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Big Brother Season 23 is set to premiere on July 7. So, fans of the show can expect to see new faces on their television screens vying for the $500,000 grand prize.
Since the new season is still a couple of weeks away, it only seems fitting for BB fanatics to take a trip down memory lane – at least in terms of the former contestants’ net worth.
Here’s a look at the richest former Big Brother contestants based on their income.
Andy Herren – Net Worth $250,000
Andy Herren is the first openly gay contestant to win Big Brother. During his stint in Season 15, Herren’s gameplay was quite underwhelming on the show, but he still managed to bring home the $500,000 grand prize.
Prior to joining the hit reality TV show, Herren worked as a professor. And after leaving the program as the winner, he drew flak after he made some inappropriate comments about his female housemates.
Dick Donato – Net Worth $300,000
Dick Donato is one of the most controversial contestants in Big Brother history. He was part of Season 8, and he was also crowned as the winner back then.
What made his seasons memorable was the fact that Donato beat out his daughter, Daniele in the final 2. The father and daughter, who competed as separate entities, returned to Big Brother in Season 13.
Despite the criticisms that he has received, Donato is still very much a part of the Big Brother world. He hosts his own recap show titled Dick at Night, which has most definitely contributed to his net worth.
Lisa Donahue – Net Worth $500,000
Lisa Donahue starred in Big Brother Season 3. She is the first woman to ever win on the show.
Prior to joining the reality TV show, Donahue worked as a bartender. But she managed to fulfill her dreams of becoming an actress after appearing in Big Brother.
After her stint, Donahue earned recurring roles in Entourage and Dr. Vegas, which contributed to her impressive net worth.
Rachel Reilly – Net Worth $500,000
Rachel Reilly competed in Big Brother for two seasons. During her first time joining the reality TV show, she was booted off the competition early on. But when she returned years later, she managed to bring home the grand prize.
Reilly has also appeared in The Amazing Race with her husband, Brendan Villegas, and sister, Elissa Reilly, where she placed third.
Today, Reilly serves as the host of Reality Relapse. She also returns to Big Brother to either host segments or interviews the contestants, which has contributed to her impressive net worth.
Nicole Franzel – Net Worth $1 million
Who can forget Nicole Franzel? The unassuming and seemingly innocent contestant that joined Big Brother in Season 16. Back then, Franzel didn’t manage to bring home the grand prize, but luck was on her side when she returned to the show in Season 18.
Franzel also happened to be the first female houseguest to beat a male player in the final two.
And just last season, Franzel once again returned to Celebrity Big Brother. She managed to get far in the competition, but she lost to Cody Calafiore.
Calafiore’s decision to bring Enzo Palumbo to the finals drew a slew of mixed reactions. Big Brother fans and Calafiore himself were aware that bringing Franzel to the final two would have cost him his $500,000.
Hayden Moss – Net Worth $2 Million
Hayden Moss is the winner of Big Brother Season 12. He was the leader of one of the most successful alliances in BB history known as The Brigade.
After his stint in Big Brother, Moss also starred in Survivor: Blood vs Water.
Dan Gheesling – Net Worth $5 Million
Dan Gheesling is one of the two highest-paid former Big Brother contestants with his net worth of $5 million.
Gheesling first appeared on the show in Season 10, where he managed to bag the grand prize after getting seven votes. He also happens to be one of the only two contestants to make it to the final two twice.
After his stint in Big Brother, Gheesling made tons of money by making gaming content on Twitch and YouTube.
Will Kirby – Net Worth $100 Million
Tied at the first spot are Gheesling and Dr. Will Kirby with their net worth of $5 million.
Kirby first starred in Big Brother in Season 2 back in 2001. He won the grand prize and has been a regular guest in the succeeding seasons.
Kirby is the one that interviews the houseguests after they have been evicted from the show. He also returned to Big Brother Season 22 to surprise the celebrity houseguests with a major twist in the game.
After his appearance in Big Brother, Kirby went on to guest star in a slew of TV shows like 90210, The Doctors, Battle of the Network Reality Stars, and more.
Source: The Things