A former “Big Brother” star is speaking out after one of season 27’s most talked-about moments, calling the twist behind a major elimination the “worst idea” and saying it felt like watching the show “burn to the ground.”
Britney Haynes made the comments during an April 21 appearance on The Diary Room podcast, reacting to the twist that ultimately sent returning houseguest and BB legend Rachel Reilly out of the game.
The twist, part of the season’s “Mastermind’s Month of Mayhem,” introduced a special elimination at the “White Locust Resort,” where houseguests competed in a timed challenge. The format was adapted from “Big Brother Reindeer Games,” where a similar challenge had previously been used.
CBSDuring the competition, players were called out one by one—by the previous competing houseguest—to complete a maze inside a giant “hamster wheel” where the time limit decreased with each round. If a houseguest failed to finish in time, they were immediately eliminated from the game.
Reilly entered the competition with 3 minutes and 30 seconds on the clock.
“This is do or die for me. I have to survive this or this is the end of my game,” Reilly said during the show. “I always pull through when my back is up against the wall. … I really think I could do this.”
She ultimately ran out of time. It ended her game—despite having never been nominated for eviction.
CBS“I didn’t win the competition and I’m out of the game,” Reilly said afterward in an emotional Diary Room talk. “I’m really disappointed in myself. … I’m a winner of the game. I’m a legend. I kind of feel like I let everyone down.”
Britney Haynes Calls ‘White Locust’ Twist the ‘Worst Idea’
CBSHaynes, who first appeared on “Big Brother” season 12 and returned for BB14 and “Reindeer Games,” said on the podcast that the twist didn’t land the same way it did on the show’s spinoff.
“I felt like I watched the show burn to the ground in front of my eyes,” she said. “It was horrible. That was the worst idea.”
She added that while she understood the production team’s intent—to cause drama and to give houseguests and viewers something unexpected—the execution ultimately hurt the season, in her opinion.
“They’re just trying to make a fun little moment,” Haynes said. “[The hamster wheel] created a lot of drama on ‘Reindeer Games,’ so they probably thought it would really stir the pot [on season 27] … but if they had the foresight to realize what it would ultimately do, I don’t think they would do it.”
Haynes also noted how invested she was in season 27, especially with Reilly’s return.
“This is what I get for caring,” she said. “[Her elimination] took the wind out of the sails.”
‘White Locust’ Twist Sparks Backlash & Debate Among Players & Fans
Reilly’s exit quickly became one of the most debated moments of the season—and the show in general—with criticism centered on the fact that she was eliminated by a twist rather than a traditional house vote.
Janelle Pierzina, who appeared on seasons 6, 7, 14, and 22, and is regarded as one of the best players to never win the show, reacted to the moment on social media in real time as the show aired.
“Well those ratings better grab a life vest. They are gonna need it,” Pierzina said, drawing inspiration from Reilly’s famous season 12 quote (“Floaters, grab a life vest!”).
“Not worth watching anymore sorry,” she wrote in another post.
Behind the scenes, the moment was just as intense.
Tyler Crispen Recalls Watching ‘White Locust’ Twist in Person
CBSTyler Crispen, the “Big Brother” season 20 runner-up who returned to host the “White Locust” challenge, said he didn’t realize at first how significant the twist would be.
“They were like, ‘It’s going to the be the biggest twist of the summer,” Crispen said an interview with entertainment journalist Sharon Tharpe. The interview was released the day after the “White Locust” episode aired on CBS. “And then once I got there … I was like, ‘This is insanity.'”
Crispen was on set just several feet away when Reilly was eliminated. He described the moment as one of the most memorable he’s witnessed.
“It felt like one of the biggest moments in ‘Big Brother’ history,” he said. “She was really, really distraught … it was such an intense moment.”
CBSHe added that Reilly appeared shaken before the challenge even began.
“She came out like she had already lost,” Crispen said. “It was so hard to watch.”
CBSCrispen also acknowledged the divide surrounding the twist, noting that while unexpected elements are part of the game, the outcome was difficult for many to accept.
“It sucks the way she went out,” he said. “You hate to see good players go out on a twist.”
