Rick Devens is officially a Big Brother winner.
The Survivor alum took home the season 28 title after pulling off one final blindside. After winning the final Head of Household competition, Devens shocked his longtime ally Drew Campbell by evicting him and taking Taylor Brown to the final two. The move paid off, with Devens defeating Brown in a 6–1 jury vote.
“He was happy for me that I won. He understood where I was coming from,” Devens told PEOPLE of Campbell following the finale. “I think he was going to cut me too, which makes it a little easier to digest on his end. But dude, I’m going to try some way to spoil that guy because I love him. He helped me so much in this game. I think he deserves a little something something.”
Along with bragging rights, Devens walked away with the $750,000 grand prize. He also earned $50,000 as America’s Favorite Houseguest and another $10,000 from the Pharaoh’s Curse, bringing his total winnings to $810,000.
He grew up in a military family
Rick Devens attends ‘Survivor 50’ All Star Contestant Panel on June 6, 2026, in Newport Beach, Calif.
Credit: Tiffany Rose/Getty
Devens’ father served in the military, and his career required the family to move around the country before eventually settling in Blacksburg, Va., per WDBJ7.
After high school, Devens earned his bachelor’s degree from Virginia Tech, where he studied journalism, film, TV and advertising, per his LinkedIn.
Devens is a former news anchor
A few years after his college graduation, Devens took a job at WGXA in Macon, Ga., where he started as a weekend sports anchor before eventually becoming a morning show anchor, per his LinkedIn.
He left the station in 2019 and later joined Middle Georgia State University, where he now serves as director of communications. Devens is also an alum of the university, having earned his master’s degree in public relations there in 2025.
He competed on Survivor twice
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Devens first competed on Survivor 38: Edge of Extinction in 2019 after applying to the show four times, as he told WGXA News in April of that year.
After being voted out on day 11, he earned his way back into the game through the Edge of Extinction twist and ultimately made it to the final four. His run ended when eventual winner Chris Underwood gave up his immunity to face Devens in the fire-making challenge, where he eliminated him.
In 2026, Devens returned for Survivor 50: In the Hands of the Fans. He made it through the merge and onto the jury before eventually being voted out and finishing in seventh place.
Devens is married with two kids
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The Survivor alum met his wife, Becca, in Georgia, according to his website, and the couple married in 2012, per his Instagram.
Devens and Becca welcomed their son, Jackson, in February 2014 and their daughter, Juliet, in July 2017.
While Devens competed in the Big Brother season 28 finale, Becca and their kids watched from the audience at the show’s official watch party. The family broke down in tears as they watched Devens be crowned the winner.
“They said that they missed me. They were proud of me,” Devens told Entertainment Weekly of reuniting with his family after the show. “The kids were very emotional, and it was just so cool, man.”
He plans to spend his prize money on his family
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Devens walked away from Big Brother season 28 with $810,000 in total winnings. Speaking to PEOPLE after his win, Devens said he knows exactly what his first purchase in the real world will be.
“I’ll give this to you first because the thing I’m going to do is invest everything, but here’s what I am really going to buy: They have, in the Big Brother house on both toilets, there’s only the HOH toilet and the downstairs toilet, these bidets,” Devens said. “Heated water, heated toilet seats. Count me in. We’re bringing that back to Macon, Georgia because I felt spoiled.”
During his conversation with Entertainment Weekly, Devens spoke about why it’s important to give back to his family now.
“They made a huge sacrifice to let me go on the show, and I can’t wait to make that up to them,” he told Entertainment Weekly. “And luckily, I’ve got a lot of money to help me do that.”
Providing for his family also factored into Devens’ decision to betray Campbell and take Brown to the final two.
“I didn’t leave my family all summer for second place,” he explained to TV Insider following his win. “I got kids and they ain’t cheap.”
https://people.com/who-won-big-brother-season-28-12154117