Julie Chen Moonves isn’t holding back when it comes to Rick Devens’ early gameplay on Big Brother 28.
During a recent interview wit EW, the longtime host admitted she has been surprised by how quickly Dee Valladares has adapted to the game, while questioning whether Devens fully understands what it takes to succeed in the Big Brother house.
“I’m surprised how little Rick Devens gets this game. And how much Dee gets it and got it right away.”
The comments come after Dee, Rick, and returning Big Brother player Angela Murray formed one of the season’s earliest alliances despite entering the game together as returning reality TV veterans.
Julie Says Rick Is Playing the Wrong Game
Chen Moonves revealed she entered the season excited to watch Devens compete, especially after his memorable run on Survivor 50. However, she believes his approach has been better suited for Survivor than Big Brother.
“This ain’t Survivor, honey. This here Big Brother,” she said, explaining that Devens’ social strategy has left her disappointed.
The biggest issue for Julie was Rick revealing details about a secret alliance known as the Red Corner. He shared information with Angela Murray and Drew Campbell, even though the alliance wasn’t meant to remain loyal long-term. Julie felt exposing that information so early could easily come back to haunt him if the other members—Chuck Anyanwu, Haley Thogmartin, and Kamu Kirk—learn about it.
She joked that after watching the moment, she wanted to tell him to “go back to the island.”
Dee Continues to Impress
While Rick’s stock has fallen in Julie’s eyes, Dee Valladares has become one of her early favorites.
Although she initially wasn’t thrilled about having two former Survivor players on the cast, Julie now believes Dee has shown she understands the unique strategy required to succeed in Big Brother.
Angela Still Delivers Great TV
Julie also praised Angela Murray, calling her “television gold.”
So far, Angela has appeared much calmer than she did during her memorable Big Brother 26 run, but Julie thinks the real test will come if she wins Head of Household.
She believes that much power could bring back the unpredictable Angela fans remember from her previous season—and admitted she’d love to see a little of that chaos return.
Julie’s Early Favorites to Win
Although she says her opinions can change from week to week, Julie revealed she’s currently keeping an eye on Drew Campbell and LaTrice, joking that she has “$5” on each of them to win the season.
As for Rick Devens, Julie hasn’t completely written him off. She described herself as a “fair-weather fan,” suggesting that strong gameplay in the coming weeks could still earn back her support.
With the game only just getting started, there’s plenty of time for Rick to prove he belongs—and perhaps convince Julie Chen Moonves that he can play Big Brother just as well as he played Survivor.
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