CBS, Big Brother 12: Meet the New Houseguests

Summer means it's time to meet the new 13 houseguests of Big Brother at CBS. The 12^th season kicked off July 8 when the houseguests moved into the house they'll share for the next 75 days.

In the first episode, as folks moved in, claiming beds and swapping stories, it may have been all about love and champagne, but as the days pass on, and the 52 cameras and 95 microphones pick up backstabbing and chicanery among the houseguests, the love will die. Word.

Before you get engrossed in the day-to-day wrangling of the houseguests, get to know their stories. After you know the players, see if you can find THE SABOTEUR, the rogue player Big Brother has planted in the house. He's the twist in this year's season. As Julie Chen explained, "One houseguest is not here to win. He's here to make the guests' lives miserable."

Meet the houseguests of Big Brother Season 12!

Rachel Reilly, 26 - VIP Cocktail Waitress- Las Vegas, NV.

If it weren't for Rachel's gi-normous breasts, the first thing you'd notice is her flowing red hair. She comes off very ditsy in the season opener, and more than a few mentioned her annoying laugh. That's precisely what Rachel is counting on to win the big prize.

She lists herself listed as a cocktail waitress. What she doesn't have listed official is the fact that she's a graduate student in chemistry. By day she dons a white lab coat, and mixes concoctions in beakers. By night, she makes use of her other assets.

According to Rachel, her strategy for winning Big Brother is nothing more than drawing on her work ethic: "I would hustle like I do at work when I get men to buy me champagne."

She's physically able to compete in challenges, and smart enough to outwit the others. If they don't key in on her brain matter, they'll underestimate her, and that'll be a huge a huge mistake.

Kristen Bitting, 24 - Boutique Manager - Philadelphia, PA

In the opening episode she made a point of telling the group she models, as well as manages the boutique in Philly. She also immediately honed in on Hayden, a student from Arizona and this season's male body to watch. Hayden also picked her out of the crowd. This looks like a showmance in the making.

Her worry coming into the house, she said is that people often misunderstand her. "I am very misunderstood by strangers." Despite her model looks, in the first episode she faded into the background of many dominant personalities. Maybe that will work to her benefit. She may be the one who floats under the radar over and over, particularly if she teams up with the beefcake Hayden and gets him to be the heavy along the way.

Britney Haynes, 22 - Hotel Sales Manager - Huntington, AR

Britney hails from a tiny town in Arkansas, so tiny, she told the housemates that even the others in town don't know it exists. She's looking to break out of the small town. She immediately eyed up the bow-tie wearing Ragan, the show's openly, flagrant gay guy.

In the first episode she gushed that she has a crush on Ragan, as the openly homosexual are her people. She looks forward to hanging with him, talking about Broadway shows, Sex in the City (the show AND the movies and shopping.

Not surprisingly, her favorite former housemates are Dr. Will and Janelle. She plans a similar strategy of being the person everyone wants a piece of but can't have.

She makes a poor showing in the first episodes HOH contest, and appears to be in trouble right out of the gate. She better get all of her Broadway discussions in early.

Monet Stunson, 24 - Model - Glen Carbon, IL

Every season has a Monet, unfortunately. Before she entered the house, she told the cameras, "I hope the other houseguests are up to my standards." She doesn't want to have to live with any icky people.

Yeah, that attitude always goes a long way, particularly by day 30 or so after people have been sharing a bathroom and living on slop. In her initial interview she described herself as "exotic, active and the coolest person you will ever meet."

Physically, she did well in the first HOH competition, where she won $10,000. A big win often means a big target, which she admitted worries her. Couple the win with her unwinning, snobbish personality, and Monet has a lot to overcome to survive.

When asked what her biggest accomplishment has been to date she mentions two things: 1)she's appeared on The Young and the Restless and 2) "Everyone tells me I have a really good driver's license picture."

Oh, yeah, girlfriend, she said it! And look for her to say a lot more, particularly to the icky people on the show.

Brendon Villegas, 30 - High School Swim Coach - Riverside, CA

When Brendon learned he'd been chosen to be on the current season of Big Brother, he said since he's a high school coach, he's used to high school drama so he had no worries of being able to navigate the crazy personalities.

He's obviously buff, and explained his strategy for winning the quarter-of-a-million bounty: "Get girls to like me and turn them against each other." As a visual to that strategy explanation, he held up some Speedos for the camera. Brendon has a very do-able plan.

Andrew Gordon, 39 - Podiatrist - Miami, FL

Andrew will be either the most misunderstood, socially awkward guy on the show or just the icky guy who creeps everyone out. Some of the spoilers being reported point to the latter.

On paper, and in the initial clips, he appeared to be interesting. When he was first told he was making it in to the house, Andrew made a point to say that regardless of what would happen on the show he would not compromise his faith as a devout Jew. He packed a cookpot just to make sure that he could cook kosher food s he wouldn't have to compromise his faith, as he explained it.

Andrew withheld the fact that he's a podiatriast from the other guests. Maybe that goes in line with his description of himself: "Stubborn, spontaneous and sneaky." This guy's not kidding. He also said that his strategy for the game is a formula: "Kaysar + Will + George and Russell's (from Survivor) game plan = Andrew."

By the end of the first night, the other houseguests had Andrew pegged a good bet for the saboteur. It doesn't bode well for Andrew.

Enzo Palumbo, 32 - Insurance Adjuster - Bayonne, NJ

Enzo lives at home with his mom, and comes off as a guy who could have made it on The Jersey Shore, if the show had been on more than a decade ago. He is extremely worried about not being able to have his mother's cooking in the house.

Kathy Hillis, 40 - Deputy Sheriff - Texarkana, AR

Kathy is the oldest houseguest, but you wouldn't know it by looking at her. The other houseguests were shocked when she announced at the episode one meet and greet that she has a 22-year-old child.

When Julie Chen announced the Big Brother twist, it sent Kathy into a bit of a tizzy. She told the other houseguest that being a deputy sheriff makes her paranoid enough, but now she has more to be paranoid with given there's a mystery to be solved.

Since Big Brother is all about making alliances and playing angles with people you may not like, Kathy may have one major challenge. She says the one kind of people she would NOT choose to live with in the house is: Women. It's going to be an issue.

Maybe Kathy's will can carry her through. She had to undergo Chemo, and promised her grandmother at that time that she would apply to be on Big Brother. "I have loved the show ever since and can't wait to be a part of it."

Annie Whittington, 27 - Bartender - Tampa, FL

Annie may be the unknown in this game, as much about her is unknown or at least she morphs at will. She told the cameras before the first day that she is used to getting what she wants, and she's not above cuddling up to cute man or woman to further her game.

She told producers she wouldn't expect Big Brother's game of "expect the unexpected" to throw her under any circumstances. She said, "My life is so weird and I have the worst luck, so everyday I expect the unexpected. I can handle it all."

Annie seems to be a real wild card in this game. Either she will play all sides and do well, or she'll annoy the crud out of everyone and be packing early on in the game.

Matt Hoffman, 32 - Web Designer - Elgin, IL

Matt may be one of the most interesting characters we've seen on the show. He's a Web designer with a lot of tattoos and a laid back, disarming demeanor. According to what he told the producers, he is MENSA smart and ranks in the top two percent of the world in intelligence.

That will serve him well if he can keep that on the down low. He said his strategy for winning the game is: "I'm leaving all of my emotions from home and my "real life" at the door. When I'm in the house, it's 100% game."

Lane Elenburg, 24 - Oil Rig Salesman - Decatur, TX

On the first night, the other houseguests passed more than a few suspicious looks Lane's way just because he is a quiet sort. Before he came to the house, he said he wanted to pair up with someone smart because that wasn't his strong suit.

What may keep Lane in the game is his enigma persona. For example, he listed the thing he's afraid of "electric fences." He told the producers he has a strategy to win the game, but he's not revealing it. Lane is the guy we just don't know about and we probably won't for a while. He may be another person going under the radar unless paranoia sets in and the guests decide he's The Saboteur.

Ragan Fox, 34 - College Professor - Los Angeles, CA

Ragan will be the far out personality whom we'll either hate or love, and quickly. He has a PhD in Communications, works as a college professor (a fact he avoided telling the houseguests) and appears brilliant. He told producers his goal is to get into "lying, stealing and backstabbing." He also admitted that he tends to hold a grudge which will be a problem with all of the infighting at the Big Brother house. If he can keep his sharp humor working in place of petty grudges, he could go far.

Kristen, the Philly boutique manager/model admitted to have an attraction to hunk Hayden, and Ragan seconded the idea. He said he thought it would be great if he won the money and met the man of his dreams on the show as well, noting that Hayden had already set a spark going for him.

Hayden Moss, 24 - College Student, Athlete - Tempe, AZ

Within the first few hours of meeting his housemates, two had already declared a romantic interest in the toned and tousled-hair college student. He'll go far in the challenges just by nature of his natural athletic ability. That ability won him the game's first Head of Household reign.

Stay tuned for live nominations on Sunday, July 11.