Rachel Reilly (Big Brother)
Encyclopedia
Rachel Eileen Reilly is an American
television personality and reality show contestant. Reilly appeared in two seasons of the American edition of the television series Big Brother
, winning its thirteenth
season in 2011.
, and attended Western Carolina University
in Cullowhee for four years, graduating with a Bachelor of Science
degree in Chemistry
. She has a younger sister named Elissa Reilly. In 2008, Reilly won the "Miss Sturgis" pageant, becoming the spokes-model for the Sturgis Rally, an international motorcycle convention. As part of her role, Reilly posed on the cover of the magazine "Sturgis Rally News," alongside Aerosmith
frontman Steven Tyler
. Prior to appearing on Big Brother, Reilly moved to Las Vegas, Nevada
in search of work, and was employed as a VIP cocktail waitress
and worked briefly as a model for Hawaiian Tropic
swimwear.
Reilly has also played a role of a waitress on CBS' Emmy Award winning
soap opera The Bold and the Beautiful
eight times, and she is set to reprise her character in a larger role in late 2011. The episodes which will feature Rachel Reilly will air between October 28 and 31 of 2011.
season, aired in the Summer of 2010. Within the first week of the season, Reilly entered into a romantic relationship with fellow houseguest Brendon Villegas, leading to the pair becoming immediate targets, but despite being nominated in the first week, Reilly was spared when the rest of the house decided fellow nominee Annie Whittington was a bigger threat. Reilly won two Head of Household competitions during her stay in the house, in the second and fourth weeks, resulting in the evictions of Monet Stunson and Kristen Bitting. Reilly was known for her many feuds during her stay, most notably with Bitting, Ragan Fox and Britney Haynes. Eventually, Reilly and Villegas were nominated together in the fifth week of the season, and despite Villegas' attempts to get the other players to keep Reilly instead of him, she was evicted unanimously. Reilly later returned to the house as a guest for one day as part of the "Pandora's Box" twist. As a result of her ninth place finish, Reilly became the first member of the Big Brother jury, and eventually voted for runner-up Lane Elenburg to win the $500,000 prize.
season, as part of a "Returning Duos" twist. Reilly claimed she was returning to the show in a bid to win over fans of the show and to redeem herself following her previous appearance. Reilly and Villegas quickly forged an alliance with the four other returning players - father and daughter, Dick
and Daniele Donato
of Big Brother 8 and fellow couple, Jordan Lloyd
and Jeff Schroeder of Big Brother 11 as well as a side alliance with Porsche Briggs. The alliance - known as "the Veterans" dominated the house in the early weeks, with Reilly winning Head of Household (HoH) in the first and third weeks, as well as the Power of Veto in a two-person challenge with Villegas in the first week. The alliance fell apart in the second of Reilly's HoH weeks, when Daniele was caught in her attempts to turn the two couples against each other. However Daniele then proceeded to win the next HoH competition, nominating Reilly and Villegas against each other, sparking a long-running feud between the two women. After winning the Power of Veto, Villegas decided to use it on Reilly, effectively ensuring his own eviction. Reilly was nominated again the following week, but was spared when confusion about an upcoming twist caused Lawon Exum to volunteer to be evicted in her place in the mistaken belief that it would give him an advantage through the twist. In reality, the evicted player and the winner of an America's Choice vote would compete to return, with Villegas winning the vote and the competition, regaining his place in the game. The reunion was short lived however, as he was evicted at the hands of Donato once again a week later. Reilly took revenge the next week, evicting Daniele after finding herself as the swing-vote. After surviving an eviction vote 3-2 against Schroeder, Reilly paired up with Lloyd when the duos twist briefly returned, and won a key Veto competition that kept her and Lloyd in the game at the expense of Shelly Moore. She then followed up by winning HoH for the third time, breaking a tie to evict Kalia Booker. After failing to win the final Veto competition, Reilly rebuilt her early alliance with Briggs, and the pair worked together to make the final two, with Briggs evicting Lloyd in the final four stage, and then Reilly evicting Adam Poch the following week after she won HoH for the fourth time. Reilly eventually was named as the winner of Big Brother 13 in a vote of 4-3 over Briggs, earning the jury votes of Brendon Villegas, Jeff Schroeder, Jordan Lloyd and Shelly Moore, and losing the votes of Daniele Donato, Kalia Booker and Adam Poch. Reilly won $500,000 for winning the show.
's record of multi-seasonal HoH competition wins at 6, though Reilly competed in fewer competitions than Pierzina.
, fronted by Big Brother hostess Julie Chen
. Reilly discussed her experiences on Big Brother during her appearance and won a vacation to Aruba
, after competing in a Big Brother style challenge. In late 2011, photographs appeared on the internet suggesting that Reilly and Villegas are competing as a team on the 20th season of The Amazing Race
.
, but after posting an online apology to Reilly, the pair reunited a few days after the revelations became public.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
television personality and reality show contestant. Reilly appeared in two seasons of the American edition of the television series Big Brother
Big Brother (TV series)
Big Brother is a television show in which a group of people live together in a large house, isolated from the outside world but continuously watched by television cameras. Each series lasts for around three months, and there are usually fewer than 15 participants. The housemates try to win a cash...
, winning its thirteenth
Big Brother 13 (U.S.)
Big Brother 13 was the thirteenth season of the American reality television series, Big Brother. The show was broadcast on CBS and Showtime 2 for 75 days, concluding on September 14, 2011 when Rachel Reilly was crowned the winner with four votes from the jury over Porsche Briggs' three...
season in 2011.
Early life
Reilly originates from Concord, North CarolinaConcord, North Carolina
Concord is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. According to Census 2010, the city has a current population of 79,066. It is the largest city in Cabarrus County and is the county seat. In terms of population, the city of Concord is the second largest city in the Charlotte Metropolitan Area...
, and attended Western Carolina University
Western Carolina University
Western Carolina University is a coeducational public university located in Cullowhee, North Carolina, United States. The university is a constituent campus of the University of North Carolina system....
in Cullowhee for four years, graduating with a Bachelor of Science
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
degree in Chemistry
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
. She has a younger sister named Elissa Reilly. In 2008, Reilly won the "Miss Sturgis" pageant, becoming the spokes-model for the Sturgis Rally, an international motorcycle convention. As part of her role, Reilly posed on the cover of the magazine "Sturgis Rally News," alongside Aerosmith
Aerosmith
Aerosmith is an American rock band, sometimes referred to as "The Bad Boys from Boston" and "America's Greatest Rock and Roll Band". Their style, which is rooted in blues-based hard rock, has come to also incorporate elements of pop, heavy metal, and rhythm and blues, and has inspired many...
frontman Steven Tyler
Steven Tyler
Steven Tyler is an American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, best known as the frontman and lead singer of the Boston-based rock band Aerosmith, in which he also plays the harmonica, and occasional piano and percussion. He is known as the "Demon of Screamin'", due to his high screams...
. Prior to appearing on Big Brother, Reilly moved to Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
in search of work, and was employed as a VIP cocktail waitress
Cocktail waitress
A cocktail waitress is a type of server who specializes in bringing drinks to patrons of bars, casinos, comedy clubs, live music venues and other drinking establishments and often wears revealing clothing in order to get more tips...
and worked briefly as a model for Hawaiian Tropic
Hawaiian Tropic
Hawaiian Tropic is a brand of suntan lotion sold around the world, but more widely available in the United States.The Company was founded by Ron Rice in 1969. It was the largest private manufacturer of sun care products in the United States until being acquired in May 2007 by Playtex Products, Inc...
swimwear.
Reilly has also played a role of a waitress on CBS' Emmy Award winning
Daytime Emmy Award
The Daytime Emmy Awards are awards presented by the New York-based National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and the Los Angeles-based Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in recognition of excellence in American daytime television programming...
soap opera The Bold and the Beautiful
The Bold and the Beautiful
The Bold and the Beautiful is an American television soap opera created by William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell for CBS Daytime. It premiered on March 23, 1987....
eight times, and she is set to reprise her character in a larger role in late 2011. The episodes which will feature Rachel Reilly will air between October 28 and 31 of 2011.
Season 12
Reilly first appeared on Big Brother in its twelfthBig Brother 12 (U.S.)
Big Brother 12 is the 12th season of the American reality television series Big Brother. The HouseGuests moved into the Big Brother House on July 3, 2010 and the season premiered on July 8, 2010. The show was broadcast on CBS and Showtime 2 for 75 days, concluding on September 15, 2010 when Hayden...
season, aired in the Summer of 2010. Within the first week of the season, Reilly entered into a romantic relationship with fellow houseguest Brendon Villegas, leading to the pair becoming immediate targets, but despite being nominated in the first week, Reilly was spared when the rest of the house decided fellow nominee Annie Whittington was a bigger threat. Reilly won two Head of Household competitions during her stay in the house, in the second and fourth weeks, resulting in the evictions of Monet Stunson and Kristen Bitting. Reilly was known for her many feuds during her stay, most notably with Bitting, Ragan Fox and Britney Haynes. Eventually, Reilly and Villegas were nominated together in the fifth week of the season, and despite Villegas' attempts to get the other players to keep Reilly instead of him, she was evicted unanimously. Reilly later returned to the house as a guest for one day as part of the "Pandora's Box" twist. As a result of her ninth place finish, Reilly became the first member of the Big Brother jury, and eventually voted for runner-up Lane Elenburg to win the $500,000 prize.
Season 13
One year later, Reilly and her new fiancee Villegas returned to Big Brother for its thirteenthBig Brother 13 (U.S.)
Big Brother 13 was the thirteenth season of the American reality television series, Big Brother. The show was broadcast on CBS and Showtime 2 for 75 days, concluding on September 14, 2011 when Rachel Reilly was crowned the winner with four votes from the jury over Porsche Briggs' three...
season, as part of a "Returning Duos" twist. Reilly claimed she was returning to the show in a bid to win over fans of the show and to redeem herself following her previous appearance. Reilly and Villegas quickly forged an alliance with the four other returning players - father and daughter, Dick
Dick Donato
Richard Louis Donato, known as "Evel Dick" Donato , a bar manager from Los Angeles, California, is the winner of the reality game show Big Brother 8. He and his daughter, Daniele Donato, are the only family member pair to win the American Big Brother program's top two prizes in the same competition...
and Daniele Donato
Daniele Donato
Daniele Donato , was a contestant on Big Brother 8, and Big Brother 13 along with her father, Dick Donato.-Biography:...
of Big Brother 8 and fellow couple, Jordan Lloyd
Jordan Lloyd
Jordan Hailie Lloyd is an American reality television participant, and the winner of the 11th season of Big Brother. Lloyd has also participated in The Amazing Race 16 and Big Brother 13 reality shows.-Early life:...
and Jeff Schroeder of Big Brother 11 as well as a side alliance with Porsche Briggs. The alliance - known as "the Veterans" dominated the house in the early weeks, with Reilly winning Head of Household (HoH) in the first and third weeks, as well as the Power of Veto in a two-person challenge with Villegas in the first week. The alliance fell apart in the second of Reilly's HoH weeks, when Daniele was caught in her attempts to turn the two couples against each other. However Daniele then proceeded to win the next HoH competition, nominating Reilly and Villegas against each other, sparking a long-running feud between the two women. After winning the Power of Veto, Villegas decided to use it on Reilly, effectively ensuring his own eviction. Reilly was nominated again the following week, but was spared when confusion about an upcoming twist caused Lawon Exum to volunteer to be evicted in her place in the mistaken belief that it would give him an advantage through the twist. In reality, the evicted player and the winner of an America's Choice vote would compete to return, with Villegas winning the vote and the competition, regaining his place in the game. The reunion was short lived however, as he was evicted at the hands of Donato once again a week later. Reilly took revenge the next week, evicting Daniele after finding herself as the swing-vote. After surviving an eviction vote 3-2 against Schroeder, Reilly paired up with Lloyd when the duos twist briefly returned, and won a key Veto competition that kept her and Lloyd in the game at the expense of Shelly Moore. She then followed up by winning HoH for the third time, breaking a tie to evict Kalia Booker. After failing to win the final Veto competition, Reilly rebuilt her early alliance with Briggs, and the pair worked together to make the final two, with Briggs evicting Lloyd in the final four stage, and then Reilly evicting Adam Poch the following week after she won HoH for the fourth time. Reilly eventually was named as the winner of Big Brother 13 in a vote of 4-3 over Briggs, earning the jury votes of Brendon Villegas, Jeff Schroeder, Jordan Lloyd and Shelly Moore, and losing the votes of Daniele Donato, Kalia Booker and Adam Poch. Reilly won $500,000 for winning the show.
Records
In being being nominated for eviction five times and still making it to the end to win the $500,000 prize, Rachel set a Big Brother record as the first finalist to achieve this feat. Additionally, in winning the third part of the final Head of Household competition (which she won by providing the only correct answers), she tied Janelle PierzinaJanelle Pierzina
Janelle Marie Pierzina is an American reality show participant and was a contestant on the Sixth and All-Star seasons of the American version of the CBS reality show Big Brother.- Biography :...
's record of multi-seasonal HoH competition wins at 6, though Reilly competed in fewer competitions than Pierzina.
Post Big-Brother
The day following her Big Brother win, Reilly and Villegas appeared on CBS talk-show The TalkThe Talk
The Talk may refer to:*A discussion of sexuality given to children, also euphemistically referred to as "the birds and the bees".*An episode of Mortified called "The Talk", about a teen attempting to avoid the above discussion....
, fronted by Big Brother hostess Julie Chen
Julie Chen
Julie Suzanne Chen is an American television personality, news anchor, and producer for CBS. She has 16 years of newscasting experience. She is best known for co-anchoring CBS's The Early Show, alongside Harry Smith and Maggie Rodriguez. She has been the host of the U.S. version of Big Brother...
. Reilly discussed her experiences on Big Brother during her appearance and won a vacation to Aruba
Aruba
Aruba is a 33 km-long island of the Lesser Antilles in the southern Caribbean Sea, located 27 km north of the coast of Venezuela and 130 km east of Guajira Peninsula...
, after competing in a Big Brother style challenge. In late 2011, photographs appeared on the internet suggesting that Reilly and Villegas are competing as a team on the 20th season of The Amazing Race
The Amazing Race
The Amazing Race is a reality television game show in which teams of two people, who have some form of a preexisting personal relationship, race around the world in competition with other teams...
.
Personal life
Reilly is engaged to fellow Big Brother player Brendon Villegas. Villegas proposed on Valentine's Day 2011. The couple attracted minor publicity due to a scandal in late 2010, where explicit pictures of Villegas were posted on the internet after he had sent them to another woman via SkypeSkype
Skype is a software application that allows users to make voice and video calls and chat over the Internet. Calls to other users within the Skype service are free, while calls to both traditional landline telephones and mobile phones can be made for a fee using a debit-based user account system...
, but after posting an online apology to Reilly, the pair reunited a few days after the revelations became public.