While some go on certain reality television shows for other agendas, competing on Big Brother is all about who will win the $500,000 cash prize.
While many fans are aware that houseguests get weekly stipends, which isn't always the case for reality stars, one former contestant got real about how much money she specifically made on the CBS series.
"We're paid a stipend per week," Elena Davies, who competed on Big Brother season 19 in 2017, said on The Bachelorette's Jason Tartick's Dear Media podcast Trading Secrets on Monday, July 12. "$1,000 per week, [for] as long as you film. So if, like say you are the first person sent home and you only film six hours in the house, you get your thousand."
Davies, who was evicted on day 68 in the Big Brother house before going to the jury house, further broke down her pay.
"I technically filmed the entire season," she recalled. "So I got paid the entire 13 weeks stipend or whatever. It was a thousand dollars a week, but I also won a competition that was a luxury comp."
Davies said she won $5,000 on top of her weekly earnings.
She also spoke about more behind-the-scenes compensation.
"In some of the casting and traveling stuff, you might get like a daily 'per diem,' but a thousand bucks a week," she added. "Per Diem" is a phrase in Hollywood referring to allowance that talent might receive while working on the job.
Big Brother's production companies have never revealed how much non-winners are paid.
Josh Martinez won season 19 of Big Brother and its $500,000 prize, which was increased to $750,000 for the current 23rd season.