Julie Chen Shares Her Favorite Big Brother Winners

We are into week five of Big Brother. So far the drama has hardly gotten going. That is, besides watching Brent Champagne get hilariously blindsided in week 3. If you haven’t watched the latest episode yet, this is your opportunity to look away before we get into any spoilers….

So anyways, I am absolutely begging for the removal of team play to start making things pop off in the BB house. The eight person (yes, EIGHT) royal flush alliance is going to be at a serious crossroads. And let’s not forget that the prize this year has been supersized from the usual $500k. In case you missed it, season 23 is rewarding the BB winner with a healthy $750 THOUSAND DOLLARS. Can we please get some supersized game play to match?

Julie Chen, who has been hosting big brother since its inception in 2000, definitely knows her way around the BB home dynamics. We have Julie to thank for getting all the post-eviction dirt from the players. Last night she got Whitney Williams to admit to a crush on Xavier Prather. D’aww.

But what does Julie think about the long list of Big Brother winners she’s acquired over the last 21 years? In an interview with Us Weekly, she says when it comes to winning the final cash, its all about how “you present on that finale night to the jury.”

“You can’t choke. You have to own your mistakes. You have to explain yourself. You have to be quick on your feet. You have to show remorse. You have to show honesty,” Julie explained. She also pointed out these were all skills former BB player Paul Abrahamian failed to demonstrate. Ouch!

RELATED: Who Got Evicted From Big Brother 23 During Week 4?

Julie also gave a little insight into her favorite winners over the last 22 seasons. She said, “Derrick [Levasseur] is the best in terms of ‘clean game.’” Julie also mentioned Dr. Will Kirby for “owning his villainous ways” and Rachel Reilly for her “underdog” comeback story. All valid observations.

For anyone watching season 23 of the show, you may have been surprised to already see players making plans for the final jury in week four. I was. From what we’ve seen, Tiffany Mitchell seems especially steeped in confidence after the recent evictions. But when making plans ahead, Julie would warn the houseguests. She said, “I don’t think I’ve seen a jury that isn’t bitter. That jury is always bitter. It’s like bitter is synonymous with jury in the Big Brother house.” We’ve been warned.