes of Season 2 are now up. Season 2, Episode 7 will be released on Thursday, Feb. 8. A new episode of The Traitors: Portmortem, a behind-the-scenes look at that week's episode, will also be released that night. (The U.K. and Australian versions of the program are also available to watch while you wait for new episodes.) Click here for subscription info.
Subscription available at PeacockHow to Watch Big Brother Reindeer Games
If you're looking for a competition-heavy, small-sized season of Big Brother, we recommend subscribing to Paramount+ to watch Big Brother Reindeer Games Season 1's six episodes. It's fun and festive with numerous unpredictable contest outcomes. Plus, we love seeing some of the greatest Big Brother players of all time, such as Danielle Reyes and Britney Haynes, back on our TVs.