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Best Ever Intruder

Brekkie

Moderator
Staff member
Intruders should never really be about just bumping up the numbers but instead adding something to the show at a time where it might need a boost - and if done correctly sometimes a housemate can make more of an impact as an intruder than they might have done had they entered on Day 1.

Far too many of them to do a poll for and my memory is really struggling here. I'm not really considering anyone who entered within a week or so of launch - more those that were put in the show later in the series. Sometimes put in as eye candy or to ruffle a few feathers, sometimes to fill a gap in casting, and I guess in reality sometimes put in as fodder for evictions to keep the existing housemates around a bit longer - or to replace someone evicted who filled a role for producers.

So who do you think was the best ever intruder - not necessarily your favourite but someone who really made an impact when they arrived late.
 
Intruders should never really be about just bumping up the numbers but instead adding something to the show at a time where it might need a boost - and if done correctly sometimes a housemate can make more of an impact as an intruder than they might have done had they entered on Day 1.

Far too many of them to do a poll for and my memory is really struggling here. I'm not really considering anyone who entered within a week or so of launch - more those that were put in the show later in the series. Sometimes put in as eye candy or to ruffle a few feathers, sometimes to fill a gap in casting, and I guess in reality sometimes put in as fodder for evictions to keep the existing housemates around a bit longer - or to replace someone evicted who filled a role for producers.

So who do you think was the best ever intruder - not necessarily your favourite but someone who really made an impact when they arrived late.
Zac
 
Vesna, 100%. She is one of the most amazing housemates and dare I say one of the best reality stars to ever grace Australian television screens. I don't normally root for reality contestants who enter late or return from being eliminated, but Vesna's contribution to the 2005 series put her miles ahead of any of the launch night entrants. If the earlier ten seasons had the vote to save format I would argue she more than likely wins. She was just as hilarious and delightful in real life as she was on the show when I met her which only boosts my opinion of her.
 
Vesna, 100%. She is one of the most amazing housemates and dare I say one of the best reality stars to ever grace Australian television screens. I don't normally root for reality contestants who enter late or return from being eliminated, but Vesna's contribution to the 2005 series put her miles ahead of any of the launch night entrants. If the earlier ten seasons had the vote to save format I would argue she more than likely wins. She was just as hilarious and delightful in real life as she was on the show when I met her which only boosts my opinion of her.
Always was, always will be, my all-time favourite BBAU housemate.

How funny, I met her too - albeit by complete accident. She sat next to me at the now non-existent Hungry Jacks at Chadstone back in 2005.

Her BB entry redirected the entire trajectory of that season, and I remember how much of a shock her eviction in third place was. She was pegged to win until that point. The best. And to think had Constance and Nelson not “broken the rules” and been removed, we’d never have gotten her.
 
Are we counting dogs as intruders? Because I want to say the poodles Ned and Kelly from 2014.

If not then Daniela from 2007.
 
Purely because of the fact he made it closer to the finish line, and the affect he had on both the house and Australia, I definitely think Zach is the appropriate answer to @Brekkie’s question though.

I’m trying to think of who else could be in the running for this, and honestly Zach and Vesna are the only two that even come close.
 
If I were to answer this based on each season

2001: Obviously Anita, quite explosive compared to the rest of the cast who were more passive in arguments. I initially saw her as annoying when I first watched the seres as a child, however on a rewatch I actually felt sorry for her when she was pinned against Blair, Ben and Johnnie in a lot of confrontations. I credit Sara-Marie for being her only friend.

2002: Kieran (the original bareable one) was a great addition to the cast which I found terribly weak for a channel 10 series. I loved him the first time watched and I loved him on the rewatch potentially even more as I feel most of the 2002 season has aged horribly and is a giant slog to get through.

2003: Kim Marie was more entertaining than Jamie, but both were pretty weak in my opinion. I don't really have much to say about her as even though she did shake up the house slightly, I feel she probably hindered Reggie more at that time by allowing Reggie to feel closer with the two of them rather than the main house.

2004: The both sucked, I can't even differentiate between the two. Monica stayed longer, thats all I have to say. I for one did not find the Fitzy showmance interesting.

2005: Vesna (as I stated above). Racheal was an interesting character at the time, but really does she compare to Vesna? The 3 intruders that followed either fizzled out and became unlikeable or just weren't interesting.

2006: Perry is really the only one who I can remember for the most part.

2007: Zach was very likeable and fit in with the cast very well both on paper and in practise. The fact he came second says it all really, however the whole thing about him coming 2nd to Aleisha by the closest vote ever is all because of the constant showing of the voting results throughout the live show (same with 2008). At the beginning of the finale I believe Aleisha was winning something like 64% vs 36% ? Or something along those lines, either way not extremely close at all. So I would say he is over credited for that.

2008: I liked Cherry for his physical appearance lol, Terrance was fun I guess. I didn't find the intruders that season to be particularly strong.

2012: Look IMO they both really sucked. As far as Sam made it I did not find him attractive nor did I enjoy him as a character.

2013: Boog clearly was the stronger of the intruders, probably my third favourite behind Zach and Vesna.

2014: I have no comment other than I liked Penny and she came into my McDonalds when I was working a shift and I gave her a free coffee. I have no information to go off that is even worth talking about.

2020: I guess Sarah counts as intruder? Unless we consider the intruders to be the 4 that came in the crane? I'm not sure what the definition is for this series as all housemates entered within the first week. But IMO of all housemates to not enter on Day 1 Sarah was the superior character and player, who I think was very likeable and I enjoyed seeing a younger housemate outside of the typical Skye Wheatley archetype that we've seen casted in previous series.

So really the only contenders here are Vesna and Zach, maybe even Boog. I think the fact Vesna came earlier gave her an advantage over Zach, but I just think Vesna made better television and is easily one of my favourite housemates of all time, and probably even my #1. She also holds the record of spending the most days in the Big Brother house as an intruder with a total of 75 days. Clearly the voting audience at the time saw what I see watching it 15 years later, so I cannot find a reason to not consider her the best intruder. Mainly also because she fits the criteria; she brought more to the table than most of the cast did who entered on day 1.
 
I'll whip up a bit of a list for Y'all (Intruders that were eligible to win, not ones like Corey Worthington or Celebrity guests):

2001
Anita & Rachel (Day 36)

2002
Kieran, Brodie & Nicole (Day 30)
(3 other potential Intruders didn't get voted in from he Intruder House: Hayley, Nicki & Will)

2003
Kim & Jamie (Day 37)
(Some HM's (including Reggie) entered staggered across the first week)

2004
Monica & Violeta (Day 55)

2005
Vesna & Rachael (Day 25)
Rita, Melanie & Heath (Day 53)

2006
Rob, Jade & Danielle (Day 24)
Perry, Darren & Lauren (Day 60)
Max & Chris (Day 80)

2007
Demet (Day 11, White Room)
Nick (Day 18, Golden Key)
Daniela & Laura (Day 31)
Zach & Michelle (Day 50)
(Not including Zoran & Susannah who were voted in as extra latecomers to the originals on Day 2 along with Billy who was originally supposed to be a Mr X Twist, the other 4 potential latecomers went to the White Room, with Demet coming out of that at Day 11, which is borderline Intruder).

2008
Nathan, Barney & Michael (Day 7, Competition Housemates, these might be borderline latecomers, 2 of them left 3 days later).
Cherry, Rhianna & Terrence (Day 35)

2012
Ava (Day 29)
Sam (Day 36)
(Again, there were latecomer entranvces across the first week, with Benjamin one of them).

2013
Rohan & Katie/Lucy (Day 8, again borderline latecomers, Jade & Drew entered on Day 1 also)
Justynn & Nathan (Day 58)
Madeline & Boog (Day 64)

2014
Leo (Day 24)
Marina (Day 36)
Penny, Lina, Richard & Tom (Day 49)
(Again there were couple of latecomers entering on Day 2)

2020
(Just Latecomers across 2 batches in the First Week)

2021
(Latecomer batch of 8, Actual Intruders confirmed but have yet to appear).
 
If I were to answer this based on each season

2001: Obviously Anita, quite explosive compared to the rest of the cast who were more passive in arguments. I initially saw her as annoying when I first watched the seres as a child, however on a rewatch I actually felt sorry for her when she was pinned against Blair, Ben and Johnnie in a lot of confrontations. I credit Sara-Marie for being her only friend.

2002: Kieran (the original bareable one) was a great addition to the cast which I found terribly weak for a channel 10 series. I loved him the first time watched and I loved him on the rewatch potentially even more as I feel most of the 2002 season has aged horribly and is a giant slog to get through.

2003: Kim Marie was more entertaining than Jamie, but both were pretty weak in my opinion. I don't really have much to say about her as even though she did shake up the house slightly, I feel she probably hindered Reggie more at that time by allowing Reggie to feel closer with the two of them rather than the main house.

2004: The both sucked, I can't even differentiate between the two. Monica stayed longer, thats all I have to say. I for one did not find the Fitzy showmance interesting.

2005: Vesna (as I stated above). Racheal was an interesting character at the time, but really does she compare to Vesna? The 3 intruders that followed either fizzled out and became unlikeable or just weren't interesting.

2006: Perry is really the only one who I can remember for the most part.

2007: Zach was very likeable and fit in with the cast very well both on paper and in practise. The fact he came second says it all really, however the whole thing about him coming 2nd to Aleisha by the closest vote ever is all because of the constant showing of the voting results throughout the live show (same with 2008). At the beginning of the finale I believe Aleisha was winning something like 64% vs 36% ? Or something along those lines, either way not extremely close at all. So I would say he is over credited for that.

2008: I liked Cherry for his physical appearance lol, Terrance was fun I guess. I didn't find the intruders that season to be particularly strong.

2012: Look IMO they both really sucked. As far as Sam made it I did not find him attractive nor did I enjoy him as a character.

2013: Boog clearly was the stronger of the intruders, probably my third favourite behind Zach and Vesna.

2014: I have no comment other than I liked Penny and she came into my McDonalds when I was working a shift and I gave her a free coffee. I have no information to go off that is even worth talking about.

2020: I guess Sarah counts as intruder? Unless we consider the intruders to be the 4 that came in the crane? I'm not sure what the definition is for this series as all housemates entered within the first week. But IMO of all housemates to not enter on Day 1 Sarah was the superior character and player, who I think was very likeable and I enjoyed seeing a younger housemate outside of the typical Skye Wheatley archetype that we've seen casted in previous series.

So really the only contenders here are Vesna and Zach, maybe even Boog. I think the fact Vesna came earlier gave her an advantage over Zach, but I just think Vesna made better television and is easily one of my favourite housemates of all time, and probably even my #1. She also holds the record of spending the most days in the Big Brother house as an intruder with a total of 75 days. Clearly the voting audience at the time saw what I see watching it 15 years later, so I cannot find a reason to not consider her the best intruder. Mainly also because she fits the criteria; she brought more to the table than most of the cast did who entered on day 1.
Marry me.
 
2006
Rob, Jade & Danielle (Day 24)
Perry, Darren & Lauren (Day 60)
Max & Chris (Day 80)
On my last rewatch of 2006, I remember really falling for Max and thinking how much of a shame it was he didn’t enter earlier. He was also considered a replacement HM though, due to the Turkey Slap, but he outlasted any other “intruder” that season - and by the time he was evicted had won quite a few fans.

Almost the male equivalent of Vesna, in my opinion. He just didn’t spend long enough in the house to make the same impression.

I may also be partial to him because he shares my name. 😂 (Fun fact: Max was never his name, he used a different one because his real name was too similar to Jamie... which is also not his (or my) name. Ten points if you know it.)
 
On my last rewatch of 2006, I remember really falling for Max and thinking how much of a shame it was he didn’t enter earlier. He was also considered a replacement HM though, due to the Turkey Slap, but he outlasted any other “intruder” that season - and by the time he was evicted had won quite a few fans.

Almost the male equivalent of Vesna, in my opinion. He just didn’t spend long enough in the house to make the same impression.

I really disliked the fact that Max and Chris entered on Day 80. In all honestly the rest of the series would have been fine without John and Ashley being replaced. Have the final 7 eviction on Day 78, final 6 on day 85, final 5 on day 92 and have the final double on day 99. The midweek eviction at the final 5 could easily been scrapped and Day 92 didn't really need to be a double. Max and Chris were wasted as housemates who only got to spend 3 weeks in the house (shockingly enough this is actually a decent feat for a 7 series) but I found that it did more harm than good including them. Seeing Krystal and Claire both leave in a double really sucked out the fun for the last 2 weeks, particularly with Clare starting to emerge as a more interesting figure in the house at that point, and really I could have done without that weird storyline between Camilla and her friendship with Chris.
 
Yes, intruders that late even if replacements are never a good idea. I'd have understood if they really needed them to make up the numbers but as you say they clearly didn't. Although many people don't like the idea of getting fans to vote someone back in who they've already voted out for me in this situation that is the better option than a complete newbie.

Ideally intruders should be in the first third of the season - and certainly not past the half way point.
 
Yes, intruders that late even if replacements are never a good idea. I'd have understood if they really needed them to make up the numbers but as you say they clearly didn't. Although many people don't like the idea of getting fans to vote someone back in who they've already voted out for me in this situation that is the better option than a complete newbie.

Ideally intruders should be in the first third of the season - and certainly not past the half way point.

Agree, An intruder entering past Day 40 in an 85-100 day series is a bit of a stretch. Zach was a great addition to 2007 but unlike Vesna he didn't get to meet almost half the cast and was absent for the early story lines. We were graced with Vesna for 11 long weeks whilst we barely saw Zach for 2 months. One thing that really disappointed me was that we didn't get to see him interact with Rebecca and Emma who were 2 of the more interesting housemates that season.
 
I'm going to have to go with Zach, just because he got the furthest.

Ultimately though, I've found Intruders don't really add much anyway, other than how the established housemates react to them.
 
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