Big Brother watchers are usually told to “expect the unexpected,” but we seriously doubt anyone could have predicted a romance between Derek Xiao and Claire Rehfuss during Season 23. Although they barely spoke to one another during the game, something clicked when they both entered the jury house.
The couple has been going strong since they made their relationship public after the Big Brother Season 23 finale. If you want to know how quickly Derek and Claire became together, here’s a timeline. In addition, stay to learn if they are still a couple.
Big Brother 23’s Derek and Claire’s relationship timeline
Christie Valdiserri, a model in her twenties, tested positive for simian opportunistic virus type 19 (COVID-19), prompting her replacement by AI technical architect Claire Rehfuss, then 25. Derek and Claire told Us Weekly that they instantly attracted each other upon meeting, but they buried those sentiments to focus on the game.
For as long as I’ve known her, Claire has been my type,” Derek said. “I guess I never permitted myself to take our friendship to the next level. You witnessed what happened to Alyssa [Lopez] and Christian [Birkenberger] in the first week.”
He explained, “Although I was eliminated early on, I still wanted to win. My mind was likely preoccupied with thoughts such as, “How can I achieve victory in this game?” It seemed inevitable that I would inevitably develop feelings for Claire once inside the mansion.”
Derek was the second jury member selected after being ousted from the Big Brother house on the episode aired on August 26. After being voted off in the double eviction on September 9, Claire joined the jury two weeks later. This is the point when Derek and Claire recognize that falling in love was a serious possibility for them.
According to a quote from October 2021 in Us Weekly, Claire said, “I think that we both really felt the spark once we got to jury house and could truly interact with each other.” “We became quite close since we spent every night together talking until very late.”
Speculation that Derek and Claire were an item began to circulate on the 14th of October.
Claire captioned a black and white snapshot of herself and Derek, “The absolute nicest thing to come out of the most stressful [three] months of my life.” The 24-year-old startup CEO also posted a photo of himself and wrote, “Coming out of the Big Brother house has been overwhelming, but I’m so lucky to have had Queen Claire by my side making me grin and laugh every day.”
Is there still something between Derek and Claire?
It would appear that Derek and Claire are still an item. They went public with their relationship in October 2021 and have been going strong ever since, spending numerous vacations together and sharing numerous images of themselves on social media.
US Weekly said on August 11, 2022, Derek and Claire took their romance to the next level by moving in together. They are moving, but not to New York City; they are heading west.
Derek told Us Weekly, “We’re moving out to LA,” explaining that he and Claire “had to quit” New York City because of the high living expense. The Challenge: USA competitor added that they are in the market for “a more long-term lease,” making their future living arrangement “semi-temporary.”
Plus, what could be better? On Season 34 of The Amazing Race, Derek and Claire will be teammates. The next episode comes on CBS on September 21 at 10 p.m. EST, so tune in then to root for them as they explore the globe.
