Exec producers Allison Grodner and Rich Meehan were looking for a “disrupter” who is both loved and loathed.

Big Brother producers explain why they chose to bring Angela Murray back over other fan favorites (exclusive)

Exec producers Allison Grodner and Rich Meehan were looking for a “disrupter” who is both loved and loathed.

By Dalton Ross

Dalton Ross is a writer and editor with over 25 years experience covering TV and the entertainment industry. *Survivor* is kind of his thing.

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July 13, 2026 8:10 a.m. ET

Angela Murray on ‘Big Brother’ season 26. Credit:

- She’s baaaaaaaaack! But why was Angela Murray chosen to return for *Big Brother 28* over all the other former players? We have answers!

- *Big Brother *EPs Rich Meehan and Allison Grodner like the fact that Angela is so polarizing.

- Guess what snacks we might see in the Head of Household room?

You don’t have to have “crazy eyes” to see that Angela Murray is a dynamic reality TV personality. Whether verbally attacking Matt Hardeman for no reason, crashing out over a charcuterie board, or putting Quinn Martin in an alliance he was not actually in, Angela was a hilarious chaos agent during season 26 of *Big Brother*.

It was that intoxicating mix of volatility and unpredictability that made Angela must-see TV. Or was she? Angela was definitely one of the most polarizing *Big Brother* players in recent memory. Which is exactly one of the reasons executive producers Allison Grodner and Rich Meehan decided to bring her back.

Angela Murray on ‘Big Brother’ season 26.

“People love her, people don’t like her. It’s kind of a mix,” Meehan tells *.* “Which is always interesting to bring in people when there’s strong point of views on both sides.”

Indeed, whether you love or loathe Angela as a TV personality, it is undeniable that she commands attention, which explains why she commanded the *producers’* attention when they decided to bring back a former player. And why she was the pick over so many other fan favorites.

“We have fantastic people and we thought about all of them,” says Grodner. “But Angela is a huge personality. She’s a disruptor. She causes some chaos in there. As much as she says she’s not going to cause chaos, she’s probably going to at some point. So it’s always fun to try different personalities. She was a big part of season 26, very memorable, and we also like memorable castmates. So Angela was our choice this year.”

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Meehan also explains why they ultimately landed on Angela. “People can be amazing to bring back for all different reasons, right? They could be incredible strategists. They can be just super memorable, great characters. So there’s lots of different reasons why we choose to bring different types of people back. But when you look at the last few seasons, she’s probably one of the most memorable, who left her mark on the game.”

The executive producers are also curious to see what Angela 2.0 will look like. Will she adapt a more mellow tone, or come in charging like an angry velociraptor? (Too soon?)

“It’s always interesting also to see when someone plays the game one specific way,” Meehan says. ‘When you bring them back a second time, do they change it up?  And *how* do they change it up? Or are they just the same person? So it’s kind of be interesting to see how she chooses to go in and play the game.”

Angela Murray and Julie Chen Moonves on ‘Big Brother’ season 26.

And, as Meehan notes, Angela was more than just a wacky personality. She somehow got multiple people to save her with the Veto and had a good run: “She did win challenges and she made final six. She made it pretty far in the game.”

But does the return of Angela also mean the return of her favorite snack tray? Might the producers introduce a charcuterie board at some point during this season?

“Oh, you know it will be mentioned,” says Grodner, laughing.

Adds Meehan: “If she gets HOH, I’m sure it might be on her list.”

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Source: “EW Big”