Updated Aug. 29, 2026, 3:31 p.m. ET
Dearborn’s Dan Gheesling was named by fans the Best Winner in “Big Brother” history.
The honor came during “Big Brother’s” 1,000th episode on Aug. 27. The show featured a slew of former “Big Brother” castmembers and the results of online fan votes in several categories.
Other top vote getters in the Best Winner category included Jun Song, Will Kirby, Rachel Reilly, Derrick Levasseur and Detroit’s own Taylor Hale. But it was Gheesling — who was crowned champion in the show’s 10th season, in 2008 — who outpaced them all.
In addition to Best Winner, Gheesling’s “Funeral,” from Season 14, was named the show’s Favorite Moment.
“I wasn’t the fastest, I was never the strongest, but I love this game so much. I never gave up,” Gheesling told “Big Brother” host Julie Chen while accepting the Best Winner honor during the episode. “The chips could be stacked against me, and I was just always going to fight, because I love this game.”
When asked by Chen who his favorite winners were, Gheesling chose Season 2 winner Dr. Will Kirby, and Janelle Pierzina, who played the game four times but never won.
“When I saw Dr. Will, how we won, and he just outthought people, I’m like, ‘I could do that,'” Gheesling said. “But my personal G.O.A.T. is someone that hasn’t won, and that’s Janelle. She’s my favorite player, she’s such an icon, and she loves the game as much as I do.”
Gheesling said his advice to new players is to keep their emotions in check.
“I think the one thing you can always control, or try to control, is your emotions. If you can control that you can think clearly,” he said. “But this game is designed to break you. And so the people that can last a little bit longer and not get upset over something trivial that have a shot to win. And so if you can control your emotions, or try to, that always gives you one more week in the game.”
He also gave his thoughts on the current season, including the play of former “Survivor” castmembers Rick Devens and Dee Valladares.
“The ‘Survivors’ in the house are running this game, and someone has gotta break them up,” Gheesling said. “I want to see one of the new players step up and bust them up because otherwise, Dee or Devens are going to run away with it.”
Gheesling, 42, was also a castmember of the second season of “The Traitors,” and he’s been cast on the upcoming season of “Destination X.”
Tiffany Mitchell, Detroiter and mastermind of “Big Brother 23’s” Cookout alliance, was also honored during “Big Brother’s” 1,000th episode. The Cookout was named the favorite alliance in “Big Brother” history.
“Big Brother” airs Sundays, Wednesdays and Thursdays on CBS.
agraham@detroitnews.com