THEN AND NOW: Every 'Big Brother' winner
"Big Brother" wrapped up its 25th season on CBS.
From Dr. Will Kirby to Rachel Reilly, here's what the previous "Big Brother" champs are up to now.
A few previous winners have been arrested, while others found love on the reality series.
Season 1: Eddie McGee was the first winner of "Big Brother" and the only amputee to play the game.
According to an interview with Amplitude in 2017, then 21-year-old McGee's video audition consisted of him saying, "Hey, how you doing? I'm Eddie from New York. I play basketball here in Texas. I lost my leg to cancer as a kid. Now, you want to know anything else about me, you come find me."
Speaking to Entertainment Weekly in 2022, McGee said he never watched his season, calling it "boring" and "terrible."
Since winning, McGee started acting. He's appeared on shows including "The Equalizer," "Elementary," and "9-1-1," where he played Jennifer Love Hewitt's therapist.
Season 2: Will Kirby outwitted and schemed his way to a win, becoming a fan favorite.
Dr. Will Kirby changed the way "Big Brother" was played forever by making a memorable alliance with Mike "Boogie" Malin called "Chilltown." Kirby returned for the show's seventh season, dubbed "Big Brother: All Stars."
The dermatologist has also won "The Price Is Right," hosted a short-lived dating series called "Love Shack," and appeared on two seasons of "Dr. 90210." In 2022, Kirby told EW he was also a health and beauty reporter for Life & Style magazine. Kirby also had a cameo on the "Star Wars" series "The Book of Boba Fett" as Karales the Bounty Hunter.
He married another reality star, Erin Brodie, who won "For Love and Money," and they had two children together. Kirby and Brodie's divorce was finalized in 2022.
Season 3: Lisa Donahue was the show's first female winner.
After her win, Donahue appeared on an episode of CBS' "Yes, Dear" and "Entourage."
In 2017, Donahue revealed she had a hysterectomy after being diagnosed with cervical cancer and ovarian cancer.
Donahue bought her first camera after winning "Big Brother" and, today, is a photographer in Los Angeles, California who specializes in "capturing emotions." During the pandemic, she started a photo series called "The Quarantine Project," taking photos of families and individuals from behind a window.
Season 4: Jun Song was one of many who had to compete against her ex the season she won.
Season four's big twist, the X-Factor, surprised five houseguests, including then 26-year-old Song, with their exes to compete against. Song became the first Asian winner of any "Big Brother" franchise. (There are over 60 international versions of the show today.)
In 2022, she told EW that, at the time, she understood she "fit a certain 'typecast'" as a "superficial NY banker" and purposefully played it up for TV and to avoid having a target on her back. She earned a reputation as a "floater" when she began playing both sides in the house. That strategy helped a lot of players get far in the game down the road.
Song moved to Belgium in 2011 where she owned a Korean restaurant, Rice House, from 2014 to 2017. She now helps tech companies with their content marketing strategies and is a single mom raising her son.
Season 5: Drew Daniel was a part of the "Four Horseman" alliance.
Originally controlling power in the "Big Brother" house for the first few weeks, Daniel's best remembered for controversially evicting his showmance, Diane Henry, near the show's end to help him make it to the final two and win.
After "Big Brother," Daniel pursued an acting career. TMZ reported Daniel was arrested in 2012 for an alleged domestic dispute.
Insider was unable to reach Daniel for comment.
Season 6: Maggie Ausburn was the leader of "The Friendship" alliance while in the house.
Ausburn joined the competition as an ER nurse from Las Vegas. This was the same season which introduced"Big Brother" fan favorites Kaysar Ridha and Janelle Pierzina, who returned to play the game two more times in 2006 and 2020.
Ausburn has kept a low profile since winning the show.
Season 7: Mike "Boogie" Malin returned to the show to win "Big Brother: All-Stars."
Viewers selected houseguests from the show's first six seasons to appear on the show in 2006 with Mike "Boogie" Malin and Dr. Will Kirby reuniting to form their Chilltown alliance once again.
Malin returned to the show again briefly on season 14. He appeared on three other seasons up until "Big Brother 18."
In 2019, Malin was arrested for threatening Kirby. Two years later, he was found guilty of felony stalking, was given two years probation, and was ordered to pay his former alliance member more than $23,000 in restitution.
In September 2022, Malin's probation was reportedly revoked after failing to show up at a court appearance. The case appears to still be ongoing. Us Weekly reported Malin filed for chapter 7 bankruptcy the same month.
In a separate legal issue, he was arrested for a DUI in August 2020 and pleaded guilty to the charge the following July.
He's currently on Cameo, taking video requests from fans starting at $25.
Insider was unable to reach Malin for comment.
Season 8: "Evel" Dick Donato bested his daughter, Daniele, to win the prize, becoming the oldest player to win the US version of the show at age 44.
You either loved or hated the reality villain for stirring trouble, picking fights, and manipulating his fellow houseguests by trying to get in their heads. Season eight allowed Donato and his then-estranged daughter to bond and get to the final two together.
Donato returned to the game in season 13 again with his daughter, but left after six days due to an emergency. On a 2014 episode of VH1's "Couples Therapy," he revealed he had left after learning he was HIV-positive.
In 2020, Donato said he and Daniele haven't spoken in five years.
Season 9: Adam Jasinski won during a winter edition of the show.
A public relations manager from New Jersey, Jasinski was arrested in October 2009 for buying and reselling oxycodone with the $500,000 he won on "Big Brother."
In 2011, Jasinski was sentenced to four years in federal prison after pleading guilty to drug trafficking and tax evasion on his "Big Brother" winnings. At the time, he attributed his behavior to drug addiction and bipolar disorder.
Since his release, Jasinski has written a book, "My Kid's On Drugs, Now What?," and acts as a consultant and public speaker on mental health and substance abuse.
Season 10: Dan Gheesling won "Big Brother" with a unanimous jury vote of 7-0.
Gheesling later returned for the show's 14th season, coming in second place. He is often referred to by other "Big Brother" contestants as one of the most strategic houseguests to play the game, alongside Kirby.
Now a father of three, Gheesling has written three books, hosted a YouTube series, and currently live streams on Twitch and uploads daily gaming videos to YouTube.
Gheesling usually provides takes on current "Big Brother" gameplay online each season.
Season 11: Jordan Lloyd found love with housemate Jeff Schroeder before winning the show.
Lloyd and Schroeder are one of the most beloved "Big Brother" couples. After wrapping season 11, the two appeared together on season 16 of CBS' "The Amazing Race" and season five of "Marriage Boot Camp."
The duo returned to compete on season 13 of "Big Brother." In 2014, Schroeder proposed to Lloyd in the show's backyard during season 16.
The two were married in March 2016 and have two sons.
Season 12: Hayden Moss won his season as part of "The Brigade" alliance.
After winning "Big Brother," Moss appeared on "Survivor: Blood vs. Water," the 27th season of the show, in 2013 with then-girlfriend Kat Edorsson.
Moss made a brief cameo on season 14 of "Big Brother."
Currently, he appears to be dating singer and songwriter Jamiison.
Season 13: Rachel Reilly is infamous in "Big Brother" history for her competitive spirit and her showmance.
Reilly first appeared on "Big Brother" season 12, where she met her husband Brendan Villegas and faced an uphill battle because houseguests tend to target people in showmances.
Reilly and Villegas were engaged when they appeared on season 13 together, as part of the "Returning Duos" twist. When they were nominated together, Villegas used his veto on Reilly.
She then used strategy and her athletic skills to stay in the game, and made it to the final two with Porsche Briggs. The jury voted 4-3 in favor of Reilly winning the $500,000 that season.
A reality TV wining streak followed. She won $50,000 on "Celebrity Fear Factor" for charity and another $100,000 on a show called "Snake in the Grass."
She married Villegas in 2012, and they had their first child, a daughter, in 2016. Their son was born in 2020.
According to Reilly's Instagram bio, she's now working as a casting producer. In 2023, she appeared on the first season of Peacock's "The Traitors," another reality show that requires contestants to use deception to win money.
Season 14: Ian Terry deceived one of his "Big Brother" idols and went on to win the game.
Ian Terry was an engineering student at Tulane University when he joined "Big Brother" season 14 on the season with the "Coaches Twist." Four former players returned to "coach" new houseguests and eventually entered the game.
Terry turned against his former coach and "Big Brother" idol Malin when the coaches became players, instead teaming up with an alliance called "The Quack Pack" featuring Gheesling and another former player, Brittany Haynes. He made it to the final two with Gheesling and won the game in a 6-1 jury vote.
After winning his season, Terry graduated college and taught physics for a few years before becoming a management consultant in 2019. His new career was revealed when he appeared on the second All-Stars season of "Big Brother" in 2020, where he was eliminated in week six.
Season 15: Andy Herren won a controversial season by becoming a floater.
Season 15 of "Big Brother" made headlines due to the racist behavior of several contestants.
But Herren stayed out of most of the drama in the house and made it to the finals simply by being a nice guy who voted with the majority of the house. He won the game against GinaMarie Zimmerman in a 7-2 vote.
While competing on his season, Herren was a professor. He told Entertainment Weekly in 2022 that he resumed his teaching job for a few years after winning his season until quitting to start a dog-walking business. He currently lives in Chicago.
Season 16: Derrick Levasseur won his season after lying about his profession.
Derrick Levasseur was a police sergeant from Rhode Island when he joined "Big Brother" season 16 in 2014. But he figured that having a background in investigation and law enforcement would put a target on his back, so he told his housemates he was a parks and rec coordinator.
He later told the Providence Journal that he used his professional skills to profile each of his houseguests, while simultaneously forming a final two alliance with his only trusted ally Cody Calafiore that they called "The Hitmen."
Levasseur played a near-perfect game and was only up for eviction during the final three vote. Calafiore took his ally to the finals, where Levasseur won the game in a 7-2 vote.
He went on to appear in numerous true-crime series on Investigation Discovery as an expert, including 2017's "Is O.J. Innocent? The Missing Evidence" and "Breaking Homicide" for two seasons from 2018 to 2019. He also wrote a book called "The Undercover Edge" in 2018.
Levasseur is the founder of the private investigations and consulting firm The Break Group. He also owns Criminal Coffee Company and cohosts several podcasts. His latest true crime podcast, "Detective Perspective," launched in July 2023.
He has two daughters with his wife, Jana.
Season 17: Steve Moses flew under the radar to win.
Steve Moses's strategy in the "Big Brother" house was to lay so low his fellow houseguests didn't see him as a threat. It worked — he won the $500,000 over Liz Nolan.
Moses told Entertainment Weekly in 2022 that he founded a branch of a senior care consulting franchise and appears to still be working there today, according to his Twitter bio.
Season 18: The second time was the charm for Nicole Franzel.
Franzel first appeared on season 16 and was a casualty in Levasseur's near-perfect game. She returned on season 18 with fellow "Big Brother" veterans Frank Eudy, James Huling, and Da'Vonne Rogers. Franzel ultimately took the crown from unsuspecting new players, narrowly besting Paul Abrahamian in a 5-4 jury vote.
Franzel also met her now-husband Victor Arroyo when she competed against him in season 18. They tied the knot in 2021 and welcomed their son Victor "Arrow" Arroyo IV months later. The couple also appeared on "Amazing Race" season 31.
Franzel returned to "Big Brother" a third time for the All-Stars season in 2020, coming in third place.
The former ER nurse now works as an influencer.
Season 19: Josh Martinez appeared on MTV's "The Challenge" after winning "Big Brother."
Josh Martinez won "Big Brother" season 19 against returning player Paul Abrahamian.
Martinez has since competed on MTV's hit competition show "The Challenge" six times, according to his Instagram bio.
He's a social media influencer and will appear on the new season of "The Challenge USA" premiering August 10.
Season 20: Kaycee Clark found money and love on TV.
Kaycee Clark won "Big Brother" season 20 against Tyler Crispen, making history as the first openly lesbian winner. Like Martinez, she went on to compete in MTV's "The Challenge." While filming that show, she met her current partner, Nany Carmen González.
Clark now appears to work primarily as an influencer in the fitness industry and travels between Phoenix, Arizona and San Diego, California.
Season 21: Jackson Michie moved to Los Angeles after his win.
Jackson Michie, a controversial player, won his season of "Big Brother" in 2019 against his showmance-turned-actual-partner Holly Allen. They moved to Los Angeles together after his win, but broke up in June 2020.
Michie currently lives in Nashville and married his wife Caitlin in July 2023.
Season 22: Calafiore won the grand prize on an All-Stars season.
Calafiore is the second "Big Brother" cast member from season 16 to return to the game and win the grand prize. While Franzel was one of only a handful of returning players on season 18, Calafiore won the second "Big Brother" All Stars season against Vincenzo "Enzo" Palumbo in October 2020.
He's since appeared on the Peacock competition show "The Traitors" and hosts the "Winner's Circle" podcast with his former ally Levasseur.
Season 23: Xavier Prather made "Big Brother" history.
Prather made history in 2021 when his all-Black alliance, dubbed "The Cookout," made it to the final six and he went on to become the first Black player to win the game.
The attorney is one of many "Big Brother" players to go on to compete on MTV. He was on "The Challenge: USA" in 2022.
Prather, a Michigan native, got engaged to his partner Kenzie Hansen in May 2023.
Season 24: Taylor Hale also made "Big Brother" history.
Hale made history the very next year when she became the first Black woman on "Big Brother" to win the $500,000 grand prize.
Since her 2022 win, Hale has appeared on the hit CBS soap opera "The Bold and the Beautiful." As a social-media influencer, the former personal stylist and beauty queen has also landed paid partnerships with brands like Lays.
Season 25: Jag Bains continued a streak of historic wins.
The 25-year-old truck company owner from Omak, Washington became the first Sikh player to win the game, taking home a $750,000 prize.
Jag risked coming in second place when he decided to take his best friend and very likable housemate, Matt Klotz, to the final two.
Read the original article on Insider