Rachel Reilly expressed her disappointment after her surprising removal on Big Brother 27—not just because of the twist, but also because of an important choice made by her ally, Ava Pearl. The "White Locust" twist competition, a timed maze task in which the first person selected receives a longer time allotment, is when Rachel was eliminated.
Ava was granted the authority to choose who would enter the maze first after winning the first part of the challenge. Ava chose Vince Panaro rather than her close ally Rachel. With just 3.5 minutes to finish the maze, much less than previous competitors, that decision put Rachel in fourth place. Rachel believes that Ava’s decision significantly harmed her chances of staying in the game.
Given their close social ties and partnership, Rachel subsequently stated that she genuinely believed she and Ava would be the last two. She said that she had attempted to explain to Ava how the plan should proceed, stating that allowing Rachel to leave first would have maintained their respective positions. Rachel believed that Ava had ignored her in that crucial moment and that the error might have cost her more than leaving.
What Rachel says — The Ava decision & its fallout on Big Brother 27
Many people focused on Ava's choice to choose Vince to go first after the "White Locust" twist resulted in Rachel's elimination. For Rachel, that action was a betrayal of confidence in a final two alliance, not merely a competitive decision. Rachel thinks that decision won't be forgotten as the Big Brother jury gets bigger, and she may vote because she has faith in Ava's loyalty.
Rachel’s perspective — “I thought we had final two”
Rachel has expressed openly how certain she was that she and Ava would make it to the final two. She said in a post-elimination interview that it was unjust to be selected fourth in the maze, particularly considering her social game and devotion to Ava. She clarified that while finishing fourth in the maze stacked the odds against her, starting first would have given her a fighting chance.
Rachel remarked, "I am very disappointed in Ava that she didn’t let me go first."
She said that because they had already talked about comparable forms, she had attempted to convey to Ava the puzzle's strategy, how timing matters, especially in that twist. Rachel noted that one decision can significantly shift the outcome in contests like White Locust, when every second matters.
Strategic implications — More than just one decision
Rachel was impacted by Ava's initial choice of Vince, and it might have an impact on the rest of the Big Brother 27 game. Rachel thinks that this choice might cost Ava in the jury round in addition to costing her the task. She pointed out that jury members' perceptions of Ava's integrity may be impacted if she is shown cheering Rachel's removal or acting in ways that are interpreted as betrayals. Many viewers and analysts are examining Ava's decision under pressure, arguing that it may have weakened her social capital.
Moreover, Rachel's dissatisfaction appears to stem from more than just personal hurt; it draws on the fundamental conflict between alliance and strategy in Big Brother 27. Many players depend on trust-based alliances; when such are put to the test in high-stakes situations, they run the danger of becoming estranged.
In a season where relationships are equally as important as competition victories, Rachel stressed that she played a well-rounded game both strategically and socially, but one moment, particularly one involving an ally, might change impressions.
More episodes of Big Brother 27 are available on CBS.