While fans excitedly theorized about returning houseguests leading up to the Big Brother 22: All Stars cast reveal, there was a lot of discussions about which houseguests did and did not deserve to be featured in an all-star cast. Some of the rumored houseguests, such as Bayleigh, Christmas, and David, caused division within the fandom with many saying they did not deserve a slot and others advocating for their place. The absence of big names such as Dan Gheesling, Derrick Levasseur, and Vanessa Rousso had some fans claiming that none of the players rumored met their expectations.
This prompted a debate within the fandom as many rushed to defend their favorites. In general, a larger conversation began to form about former Big Brother houseguests who were undervalued and unappreciated. So let's take a look at some houseguests who definitely don't get the recognition they deserve.
Jackie Ibarra
Jackie was a contestant on Big Brother 17. She entered the game with her former Amazing Race partner Jeff as part of a twist. But Jackie quickly noticed that Jeff was irritating some of the houseguests worked hard to keep herself from being associated with him. Though Jackie was well-liked during her season, people don't often reflect on her game.
In truth, Jackie had potential. She was able to make solid connections with other houseguests and was a member of The Goblins alliance. She also had a close connection with Becky and Johnny Mac, who both played the middle. Jackie was incredibly perceptive and was able to accurately read the other houseguests. Though she only won one HOH, she came close to winning in several competitions. Had Jackie's alliance secured more competition wins, Jackie could have played an integral role in targetting the correct houseguests.
Natalie Negrotti
Natalie, a houseguest from showmance with James. She was loved during the season and was even in the running to win America's Favorite Houseguest. But Natalie is rarely spoken about, and it seems that many have forgotten about Natalie's game moves.
Though Natalie was fairly intelligent and aware of the house dynamics, she often played dumb and laid low to keep from being a target. She formed an alliance called the Spy Girls and then grew closer to Michelle as her other allies were being evicted. Natalie and James managed to work together to effectively play the middle of the house. Though they worked closely together, Natalie didn't just blindly follow James' plans. When Natalie won HOH, she put the biggest duo on the block and sent Victor out the door. Though Natalie only won one HOH, she proved to be excellent at endurance comps and came close to winning several times. Natalie was ultimately evicted because of a decision James made, going against her wishes.
Danielle Murphree
Danielle is primarily ed for getting played by Dan on BB14, but that doesn't mean her game should be totally dismissed. Though some may argue that Danielle only made it to the final 3 because of Dan, that isn't true.
Firstly, Danielle only had a target on her due to her close relationship with Dan. Danielle played a great social game and had many allies in the house. Additionally, Danielle was a great competitor; she won 2 HOHs and 2 Vetos. Danielle's biggest downfall was her loyalty and her belief that others would be just as loyal to her.
Nicole Nilson Schaffrich
Though Nicole made it to the final 2 in BB2, she is rarely mentioned when reflecting on great past players. Upon entering the house, many found Nicole to be annoying. Nicole was able to save herself from eviction the first week and then worked to gain many allies.
For most of the game, Nicole was completely protected by the house and many saw her as the one controlling the game. Nicole won 2 Head of Household competitions but was instrumental in deciding the evicted houseguests throughout much of the season.
Monica Bailey
Monica was loved during her season for her kind personality and positivity. During Big Brother: All-Stars, she was eligible to be voted back into the house by America but ultimately wasn't selected. This alone speaks to how underappreciated she is.
Monica's kindness allowed her to form strong social bonds in the house and go untargeted to the final 3. While many of the other houseguests were open about who they were working with, Monica formed a secret alliance -- something that is now common in Big Brother. With her HOH win, she put up the biggest power duo in the house, successfully eliminating a major threat.
Steve Moses
Many people dismiss Steve's win as a fluke, but this couldn't be further from the truth. Steve expressed early on that he was worried that his resemblance to Ian Terry would keep him from winning the game. Steve decided to lay low for the first half of the game to avoid being evicted. He attached himself to the strong alliance the Scamper Squad while forming a side alliance with Johnny Mac.
Steve survived the block several times by keeping his threat level low and maintaining strong allies. Many people overlook Steve's impressive competition wins -- 4 HOHS towards the end of the game and 2 veto wins. His HOH led to Julia's eviction, breaking up the Austwins. He also evicted Vanessa, the biggest threat in the game.
James Zinkand
Season 9 is considered by many to be the worst. The season is often forgotten about and overlooked. This means that James' game is often overlooked.
James is the first houseguest to ever be considered a comp beast; he was the first houseguest to win multiple HOHs and vetos in one season, with a total of 2 HOHs and 3 back-to-back vetos.
Howard Overby
This houseguest didn't last long in the house, which may be part of the reason that he is often forgotten. But had Howard not been cast with BB15's incredibly racist cast, he may have made it further. He was an extremely calm, kind, and controlled man.
Despite the disgusting behavior of several houseguests, he comforted his allies and tried to keep their heads in the game. This proves that Howard has the potential to have an incredible social game when inserted into a cast of reasonable people.
Renny
BB10 was filled with memorable houseguests. Renny was initially underestimated by others due to her older age and vivacious personality.
Renny is comedically a gem, but she is also willing to advocate for others when something is not right. Renny formed a close allyship with Keesha, Dan, and Memphis was a crucial aspect to her making it far in the game. Renny used her HOH to target two houseguests who were targeting her.
Ian Terry
Ian's game is constantly overlooked due to Dan's impressive antics during BB14, but Ian made many crucial moves which resulted in his win. He worked closely with the Quack Pack, feeding them information from Team Boogie while keeping the trust of those he betrayed. He masterminded Boogie's eviction, framing Dan to take the fall.
Ian laid low for the first half of the game, throwing competitions and willingly accepting punishments and serving as a Have-Not to keep from being perceived as a threat. He knew others would keep him around as they didn't want to take on those inconveniences. When Dan blew up Ian's game, Ian quickly adapted and began winning through competitions to protect himself, winning an impressive 4 back-to-back HOHs and 2 vetos. Ian made the decision to take Dan to the final 2 instead of Danielle. Many view this as foolish, but this was also a calculated decision as Ian banked on the jury voting bitterly against Dan. Had he taken Danielle to the final 2, she would have had Shane's vote guaranteed and likely would have secured Dan's. There is a strong possibility Shane and Britney's vote would have ultimately gone to Danielle and the vote would have been much closer than the 6-1 vote that secured Ian the win. This winner certainly does not receive the recognition that he deserves and should be considered one of the "Big Brother Greats."