The live Big Brother 28 finale aired Thursday, and Rick Devens, known to many reality TV fans from his time on Survivor, brought home the crown. Devens defeated Taylor Brown in the Big Brother finale, receiving six of the seven jury votes to win the $750,000 grand prize. He also won America's Favorite Player and its $50,000 prize, as well as an additional $10,000 tied to the season's Pharaoh's Curse twist, bringing his total winnings from the season to $810,000 before any other compensation.

The victory comes on the heels of a very interesting year for Devens, who also competed on Survivor 50.

Rick Devens Won Big Brother 28

Rick Devens entered finale night as a member of the final three, alongside Taylor Brown and Drew Campbell. Campbell and Devens had been in an alliance with one another since the beginning of the season, when Drew, 22, aligned himself with Devens and a pair of reality TV icons, Angela Murray and Dee Valladares.

The final Head of Household (HOH) competition was a three-part contest. Brown won the first round, and Devens won the second, putting the pair in a head-to-head battle for the final and most important HOH of the season. In a shocking twist, Devens eliminated Campbell, putting himself in position to go against Brown, who many viewers believed had a less impressive game resume.

After both finalists made their case to win the $750,000 grand prize, the jury ultimately sided with Devens, who won 6-1. Angela Murray, Barrett Pfeiffer, Yash Patel, Melody Morris, Dee Valladares, and Campbell voted for Devens, while LaTrice Verrett was the only juror to vote for Brown.

Devens Also Won Two Additional Cash Prizes

The $750,000 prize wasn’t Devens’ only big win of the night. Each year, Big Brother fans vote for America’s Favorite Houseguest, which comes with a $50,000 cash prize. With nearly 30% of the vote, Devens also won that.

Earlier in the game, Devens also cashed in on the Pharaoh’s Curse bribe, which came with a $10,000 reward. No one in the house knew that Devens took the bribe, which also included an expedited week that saw an extra elimination. All told, Devens walked away from his 84 days in the Big Brother house with $810,000 in prizes.

Devens Is a Two-Time Survivor Player

For reality TV fans, Devens' Big Brother victory is especially notable because this was not his first time competing on a major reality competition. He originally appeared on Survivor: Edge of Extinction, the show's 38th season, in 2019. Devens was voted out early in the game, but the season's Edge of Extinction twist gave eliminated players a chance to fight their way back. Devens won that challenge and returned to the main game before eventually finishing in fourth place.

He then returned for Survivor’s historic 50th season, but his path to the island was anything but typical. He was originally selected as an alternate for the milestone season rather than one of the players initially expected to compete. When paired with his legendary run on Edge of Extinction, his appearance on Survivor 50 further cemented his reputation as an underdog.

Big Brother 28 Had Three Reality TV Icons

Rick Devens wasn’t the only familiar face on Big Brother 28. Dee Valladares, who competed with Devens on Survivor 50, and Angela Murray, who appeared on Big Brother 26 and The Amazing Race, were also members of this year’s cast.

The three veterans were therefore entering a completely different game from the newcomers. They had reputations to manage, previous gameplay to live up to, and an obvious reason for the other houseguests to keep an eye on them. Dee later acknowledged that being labeled an “icon” made it difficult to escape the perception that the three veterans were major threats. She noted that all three had already competed in reality television, giving the other houseguests an immediate reason to view them differently.

The Next Chapter in the Big Brother Story Starts Next Summer

During the final moments of the Big Brother 28 finale, long-time host Julie Chen Moonves announced that the show has already been picked up for two additional seasons, which will run through 2028.

Rick Devens became just the second player in Big Brother history to win the grand prize and America’s Favorite Houseguest, joining Taylor Hale, who took home both prizes on Big Brother 24. Will next season’s Big Brother include familiar faces? Only time will tell.

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