Dana started the game as a member of the Elite Eight in order to pick off the "exes". However, Dana's defensive personality as well as her showmance with one of the exes, Justin Giovinco caused her to slowly defect from the alliance and work with the Three Stooges. After Dana won HOH in Week 3, she betrayed her alliance by nominating her two former allies, Jack Owens, Jr. and Alison Irwin, with Alison as her target due to Dana's dislike of her. Though Alison's showmance Nathan Marlow won the POV and saved Alison, botching her plan, forcing her to put up Nathan's ally David Lane as karma and evicting him in the process. In Week 4, Dana was unable to win the POV to save herself and was ultimately evicted in a unanimous 6-0 vote, placing 9th and becoming the first member of the jury.
Dana was one of 20 candidates to return for Big Brother 7 (US). But ultimately was not selected to return.
Dana Varela (born in 1975) was a 28-year-old karate school manager from Queens, New York. Dana was one of three houseguests to not have an ex enter the game, along with Nathan Marlow and Jack Owens, Jr.