Few reality shows push their contestants emotionally as much as Big Brother. This CBS reality series, created by John de Mol, has astounded its fans for decades with its focus on a group of players trying to outmaneuver one another for a grand cash prize and the title of Big Brother Champion. Through strategy, physical competition, and nonstop deceit, these "houseguests" are challenged in every way imaginable, having to bring out their most cutthroat selves in order to make it to the end. It's a premise that creates enough drama on its own – though that doesn't stop the show's producers from stirring the pot every once in a while.
From shocking twists to wild negotiations, its many seasons have seen the program try many things to further complicate its players' game, though none have proven as successful (and messy) as bringing in players with pre-existing relationships. Recruiting a pair of folks who are either as close as can be or cannot stand each other has yielded numerous iconic arcs. The series makes people struggle not only with strangers but with someone they know outside the game. There are many great examples of this, but there's one that stands out from them all. A pair of ex-boyfriends who, to the series' great delight, made their issues everyone else's problem and created some of the most shocking moments of drama this series has ever seen.
This 'Big Brother' Winner Showed How to Use Your Ex
When it comes to pre-existing relationships on Big Brother, there are countless examples proving just what great television this kind of twist brings to the franchise. This mechanic began in season four of the show, with some of the cast being told early on that, to their dismay, their ex-partners would be coming into the house and to compete right alongside them. While many of these failed partnerships continued to crash and burn in the house, there was one player who saw the benefit in this shock: eventual winner Jun Song. Stuck in the house with her ex Jee Choe, she didn't see his presence as a hindrance like how others were viewing their exes, but instead as an opportunity, quickly linking up with the man and putting aside their past to forge a secret alliance for the rest of the game. This, combined with Jun's expert social strategy, eventually crowned her as the BB4 victor and told every future player a valuable lesson: whether you love them or you hate them, knowing someone in the house could be the key to winning your game.
Big Brother continued to insert pre-existing relationships into its many seasons to varying results, with some of these even producing show-stopping winners like Jun. Whether it be parents and children, secret best friends, or even twins, the show enjoyed throwing these in to truly establish itself as one of the most difficult but rewarding social games out there. By complicating the premise even further, Big Brother is able to showcase more examples of social mechanics (the whole focus of this show) and display an intense style of gameplay that is only furthered by the emotional ties pre-existing relationships often bring. It was an ingenious method when it was introduced that is still utilized to this day, one that even produced another winner like Jun in Big Brother 8 with Dick Donato. While cruel, Dick and his estranged daughter Daniele Briones combined their callousness to eventually become that season's top two. The pair built a relationship beyond their rocky past to completely conquer the game – if only another duo that season had tried to follow their lead.
Joe and Dustin Fell Victim to 'Big Brother's' Biggest Twist
For all of his charisma, Big Brother 8 contestant Joe Barber was ready to lie, cheat, and steal in order to win what was clearly his favorite show. He began making connections with others in the house when the series' eighth installment began, utilizing what began as a natural charm to make the kind of alliances that are vital in a game like this one – only to get thrown off when it was announced his ex-boyfriend Dustin Erikstrup would be joining him in the competition. The other houseguests immediately saw a switch in the man, Joe beginning to rave about how horrible his ex was and making claims about how Dustin gave him an STI and, to the horror of all, how Joe had worked hard to ruin every single relationship the man had after they broke up two years before. It was a shocking turn for all, one that continued once Dustin actually entered the house as the pair immediately started at odds with one another. It was a full declaration of war from Joe and also a clear message to the house that whatever issues these two were going through, they'd all be along for the ride.
It's unfortunate that Joe and Dustin couldn't follow the model that Jun had created four seasons earlier, yet they show that no matter how much you want to win, the wrong person walking through that door could ruin anybody's game. Though, in Dustin's defense, Joe never really gave them a chance; it was explained quickly that Joe's toxicity ruined their relationship two years prior, though despite this, Dustin was actually ready to put that behind them on the show. To be met with such animosity immediately showed him that Joe was still the man he'd broken up with and their fighting only became worse as the days went on. The peak was when Dustin discovered Joe was using him as a pawn to get voted out – which made Dustin jump on board with another alliance's plans to evict Joe in week two. The pair's dysfunction was epitomized in a hammock chat they had where Joe begged Dustin to stay, Dustin shutting down while Joe pestered him with pleas before nastily saying that Dustin was a sad person who ruined any chance for him in this game, callously urging the other man to get over the many ways he'd hurt him before. Theirs was a tumultuous (to say the least) time in the Big Brother house, though luckily for the show, they managed to cram in multiple jaw-dropping fights before Joe was evicted, with Dustin being part of the vote to get him out.
What is there to learn from Dustin and Joe's time on Big Brother, aside from how to identify a toxic relationship? For all the jaw-dropping scenes these men managed to provide, at the heart of all their issues was an inability to put the game above your own emotions on this complex program. While easier said than done, the best BB winners are those who find a balance between their personal emotions and sly strategy. These champions often leverage their own authenticity to draw in others and use their trust to progress further in the game. Dustin and Joe clearly had an intense relationship, but should Joe have avoided that visceral call-out early in the game, there's a chance they could have actually forged ahead as a pair watching out for each other in a setting where everyone is willing to stab you in the back. It's unfortunate that this didn't work out and that the entire house had to watch as these men's issues continued to deteriorate on the show – but luckily for everyone at home, these exes's inability to keep their issues private created some startling moments of great TV that deserve to be remembered today.
Big Brother 26 broadcasts weekly on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays at 9 PM ET. Big Brother airs live on CBS. Viewers can stream episodes the next day on Paramount+, where they can watch live feeds throughout the day.
