Sometimes a contestant doesn’t need to win a reality competition show to be heralded as a legend of the game. And Big Brother’s Janelle Pierzina is the perfect example of that.
Janelle, also known as “Janie” (or to her former alliance member, Howie Gordon, as “Jedi Janie,”) is one of the most iconic players in the franchise’s history. She’s competed in four seasons of the U.S. version, and although she’s never taken home the grand prize, Janelle’s bubbly personality, competition prowess, and underdog resilience have led her to achieve Big Brother royalty status.
She made her CBS debut in 2005 as a houseguest on Big Brother 6 and then returned to the game a year later for season 7’s All-Stars. Big Brother 14 marked her third stint in the house. And most recently, Janelle returned for Big Brother’s second edition of All-Stars in 2020.
So, let’s dive into Janie’s illustrious Big Brother career!
Janelle became a fan favorite during her first season of Big Brother
Janelle joined 13 other hopefuls on Big Brother 6 as a 25-year-old VIP cocktail waitress from Miami Beach, Florida. In a unique twist, each contestant joined the game with someone they knew from their real life. In this case, Janie played with her former roommate, Ashlea Evans.
Blonde and beautiful, Janelle instantly got the attention of several houseguests, including Howie. And it was alongside Howie that Janelle helped bring to life the “Sovereign Six,” one of the most celebrated alliances in Big Brother lore.
With Kaysar Ridha at the helm, Janelle, Howie, Rachel Plencner, James Rhine, and Sarah Hrejsa came together to form the group to oppose “The Friendship” alliance (Maggie Ausburn, Jennifer Vasquez, Eric Littmann, Beau Beasley, April Lewis, and Ivette Corredero) in week 3.
The Sovereign Six was formed after Ashlea and Kaysar’s neighbor Michael Donnellan were evicted in weeks 1 and 2 respectively.
Big Brother 6 featured one of the most split and volatile households ever, with the Sovereign Six and The Friendship squaring off week to week. The Sovereign Six was infinitely more popular among fans than The Friendship — which was dubbed “The Nerd Herd” by their opposition.
Janelle feuded with many of The Friendship’s members, specifically Beau and Jennifer — and the audience sided with Janie in a big way.
After Eric went home during Kaysar’s Head of Household reign in week 3, the power shifted back and forth between the two supergroups. But it was Howie’s poor decision-making that severely hindered the Sovereign Six. After winning HoH in week 5, Maggie convinced Howie to turn on James. He ultimately nominated James and Sarah, and Sarah went home that week.
That move put the beloved alliance on the back foot against The Friendship and forced Janelle to play as an underdog for the rest of Big Brother 6.
All in all, she notched two Head of Households and two Power of Vetos. Her times as HoH spelled the end of Jennifer and April’s games. Sadly for Janie, her game would end at the final 3 after Ivette won the final HoH and eliminated her over Maggie. Maggie went on to secure the $500,000 check with a 4-3 vote (Janelle voted for Ivette to win).
Although her run ended on day 76, Jedi Janie’s ability to stand up to a majority alliance endeared her to fans. And she didn’t have to wait long to receive another crack at Big Brother gold.
She returned for the first iteration of Big Brother: All-Stars alongside 3 other Sovereign Six members
Season 7 assembled a Big Brother fan’s dream cast. It brought together 14 notable names from the first six iterations of the U.S. version, including Janelle. And she didn’t join the game alone. Fellow Sovereign Six members Kaysar, James, and Howie were locked inside the All-Stars house with her as well.
The foursome came into the game as a massive threat. All of the contestants knew they were close and that they received a ton of love from the Big Brother community.
Still, the group of four stayed intact until week 5 when Kaysar was — once again — the first alliance member ousted. And by the end of week 7, Janie was the last Big Brother 6 alum left standing.
Janelle wasn’t just attached to her Sovereign Six brothers in All-Stars, however. She also worked alongside the true stars of Big Brother 7, “Chill Town’s” Will Kirby and Mike “Boogie” Malin. And in perhaps the biggest move of the season, Janie ended the Big Brother 2 winner’s streak of never being voted out. During the final 4 and after comparing notes with Big Brother 4’s Erika Landin, Janelle used her sole power to evict by taking out “Dr. Will.”
Her decision wouldn’t be enough to carry her into finale night, however. Boogie won the final HoH and Janie was once again evicted at the final 3. Boogie eventually won via a near-unanimous vote, which included Janelle’s.
Still, the Big Brother 6 alum picked up two moral victories along the way.
Janie not only won “America’s Favorite Juror” and the $25,000 check that came with the accolade, but she also set the record for most Power of Veto competition wins in a season with five. It took over 15 years for a U.S.-based houseguest to break her record. Michael Bruner nabbed six Vetos during Big Brother 24 last year.
With two seasons under her belt, fans would then have to wait another six years before the blonde bombshell played again.
Janelle joined Big Brother 14 as a coach, but eventually became an official houseguest
In a series first, Big Brother 14 brought with it a twist that pitted four veteran players against each other as coaches. Janelle, Boogie, Big Brother 10 champion Dan Gheesling, and Big Brother 12’s Britney Haynes were all charged with leading a team of three rookie contestants.
Janelle’s team consisted of Ashley Iocco, Will Heuser, and Joe Arvin. In week 3, the coaches were given the opportunity to join the game as proper houseguests. A secret vote was held between the four coaches, and the twist’s rules stated that if one of the veterans chose to inject themselves into the game, then they’d all become contestants. Janelle, Dan, and Britney all voted in favor of ending their time as coaches, and that evening’s eviction was canceled to usher in the four as official competitors.
Although Janie wanted to play, her time in the house was cut short. In fact, she didn’t even last one vote.
Three major things led to Janelle’s downfall in Big Brother 14. First, Janie was respected as one of the most competent and competitive players ever. Further, she was very focused on eliminating Frank Eudy who she deemed a major threat.
Her rivalry with Boogie — Frank’s original coach — ultimately came back to bite her as well.
An alliance coined the “Silent Six,” made up of Boogie, Frank, Britney, Dan, Danielle Murphree, and Shane Meaney, was created with the main mission to backdoor Janelle. They ultimately succeeded and Jedi Janie was sent packing in week 4.
“Screw you, Mike Boogie,” she said to host Julie Chen-Moonves during her post-game interview. “I hope you lose.” Well, Janie got her wish. Boogie followed her out the door in week 6.
Big Brother 14 was the first time Janelle didn’t make it into the jury, and she never picked up an individual comp victory either. But, unfortunately for her, 12th place isn’t the worst result of her Big Brother career.
Janelle’s fourth attempt at winning Big Brother was on All-Stars 2
For years, the Big Brother world clamored for another All-Stars season. We saw several seasons that featured returning houseguests. But, none were filled to the brim with notable veterans. Well, that changed during the U.S. version’s 22nd iteration in 2020.
Sixteen ex-houseguests returned for All-Stars 2. Janelle was included in the mix, as well as Kaysar. The “Jaysar” reunion was extremely exciting for longtime Big Brother fans. But, the hype train quickly derailed. In week 3, Big Brother 20’s Tyler Crispen nominated the Sovereign Six members. It was the third time Janelle and Kayser faced off as alliance members on eviction night. But, unlike seasons 6 and 7, Janelle was given her walking papers before Kaysar.
Kaysar then kept up his tradition of never making the jury when his second stint as an all-star ended in week 4.
Janelle went out earlier than her last season and didn’t win any competitions. It was a tough pill to swallow for Janie and her fans alike. She couldn’t escape the legacy she built in seasons 6 and 7, which is why she was such a targeted houseguest in her latter two attempts at winning $500,000.
Entertainment Weekly interviewed Janie after her All-Stars 2 eviction, and she confirmed that fans shouldn’t hold their collective breath in anticipation of a fifth Big Brother campaign. “No, I probably wouldn’t,” Janelle said about playing again. “I mean, four times is good, man. I am good. I had a good run.”
But, if Big Brother ever offered her an opportunity to play in a shortened season, she’d be all in on a comeback. “If there were a shortened season, another All-Stars that was 30 days — I would absolutely do it if it was a shortened version.”
Big Brother 22 wasn’t the last reality show Janelle appeared on. She took part in episode 5 of Snake in the Grass in 2022 alongside fellow Big Brother star Rachel Reilly, as well as Survivor’s Stephanie LaGrossa and Cirie Fields (the latter is also a contestant on Big Brother 25).
She also told Entertainment Weekly that she’d “100 percent” play Survivor if given the chance. And if I were to wager, I’d say we haven’t seen the last of Jedi Janie on our television screens.
