5 best Big Brother US teammates of all time

Although only one houseguest always prevails as the winner on Big Brother, the best way to get to finale night is usually through the creation of a strong alliance, and quite often, with a very strong teammate.

And while not all of the strongest duos in the game end up being the last players remaining and fighting for that coveted now $750,000 grand prize, we have seen many great twosomes through the years which resulted in one of the houseguests winning. On some occasions, even both of the great Big Brother teammates have been the last two on the stage fighting to be crowned the winner.

Here are some of the strongest duos in the show and how they helped each other thrive in the game. Seven of the 10 members of these five combinations of great teammates actually won Big Brother.

Big Brother 16: Derrick and Cody

Two East Coast players, Derrick Levasseur of Providence, Rhode Island and Cody Calafiore of Hackensack, New Jersey, bonded quickly early on in Big Brother 16, forming “The Hitmen” two-person alliance in the shadows and then cruising to one the easiest wins in BBUS history.

A police sergeant, Derrick started out his career as an undercover officer, and those skills served him well in the house. Derrick kept his secret quiet until BB16 finale night when he revealed who he really was and what he really did for a living.

Like some of the best Big Brother teammates through the years, both Derrick and Cody made it to the Final 2 where Derrick emerged victorious by a 7-2 vote. When Cody won the final Head of Household (HoH) competition and had to choose between his friend Derrick and Victoria Rafaeli, Cody stuck to his word and took Derrick.

If Cody had chosen Victoria, he would have surely won the $500,000 grand prize, but his loyalty to this dynamic duo’s master plan revealed some true character. Derrick won four HoHs and wasn’t nominated for the Block until Day 97.

Cody notched three HoH wins and three Power of veto (PoV) wins that season and took home $50,000 as runner-up. Cody would return for Big Brother 22: All-Stars where he took the crown and won $500,000 in a 9-0 unanimous vote.

Big Brother 8: Evel Dick and Daniele

This estranged father and daughter Donato duo, Dick Donato and Daniele Donato, were almost forced to become teammates to survive in Big Brother 8, one of the most entertaining seasons in the franchise’s history.

Los Angeles bar manager Dick, nicknamed "Evel Dick," was the oldest (44) HouseGuest upon entering the Alice in Wonderland-themed house, while Huntington Beach, California waitress Daniele was the youngest (20). The two made a deal early on to take each other to the end.

Evel Dick ended up with three HoH wins while Dani had two, and like Derrick and Cody, the two made it all the way to finale night, where Evel Dick won by a 5-3 vote, much to the dismay of runner-up Dani.

Evel Dick and Dani both returned for Big Brother 13, but ED had to leave mid-game due to a medical emergency when producers revealed to him that his blood test came back HIV-positive. Dani has a remarkable combined nine HoH and PoV wins in her three seasons on the hit CBS show.

Dick still holds the Big Brother US record as the oldest winner of the show while Dani—age 21 on finale night—is the youngest houseguest to have ever won the $50,000 runner-up prize money.

BB 2 and BB 7: Dr. Will and Mike Boogie

These two met and teamed up on Big Brother 2 where Dr. Will didn’t make winning HOHs a priority, but somehow cruised to victory with the best one of the best mental games we have seen on the US version of the show. Who said winning HoHs is the only way to win?

The 28-year-old physician from Tallahassee, Florida, Will Kirby, embraced the Dr. Will persona and teamed up with 30-year-old Los Angeles bar owner, Mike “Boogie” Malin to navigate the house in the second season of the show, and one of the most memorable to date.

Although Mike was voted out on Day 33, Dr. Will made it all the way to the Final 2 where he faced Nicole Schaffrich, and won by a 5-1 vote. Dr. Will won zero HoHs en route to grabbing the $500,00 grand prize.

And who would dare give an “I hate you all” nomination speech? Dr. Will did just that when he and Mike returned for Big Brother 7: All-Stars.

Like Derrick and Cody, Dr. Will and Mike Boogie also found a way for each teammate to win the show with Chilltown alliance member Mike Boogie prevailing on BB7 by beating Erika Landin by a unanimous 6-0 vote to win the $500,000.

Big Brother 10: Dan and Memphis

In Big Brother 10, Dan Gheesling, a 24-year-old Catholic school teacher and assistant football coach from Dearborn, Michigan and Robert “Memphis” Garrett, a 25-year-old bartender from Los Angeles, formed the Renegades alliance and essentially controlled all the votes playing a relatively low-key game. 

Dan won three of the last five HoHs and won the finale and the $500,000 by a unanimous 7-0 vote with Memphis finishing as runner-up, taking home $50,000 after 71 days in the house. Dan was the first player on BBUS to play a “perfect game” by never getting an eviction vote against him and then winning the show by a unanimous vote.

He would go on to return for Big Brother 14, where he started as a coach but eventually entered the game. He would finish as runner-up to Ian Terry, but still won $50,000 and with the $20,000 he won as America’s Player, won an impressive $570,000 on the show.

Dan also was in season 2 of Peacock’s The Traitors, where he and The Real Housewives of Atlanta star Phaedra Parks were chosen by host Alan Cumming as the season’s first two traitors.

BB 11 and BB 12: Rachel and Brendon

As polarizing as Evel Dick and Daniele, 25-year-old Las Vegas cocktail waitress Rachel Reilly and 30-year-old high school swim coach Brendon met on Big Brother 12 and were evicted 14 days apart with Rachel being voted out on Day 41 and Riverside, California native Brendon getting bounced on Day 55.

But a year later on Big Brother 13, CBS had this dynamic duo back in Studio City where Brendon was voted out twice—he won re-entry into the game in Week 5—and Rachel really made a name for herself, winning an impressive four HoHs and two PoVs—one with future husband Brendon who had three in the first four weeks—and winning on finale night over Porsche Briggs by a 4-3 vote.

Rachel also competed in The Amazing Race three times, once with then-fiancé Brendon back in season 20 where they ended up in third place.