Big Brother 23 fan favorite Derek Xiao is one of the most popular CBS reality stars set to compete on the first season of The Challenge USA.
One of the most exciting names on the stacked cast of The Challenge USA is Derek Xiao, a Big Brother 23 fan favorite who will be one of nine former Big Brother players representing the show on the inaugural season of the Challenge spinoff. Derek and the other BB alumni will be joined by contestants from Survivor, The Amazing Race, and Love Island in a fierce battle between CBS reality stars. Though former seasons of The Challenge have featured alumni from CBS reality shows, this will be the first season to air on CBS and the first to feature a cast exclusively comprised of CBS reality standouts.
Derek will be one of several of his Big Brother 23 castmates on The Challenge USA. Joining him will be Alyssa Lopez, Tiffany Mitchell, Azäh Awasum, Kyland Young, and Xavier Prather, the season 23 winner. Additionally, Big Brother All-Stars David Alexander and Enzo Palumbo will be a part of the cast, as will Big Brother 20‘s fourth-place finisher, Angela Rummans.
Derek Xiao’s Age
Derek Xiao is a 25-year-old Baltimore native currently living in New York. Though he struggled to make strategic inroads in his Big Brother season because of the dominance of the “Cookout” alliance, Derek was a fan favorite and a strong competitor. He didn’t win the game, but he was one of the biggest standout stars of the season due to his charming and humorous personality, ultimately getting second place in the America’s Favorite Houseguest vote.
Derek Xiao’s Job
He’s known for his time on Big Brother 23, where he described himself as “funemployed” and was pursuing start-up opportunities. It seems that since his time on Big Brother in 2021, Derek has made reality TV competition his career, at least for the time being, as he’s set to appear on The Challenge USA this summer and is heavily rumored to be participating on The Amazing Race season 34 in the fall. Clearly, his Big Brother performance made him a bona fide reality star for CBS.
Derek Xiao’s Instagram
Derek often posts on his Instagram page, updating fans on his life and posting photos of himself with his girlfriend, Claire Rehfuss. He and Claire met during their Big Brother season, but they didn’t begin dating until a romantic connection bloomed after they were both evicted from the game. Claire is his rumored Amazing Race partner, and the two are likely to make for a formidable team. They both showed great potential in Big Brother 23 but were outplayed by one of the greatest alliances in the show’s history.
It will be interesting to see how Derek fares in The Challenge USA. He’s a very athletic competitor and easygoing personality who could make strong alliances in the game. He’s also well-connected, coming into the season with five of his former housemates from BB23, including several of the Cookout members who were pivotal in his eviction. However, Derek showed great respect toward the Cookout and is unlikely to hold any grudges heading into the competition. Derek is sure to be a Challenge fan favorite if he makes it far enough and will certainly be a contestant to keep an eye on when The Challenge USA kicks off.
The Challenge USA premieres Wednesday, July 6 on CBS.
Source: Derek Xiao/Instagram
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