Although it's tough for Big Brother houseguests to live in the house secluded from the outside world and to lie and compete for an opportunity to earn $500,000 (or more), some contestants can't help but revisit for round two in hopes of a second chance at winning the game.
While there have been two seasons of Big Brother All-Stars when some of the best players come back to play the game, there have been a few other Big Brother contestants who have returned in regular seasons of the show. Some of them have since become legends among the show's fandom while others are lesser-known but just as good at playing the game as their more famous competitors.
Dan Gheesling
As a Big Brother legend from seasons 10 & 14, Dan Gheesling had a good run on the show. He is the first player and only winner of the game to make it to the final two twice. Not only that, but he played a perfect game in season 10 by not receiving any eviction votes and then was the first player to win with a unanimous vote.
Dan was a strong and strategic competitor who didn't mind destroying friendships to be successful. In season 10, he managed to convince houseguest Brian Ollie to throw an HOH competition so that he could betray him when it came time to nominations. When he came back to play in season 14, he hosted his own funeral at a nomination ceremony that resulted in him staying in the game and dodging an eviction. As the winner of season 10 and the runner-up of season 14, Dan is one of the most successful Big Brother contestants in the show's history.
Rachel Riley
The iconic Big Brother competitor Rachel Riley first appeared in season 12 shocking houseguests with her overbearing and loud personality. She quickly made a connection with her showmance Brendon Villegas and the two of them became a threat. They were put up on the block against each other in week five and Rachel was sent home by a unanimous vote.
After she and Brendan got engaged, they came back to play season 13 together as a duo. This season, Rachel was known for being a powerhouse competitor in the game on her own. When Brendon was evicted from the game, Rachel strategized her way to the end of the game, taking home the win. Rachel proved she didn't need to be a Big Brother All-Star to make her mark on the series. Once her companion was gone, she was able to showcase her intelligence and prove her worth to the other contestants and to the show's audience.
Dick Donato
Dick Donato, who was also known as "Evel Dick" during his time on the show, was an aggressive and chaotic Big Brother player in seasons 8 and 13. He wasn't afraid to stir things up in the house or attack other houseguests. There were incidents where he got in altercations with other contestants, which put a target on his back and made him a threat in season 8.
Dick got lucky during week 6 thanks to the "America's Player" twist when he was nominated for eviction. Despite fellow houseguest Eric Stein wanting to send Dick home, he was forced to vote to evict Dustin Erikstrup, who was up on the block next to him as per America's request. Dick worked with his estranged daughter throughout the game and made it the final two with her and ultimately took home the win with a 5 to 2 vote. He came back to play with his daughter in season 13 but ended up leaving the game early due to a personal issue.
Frankie Grande
Frankie Grande was known for his bubbly and fun personality in the Big Brother house, but also for being Ariana Grande's brother. He didn't want to be seen as the famous pop singer's brother so he kept it a secret from houseguests until he was forced to tell them in a later week when he was trying to gain their favor.
He was a part of the alliances "The Detonators" and "The Bomb Squad" but they only got him as far as fifth place. After his time on Big Brother, he became the only houseguest to play on another country's edition of Big Brother. While he didn't fare much better in Big Brother UK, where he finished in sixth place, Frankie still make his mark in his two seasons by playing competitively and initiating one of the best bromances in the show's history with fellow contestant Zach Rance.
Jeff Schroeder
Fan-favorite Jeff Schroeder played in seasons 11 and 13 of Big Brother. He is mostly ed for a showmance Big Brother fans rooted for with Jordan Lloyd, who is now his wife and the mother of their children. After playing in season 11 and placing fifth in the game, he came back to play in a duo with Jordan Llyod in season 13 where he finished in seventh place.
While he may not have been successful at playing the game, Jeff proved to be popular with fans. As a result, he won America's Favorite Houseguest award in both of the seasons that he competed on, making him the only person to ever achieve this honor. Not even All-Star contestants like Cody Calafiore or Ian Terry can claim this accomplishment, which makes Jeff one of the best Big Brother cast never to appear in an All-Star season.
Jordan Lloyd
Jordan Lloyd played in seasons 11 and 13 of the show and is primarily ed for her sweet and kind personality, which made her one of those most likable Big Brother contestants ever. She met her current husband, Jeff Schroeder, in season 11 but lasted longer than he did and made it to the final. She eventually took home first place, sitting next to Natalie Martinez with a 5 to 2 vote in her favor.
She came back to play with Jeff as a duo where she made it farther than him for a second time but didn't quite repeat her earlier success. After her husband was evicted, she partnered with Rachel Riley and finished the game in fourth place. While not as memorable as some other cast , Rachel's friendly demeanor masked a cunning player who worked well in teams and on her own. Her strategic alliances almost won her two Big Brother competitions, a rare feat in the show's two-decade history.
Paul Abrahamian
Paul Abrahamian came close to winning the game twice but somehow couldn't manage to take home the win. Finishing in second place in seasons 18 and 19 makes him a player to and another one of the best players to play the game. He was known for controlling the house, influencing many evictions, and winning competitions. Ultimately, his choice to take Nicole Franzel to the final two instead of James Huling after he won the final HOH competition was his biggest mistake because he lost next to Nicole with a 5-4 vote for Nicole to win leaving him as the runner up.
When he came back for his second chance to win, he played another very strategic game as he again influenced many of the evictions. Paul managed to stay off of the chopping block until the final three when he was put up by default after Josh Martinez won the final HOH competition. Fortunately for Paul, Josh decided to take him to the final two but he wasn't lucky enough to take home the win when he lost to Josh by a 5-4 vote, making him a runner-up for the second time.