Simply one of the best...

"Innocent as a dove and sly as a snake". Those are the words of Danielle Reyes, one of the most respected Big Brother players of all time, used to describe her game play.  "I played the game, like the others, with the intent to win".

 

    Danielle sat down with us and shared a very candid and inside perspective on the game. She discusses the impact that the Big Brother experience had on her life and compared her two very different BB seasons. Danielle is the very proud mother of two daughters. The youngest is currently serving our country in the military and her oldest is a mother of four. We would all agree that Danielle has now raised the bar on the list of "attractive grandmothers". She continues to call Fairfield, California home.  Danielle fills her work week managing a five hundred unit residential property. "My daily interaction with families that each have a unique story is very rewarding. I feel I continue to grow as an individual as I learn from the nice families I interact with each and every day. I am fortunate to be able to work with the fine people I do."

 

   

 Dedicated fans of Big Brother realize it was Danielle that gave birth to the concept of the alliance. She, along with Jason Guy, played the game in Season 3 with a stealth like style...no alliance name needed, no sharing with others...simply handling business with the goal of reaching the final two. Danielle did reach the final two but fell short of the big prize. She failed because, many believe, jury members at the time were not sequestered and were able to view her private diary sessions from home. Those diary room sessions were candid and animated, to some extent, for the television audience. As a result most, with the exception of Jason, voted on emotion and awarded the five hundred thousand dollars to Lisa Donahue. Danielle is the first to step up and say she believes Lisa deserved to be there at the end because of the exceptional social game she played, as well as Danielle's strategic approach. As a result, producers of Big Brother later instituted the rule that all jury members are to be sequestered in what is now known as the jury house. George Boswell spoke with us and asked to include his admiration for her play in Season 3..."without a doubt, Danielle deserved to win that season. There is much talk of others from various seasons that are considered the ultimate BB players. In my book though, Danielle is right there at the top with the best in the game"...says Boswell.

 

    

When we addressed the subject with Danielle she harbored no resentment. She just knows she went into the game and played it as a game...knowing that the options for everyone to lie, spin and deceive were not exclusive to just her. "My game was real and raw and I totally enjoyed the experience throughout." Danielle never watched the previous seasons. Her focus was trying out for her favorite show Survivor. To date Danielle remains a loyal follower of Jeff Probst's island game.

 

    Both seasons of play (Season 3 and All-Stars) were quite different to Danielle. Season 3 was all new to her and each and every aspect of the game was original to her. The "Sponge Bob" like competition in Season 3 remains her favorite. Danielle was also one of the houseguests that enjoyed the backyard concert by singer Sheryl Crow. On the down side, not having a washer and dryer, tiny refrigerator and cramped quarters added to the daily challenge for her. Having experienced both sides as a participant and a TV viewer highlights the fact that while playing the game you are not privy to the vital information on ALL houseguests that the home viewers are. "The only info we were able to make decisions on were either our gut feelings or trusting input from others, which all too often turned out to be untrue. That's what makes the game so difficult and great at the same time...I absolutely loved the challenge."

 

    To counter the boredom, Danielle spent time cleaning the house. "Let me tell you, that house needed it." She laughs and mentions that both she and Chiara were borderline OCD and they battled it throughout together. When comparing the two seasons, Danielle had concerns going into All-Stars that she would have a huge target on her back given her reputation as an excellent game player. The layout for the house was much larger and to her that presented another challenge to keep an eye on her competitors at all times. It was during the All-Star season that the iconic Big Brother moment occurred with Danielle ringing the HOH doorbell. To this day, Danielle looks back at it and gets just as large a laugh over it as anyone else. "True, it was a zany and crazy moment. You have to be able to laugh at yourself in life. It keeps us on balance."

 

    

In speaking with Danielle it became very apparent she has her priorities in check. She is able to laugh at herself, recognize her blessings in her personal life and accept each day as a true gift. She wishes her hectic schedule would enable her to participate in more charitable work. "One event I do mark as a priority each year is supporting and participating in the Reality Rally held each April in Southern California. Gillian Larson, the creator, has amassed a widely successful weekend fundraising event that supports Michelle's Place, a cancer resource center in Temecula, CA. The amount of former Big Brother alumni that gathers from all over the country for that cause each year is amazing. I'm very proud of them for their kind and unselfish ways."

 

    Looking back Danielle wishes she were able to have a Zingbot visit during her seasons. She is, however, not a fan of the recent double HOH twist nor the revised nomination session around the kitchen table..."I like watching the faces as the keys are pulled." Oddly enough, both our featured former houseguests Danielle and George, were eliminated on the same evening during All-Stars. Danielle shared with us that once the Julie Chen interview is completed you receive a huge sense of relief and your mind set shifts back to becoming a normal person once again. That evening, both she and George were returned to the hotel. They enjoyed a nice dinner together, shared some laughs and were driven the next morning to the jury house.

 

Would she like to go back if the opportunity presented itself? "Absolutely! I would love it. Especially if my dear friend Marcellas was included. Once you experience the game it never truly leaves you. Anyone that loves a challenge can understand. Big Brother is special. It's unique and I am so fortunate to have been a part of it along the way. I meet people often that recognize me from the show and the kind reaction I receive from them is truly humbling."

You may have felt like you played the game "innocent as a dove and sly as a snake" but Danielle, as fans of both the game and Danielle Reyes we can easily say you are one very respected and beautiful ambassador for the Big Brother entity.

 

Danielle...we thank you.