‘Big Brother’: The ‘Neighbor Twist’ With Dr. Will Kirby Could Become a Recurring Event
Legendary player Dr. Will Kirby won the second season of Big Brother and shaped how many houseguests would play the game moving forward. Therefore, it’s only right he returned for the 20th anniversary of the reality competition show. Instead of competing for the third time, Kirby appeared as part of the BB Neighbor Twist. Although Big Brother 22: All-Stars didn’t feature it much, the twist could become a recurring event.
Dr. Will Kirby returned as part of the ‘neighbor twist’ in ‘Big Brother 22’
After winning Big Brother 2, Dr. Will Kirby returned five seasons later for the first All-Stars season. He dominated alongside “Chilltown” ally Mike “Boogie” Malin until his then-showmance Janelle Pierzina caught onto his game and cast the sole vote to evict him at the final four.
Following his appearances, the aesthetic dermatology expert focused on his career and has gone on to open several medical centers. He returned to Big Brother in season 15 as the recurring Jury Roundtable host, where he mediates the discussion between jury members as they decide who they want to vote the winner.
When CBS revealed season 23 would feature all returning players for the first time since Kirby’s second appearance, fans thought the legendary winner would come back and play again. While the physician didn’t return as a player, he did move into the neighbor’s house as part of a twist.
The former champ tempted the remaining players with money over power for the week and clued them in on an upcoming triple eviction.
Kirby addresses his underwear appearance
After the BB2 winner warned the houseguests to think “three steps ahead,” he hadn’t appeared in an episode since. Many viewers complained as they wanted to see and hear from Kirby more.
They got their fix at the end of the Friday, Oct. 23 episode with Kirby stretching and drinking coffee, clad only in thong underwear and slippers, on the patio of the neighbor’s house as the credits rolled.
In an interview with Sharon Tharp, he spoke about the appearance and claimed he wanted to “provide a little extra entertainment to the viewers this year.” According to Kirby, he originally wanted to appear nude “with pixelation” but thought it would’ve gotten shut down.
Therefore, he “pitched” the underwear concept, and the producers greenlit it, allowing him to “let my freak flag fly high with a little bit of physical comedy.”
Kirby says the ‘neighbor twist’ might return for future seasons
Many fans loved seeing Kirby again, and they felt like the twist wasn’t featured enough to make a difference. Others never understood the purpose of the BB neighbor.
In the interview, Kirby acknowledged the criticism and noted he hoped for a “more interactive” twist that was a “bigger part” of the episodes. He explained that COVID-19 regulations, including social distancing protocols, only allowed them to do so much.
However, Kirby hinted the twist might make a comeback for future seasons, noting “super fans know there are frequently recurring concepts” every year.
Therefore, viewers could see the neighbor return as early as next season. If the twist returns, it should be more interactive, COVID-19 regulations allowing. Big Brother 22 finale airs Wednesday, Oct. 28 at 9/8c on CBS.
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