Janelle Pierzina is one of the greatest Big Brother icons in the history of the franchise. Long considered one of the best players to never win, Janelle has played the game four times and has seen plenty of casts come and go. When she speaks, she has an air of authority as well as knowledge to back it up.
She is also not afraid to speak her mind, both in the game and out of it. Obviously, her opinions are all her own, but they certainly have some standing when she puts her two cents in. Therefore, her recent commentary on Survivor 50 casting stood out to reality television fans. Let's just say, like most of the world, her reaction was not positive.
Janelle has been outspoken about many things in the past, and this time, the Big Brother legend has set her sights on CBS casting for Survivor 50. On May 26, she took to X after a casting leak came out about the players who made the cut, which was ultimately confirmed by CBS only a few days later. While admitting that she does not watch the new era show, she aired her frustration over several players who did not make it onto the milestone 50th season.
"Whoever cast Survivor 50 doesn’t understand what the fans really want. I am a huge fan, but don’t watch the newer seasons. How could they fumble Jerri, Amanda, and Carolyn? They are literally ratings gold. I saw a list floating around, and I hope it’s not real."
All three players mentioned by Janelle are absolutely icons, and among the most named players when asked who was snubbed from the cast.
She did not stop there, though, replying to multiple people in the comments section of her post. One fan wrote, "The fact that Carolyn isn’t the one new era lock is genuinely insane to me. Calling this season 'In the hands of the fans' is disrespectful at this point," to which she replied "No kidding!" She also engaged with fans who said she could not have an opinion if she did not watch the show, to which she explained she watched older seasons, but new ones do not interest her.
Janelle definitely has a point, and a lot of fans agree. The casting choices were odd, and some of the best casting options and characters were completely left off, despite being icons. Jerri Manthey, Carolyn Wiger, and Amanda Kimmel are among these characters, as are big names like Rob Cesternino, Spencer Bledsoe, and Kass McQuillan, among others. If the season is in the hands of the fans, they should have been able to vote, second-chance style.
Janelle may not be a new era Survivor fan, but she has certainly had plenty of experience in reality television and casting and knows what can make great television. Also, while she may not know the new era seasons, she can certainly speak to the old school era players. In the end, her opinion is not divergent from most Survivor fans. Jeff Probst and CBS botched the casting for Season 50, and it is unfair to fans who deserve to see all the legends of the game.