BIG Brother ratings have suffered considerably and plummeted to new lows following Rachel Reilly’s sudden exit.
Fans had threatened to abandon the CBS series just weeks before the finale after Rachel’s shocking elimination.
The U.S. Sun can exclusively reveal that Big Brother ratings have dipped significantly, and this decline started before Rachel’s eviction even aired.
According to Nielsen Ratings data exclusively obtained by The U.S. Sun, the long-running series struggled to maintain a steady viewership for Episode 28, which aired on Tuesday, showing Rachel’s departure play out.
Fans were already aware that Rachel got the boot after it was revealed on the show’s 24/7 live stream over the weekend.
Viewers were livid by the three-time contestant’s exit, and they vowed to boycott future episodes.
They apparently meant it, as Rachel’s final episode for Season 27 brought in just 1.20 million viewers and a 0.12 rating score in the 18-49 age demographic.
It became the lowest-rated episode of the season.
In comparison, Episode 27, which aired the Thursday before, showed former houseguest Mickey Lee’s eviction and had 3.5 million people watching.
It also held a 0.75 rating in the 18-49 age demographic, a 31 percent difference from Tuesday’s viewership ratings.
The ratings for Episode 29, which aired on Wednesday and captured the aftermath of Rachel’s elimination, were not available at the time of this publication.
Rachel’s departure came without warning, marking a first-ever twist orchestrated by the production.
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She left on the spot after losing the White Locust challenge, in which she was tasked to complete a maze in under 3 minutes and 30 seconds.
It was a part of a safety chain competition, where she and several other nominated houseguests, Vince Panaro, Lauren Domingue, and Morgan Pope, were each allotted less time than the previous participant.
Rachel went last, giving her the least amount of time to complete the puzzle, which she failed to do.
It’s unclear why there was a sudden shift in the competition, especially so close to the show’s finale on September 28.
Fans and Rachel’s fellow houseguests were left devastated and stunned over her eviction, as she’d been known as a Big Brother legend.
Rachel first appeared on the series during Season 12 in 2010, and again the following season, which she won.
She also made brief appearances in Seasons 14 and 15 before returning for the current season to commemorate the show’s milestone 25th anniversary.
The North Carolina native made numerous strong alliances throughout the season, including with Keanu Soto and Morgan, who each took her exit hard.
Keanu contemplated his next move without his right-hand woman during Wednesday’s episode.
He was selected by Head of Household, Lauren, for the chopping block alongside Ashley Hollis and Will Williams.
Meanwhile, Morgan, who chose Keanu to take her place on the block to save herself, got emotional several times over losing her ally.
Devoted Big Brother viewers will find out who gets evicted next on Thursday night’s episode with host, Julie Chen Moonves.
As for Rachel, although her loss eliminated her from the main game, she became the first member of the jury, giving her a role in deciding the winner.
