Big Brother is almost here! After suffering through the waste of airtime that is ABC's The Glass House (does anyone know if that show is still on?), the REAL voyeuristic summer TV show is back. Big Brother 14 will feature 12 new houseguests competing to win the prize, but in a new twist, four past HGs will also show up.

The added twist is that these four mystery all-stars will be playing their own game for their own prize. What does that mean? Your guess is as good as mine. I'm mildly curious about what it all means, but I'm also frustrated that Big Brother is once again mixing old and new houseguests. If last season proved anything, it's that this is a bad idea and will result in the newbies being pushed to the sidelines while the returning players steal all the focus.

The big question is who these returning players are. CBS calls them "four of the most successful players to ever enter the Big Brother house." That could mean just about anything, but here are my top 10 likeliest candidates.

Dick Donato: He left for mysterious reasons way too early last season, so perhaps this will be the show's way to bring him back for real.

Daniele Donato: She has the second-most individual competition wins of any HG and got royally screwed last season. While I hate the idea of returning HGs, I love Daniele and would make an exception for her.

Rachel Reilly: I'm truly terrified that Rachel might be in the house for a third summer in a row. But it's clear CBS is in love with her and thinks she's great television. If she walks into the house, I may need someone to buy me a new TV because mine will have a shoe in it.

Brendon Villegas: The guy has one six Power of Veto competitions (second only to Janelle), yet he's been evicted three times and his best finish is 6th. That's kind of embarrassing.

Jeff Schroeder: America loves Jeff, and the poor guy has won plenty of competitions without making it very far in the game.

Jordan Lloyd: I personally find this brain-dead dunce to be annoying (except for that one time she went off on Shelly, which was amazing). But it's clear the people love her, as does CBS, and she did finish first and fourth despite only winning three HoHs and one PoV.

Janelle Pierzina: If you're looking for the "most successful," Janelle is on the list. She holds the records for most Head of Household wins (6) and most PoV wins (7), yet she sadly finished third both times she got to play.

James Rhine: Like Brendon, this guy was a master of PoVs (he won five), yet he finished seventh both times he played.

Matt Hofman: I don't know if he qualifies as successful since he went out in seventh place, but he was the Brains behind the Brigade, the most successful alliance in Big Brother history.

Britney Haynes: This sweet girl made it to fourth place in season 12 before getting screwed over by the Brigade, but she did a great job all season. She was like Jordan, only with the added benefits of not sucking at competitions or being a total moron.




I really hope Big Brother 14 doesn't bring back any of the returning players from last season (with Dick being the exception since he left so early), but part of me feels like at least one member of the Gruesome Foursome (Rachel, Brendon, Jeff and Jordan) will make it.

My fingers are crossed that this season's big "twist" works about as well as the Saboteur, with the returning players getting booted as quickly as possible so we can focus on the newbies.


(Image courtesy of CBS)