Zachary Senot "Zach" Cornell was a houseguest on Big Brother 27 (US).
After winning the BB Buy Off power on Day 1, Zach led the house's social dynamics alongside close ally Vince Panaro, but they were soon put in jeopardy after not flipping the Week 3 eviction vote. Though remaining in a powerful position after forming an alliance with Week 4 HOH Mickey Lee, Morgan Pope, and Vince, he was a last minute nomination by Week 5 HOH Ava Pearl, and subsequently chose not to give up his $10,000 that came with the BB Buy Off power, in supposed fear that Morgan would be his replacement. After primary target Keanu Soto won the Block Buster, Zach was evicted by an 8-2 vote over Vince for his high social threat level, placing 13th. Upon his eviction, Julie Chen-Moonves playfully tapped Zach on the head with her cards for getting evicted with the power in his possession.
Biography[]
| Zach Cornell Biography |
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Retrieved from parade.com Why will you win Big Brother? I really do feel like I am the complete package. And I don’t say that in a cocky way. I just know that from all the different steps in my life. I mean, I was a pastor’s kid that grew up very shy in a very sheltered home, and I had to come out of my shell when I got to college. I mean, it was my first day in college when I saw somebody smoking weed for the first time. So I had to really adapt. And then you ultimately moved from there to into professional baseball. You’re living with seven people in the same house all at once. And so there’s a lot of different aspects in my life that I’ve had to really change myself to understand what’s going on in my environment. And ultimately, that is going to be the number one reason why I’m going to win Big Brother. I feel like this is always an ever-changing game, and when I see people there on Day 45 sleeping, taking a nap, not really paying attention to their surroundings, it drives me insane. As somebody who is a competitor, somebody who really appreciates the show, I just know that I’m always going to be on my feet. Whether it’s working out, I’m going to make sure that I’m always there with somebody. Or if it is somebody that is not even closely related to me that has different likes and dislikes. I’m going to be that person that is going to be there for them. I have an interest of getting to know everybody. I’m really interested in getting to know all their deepest, darkest secrets. And I know ultimately, that is what it’s going to take to win Big Brother. What’s your strategy going into the game? So, I mean, look, when it comes to my strategy entering into the house, I know that I will be perceived as a threat Day 1. I am somebody that is more athletically built, somebody that can really interact well with other people around them. And so I am going to really push me being a pastor’s kid. Week 1, I want to be somebody that you feel like you can trust immediately when you get into the house, because I know that people are going to be worried if people like them, if they dislike them, especially when it’s 15 random people that you’ve never met before. And so, Week 1, I plan on laying low. I want to be that person that is there just kind of holding your hand, somebody that you feel like you can talk to in a very stress-free environment every single day. And I don’t want to be the type of person that is like, “Hey, let’s create this alliance. I want you to be the person to tell me that.” And so Week 1, I do want to lay low for that reason. Hopefully there are a bunch of crazies in there. Hopefully there’s another Angela that goes off the deep end and is ultimately the person that would get kicked out Week 1. And so that’s my ultimate goal, build those deeper relationships. And then once we get into Weeks 2, 3, 4, that’s when you really start to see these alliances form. That’s what I ultimately want to do. I want to be in there with a Final Two, with somebody that you would have no idea who that person is, you would never be able to guess them right. And so I want to have that Final Two. I want to be in a bunch of different alliances with people that I feel like I can relate to as well. So I am going to play a much more risky game when it comes to really interacting with people and trying to create those alliances. But honestly, I feel like that’s your best-case scenario to win the entire thing, and that’s what I’m going for. I’m here to win it, not to get second, third, or fourth. What are your biggest strengths? So when it comes to strengths, I feel like I’m very confident in myself. When it comes to being a very athletic person, being somebody that can be the center of the room to really start conversations, I feel like I am that person. And so I do know that there are weaknesses that come with it. But when it comes to really being an instigator, I am that person. What are your biggest weaknesses? When it comes to weaknesses, I also know that the way that I can play can be a threat as well, if you are somebody that is too far out there when it comes to trying to interact with people, if you are the person that is trying to start the Alliance, people can perceive that as a threat. So I know that it can be a double-edged sword, being somebody that is very confident in the game. So I’m going to have to use it very carefully and very wisely when I get into the house. Do you plan on keeping any secrets about yourself from the other houseguests? I was deciding whether or not if I was going to reveal that I played professional baseball in the Washington Nationals organization, but I honestly feel like I can use it as a strength, so I will be revealing it when I get into the house. So no, to answer your question, there won’t be anything that I will be holding as a secret. What are you bringing to the show that nobody has seen before? I’m going to be that person that is an all-around player. I know that in last season, you had people like Makensy, who was a challenge beast. Or you had somebody like Chelsie, who ended up winning the show, somebody that was working behind the scenes and really dictating the flow of the game. And I want to be a person that combines the two, right? I really appreciate what Tucker did last season, flipping the house upside down. And so my goal ultimately is to go in there and be all three at once. I feel like I’ve watched enough Big Brother, I’ve watched enough competition shows to realize when you need to take that step forward and when you need to really reel it back. So, to be somebody that you’ve never seen before, my ultimate goal is to be all three of those people from last season. What makes Big Brother such a successful show after 25 years? So I am becoming a superfan. And so, when it comes to Big Brother, I feel like it is the most raw and authentic show out there. I mean, you are stuck there for 90 days with the same people. A lot of these shows only last for three weeks. And so you really have to grit and grind your way through this show, because it’s all about mental stability in this house. And I really appreciate that about Big Brother, because you always have to stay on your toes, because you never know what the next step is, and you have no idea what Big Brother is going to throw at you. It’s all about surprises. And that’s what I really appreciate about Big Brother. Why will you be the player to watch this season? I’m going to be the one to watch this summer, because I am going to be that person that comes in there with charm. I will be the person that will be flirting it up with fellow people, getting along with other people, and being that person that everyone feels like that they can come to. And when it is time to flip the house upside down, when it is time to really dig my heels in and win those Veto challenges, I am going to win them. If there is somebody that needs me as a pawn when it comes to an alliance, I’m not afraid to do it if it is for the right scenario. And I am very much so willing to play the game on the edge. And that’s what I know America wants to see. That’s what I envision myself coming into the house being able to do. And so that’s the reason why people are going to want to tune in. Would you be open to a showmance? So I am gearing up for very beautiful women to come into this house. Now I will say this. My mom is very religious, and she’s Filipino. And she told me, “Zach, if I see you even sleeping next to another girl, when you get back to our house, I’m going to murder you.” So I do have that in the back of my head when it comes to a showmance. But look, I already told her. I said I’m gonna do whatever it takes to win the $750,000. And if I do happen to find love in the process, I’m more than thrilled. So I know that’s gonna be lingering in my mind as I start to talk to women my age in the house. Will you be more of a hero or a villain in the house? So being a hero or a villain, it really just comes down to who am I in the house with? Because I view somebody like Tucker, people in the house with him viewed him as a villain. However, as somebody that’s watching, we viewed him as a hero. Or at least I did. And so it’s gonna come down to the scenarios when we get into it. And I’m not afraid to turn on people. So you could really perceive me as a villain when it comes to it, because I’m not afraid to turn on people, lie, cheat, steal, do whatever it takes to win. What’s on your Big Brother Bucket List? My BB Bucket List is to win Head of Household. I feel like that is the number one thing that I’ve always dreamt of, especially growing up. So, yeah, that is my number one thing to do. What will be the easiest and hardest parts of being a houseguest? I feel like the easiest thing being a houseguest this summer is actually to get along with everybody. However, the hardest thing is to get along with everybody for 90 days. Because I know by Day 60, there’s going to be somebody that pisses me off by either not putting their plates away, or something that is going to irritate me. So the ultimate goal is to stay even-keeled. What are some standout moments for you from the past 25 years of Big Brother? The two biggest things that I really enjoyed was when Zach in Season 16 called out Devin and made fun of Pao Pao at the same time. I found that absolutely hilarious. And then in this most recent season, I love when Tucker ran through and flipped the house upside down. That is something that I’ve always envisioned for myself. I want to do the same thing.[1] |
Player History - Big Brother 27 (US)[]
Competition History[]
| Week 1 | Advantage | Win |
| HOH | Ineligible | |
| POV | Loss | |
| Block Buster | Ineligible | |
| Week 2 | HOH/Advantage | Loss |
| POV | Not Picked | |
| Mystery POV | Ineligible | |
| Block Buster | Ineligible | |
| Week 3 | HOH | Loss |
| POV | Not Picked | |
| Block Buster | Ineligible | |
| Week 4 | HOH | Loss |
| POV | Not Picked | |
| Block Buster | Ineligible | |
| Week 5 | HOH | Loss |
| POV | Loss | |
| Block Buster | Loss |
Have/Have-Not History[]
| Week 1 | Have-Not |
| Week 2 | Have |
| Week 3 | Have |
| Week 4 | Have |
| Week 5 | Have |
Voting History[]
| Week | Position | Voted for | Correct? |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | – | Rylie Jeffries | No |
| Position | Voted for | With Majority? | |
| Immune | Amy Bingham | No | |
| 2 | – | Amy Bingham | Yes |
| 3 | – | Adrian Rocha | Yes |
| 4 | – | Jimmy Heagerty | Yes |
| 5 | Nominated | – | – |
Post Big Brother[]
- Zach competed on RHAP Reality Mafia on Rob Has a Podcast on September 20, 2025, alongside Angela Murray, Derek Frazier, Jimmy Heagerty, and Leah Peters. He was randomly chosen as a member of Mafia, and was correctly suspected and evicted on Day 2, finishing in 12th place.
- Zach and Lauren Domingue began a relationship soon after the show's conclusion.
Trivia[]
- With Zach's BB Buy-Off Power giving him the ability to take himself off the block, he is the eleventh person to not use a power to save themselves while being nominated, following Marcellas Reynolds, Dick Donato, Daniele Briones, Brendon Villegas, Matt Clines, Jedson Tavernier, Stéphanie Harvey, Daniel Savoie, Tucker Des Lauriers and Liliane Blanco-Binette, who all chose not to use the Power of Veto on themselves.
- Prior to his appearance on BB27, Zach was an alternate cast member on USA's new reality competition show The Anonymous, who would up going unused. Had he competed, he would have participated alongside Big Brother 23 (US) winner Xavier Prather and Australian Survivor's Nina Twine. Even though Zach was not on the final cast, a silhouette of his would-be cast photo was used on the series poster.[2]
References[]
- ↑ The Houseguests Are Here! Meet the Full Cast of ‘Big Brother 27’ (8 July 2025). Retrieved on 8 July 2025.
- ↑ https://www.instagram.com/p/DRO0iwGkXIo/
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