Following a tumultuous year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the executives at “Big Brother” wanted Season 23 to offer levity for both viewers and contestants. Producers gave the house a “beach club” theme with hopes of making the experience for the housemates less about being sequestered from society, and more about experiencing a reprieve. “Everyone’s longing for vacations, to get out there and so forth,” executive producer Allison Grodner told Us Weekly.
The long-time producer on the hit reality show spoke about the importance of avoiding anything yawn-inducing. Season 23 features 16 contestants with varying backgrounds, and Grodner said in order to keep the show fresh, they would spice up the gameplay instead of stunt-casting. “So game twists will always happen. Casting twists will happen every once in a while, but not always,” she said. Unfortunately, one twist the producers did not envision was making a last-minute casting change just days before the premiere.
Christie Valdiserri, a dancer hailing from California, was all set to make her “Big Brother” debut when she was sidelined for health and safety protocol. She tested positive for COVID-19 only a few days after the cast was announced, per Entertainment Weekly. “I tested positive for COVID and I have no idea how I got it,” Christie told fans in a video posted to Twitter (via EW). Another female contestant, Claire Rehfuss, was named as her replacement. Keep reading to learn more about the last-second addition.
She might be the show's smartest contestant ever
Claire Rehfuss lives in New York, but is originally from Chagrin Falls, Ohio. Prior to moving to the Big Apple, Claire went to the University of Michigan where she received a bachelor’s degree in engineering and data science, per LinkedIn. She is intimidatingly intelligent, and describes herself as an “AI Technical Architect. Passionate about Data Science,” in her Twitter bio.
According to LinkedIn, the “Big Brother” contestant has worked as a Senior Cloud Solution Architect at Microsoft since 2018. Claire would appear to have the upper hand in mental challenges, and she planned to use that in the game. “I’ll win with my intelligence, drive, and adaptability!” she told CBS. “I believe I’ll thrive in a chaotic environment, something I learned from my childhood and from working in such a rapidly changing field.”
The houseguest boasts an impressive resume, but she has spent a fair amount of time at parties, as evidenced on her Instagram page. Besides excelling in her field, one of Claire’s other passions is watching “Big Brother.” During previous seasons, she would obsess over the Live Feeds. “I used to leave college frat parties if I got word that something big was going down on the Feeds,” she admitted to CBS. Claire even created a 70 page “Big Brother bible” in preparation for the show. Going into it, Claire’s strategy was to ally herself with female contestants and weed out “the Alpha Bros,” as she told CBS.
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