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Leaning into love! Derek Xiao and Claire Rehfuss have Huge Brother to thank for his or her relationship — however it wasn’t till they had been each evicted that their romance took off.
The pair met in July 2021 whereas residing underneath the identical roof on season 23 of the CBS collection. Following their respective eliminations from the home in August and September 2021, they bought a second likelihood at love after they had been within the jury home collectively for 2 weeks.
“I positively preferred Claire in the home. I knew that Claire was simply my sort,” Xaio solely informed Us Weekly in October 2021. “I knew that from week one which Claire was my sort, however I don’t know. I suppose I simply by no means let myself discover that past only a friendship.”
Us broke the information of the TV personalities’ off-screen romance in October 2021, shortly after the present topped a winner in late September. (Xavier Prather was the season’s champion.)
Their showmance was in a position to flourish as a result of there weren’t cameras documenting their late-night conversations whereas within the jury home versus after they had been competing in the principle home.
“When you’re off digicam, that’s whenever you actually, actually get to know who an individual is and you’ll actually be susceptible and you’ll actually be open and actually discuss plenty of issues out of your life,” Rehfuss informed Us.
Xiao added, “I really feel like I do know Claire higher than I do know plenty of my finest associates.”
The twosome informed Us in October 2021 what they love about one another most after shaping their relationship behind-the-scenes of the CBS’ present.
“I feel what I actually like about Derek is simply genuinely his humor. We do exactly actually make one another snicker,” the College of Michigan alum mentioned. “However then, additionally, I feel Derek has one of many largest hearts out of anybody that I’ve ever met. He simply all the time sees the nice in any scenario. He sees the nice in each single particular person. And he’s simply so kindhearted. He simply has a lot love to offer and takes love so properly.”
Xiao, then again, pointed to Rehfuss’ “improbable” humorousness as one in every of her finest qualities.
“She by no means fails to place a smile on my face. She is among the most fun-loving folks that I’ve ever met. She has this saying, ‘Bear in mind the rule. Have enjoyable.’ And that’s one in every of my favourite sayings I discovered in the home,” the College of Maryland alum informed Us. “She gave me a bracelet that has it and I put on it each single day. She additionally has an extremely form coronary heart. The love that she confirmed for everybody in the home was utterly real. So inventive, simply all the nice issues, I really feel like Claire embodies.”
Scroll right down to relive Xiao and Rehfuss’ whirlwind relationship:
Leaning into love! Derek Xiao and Claire Rehfuss have Huge Brother to thank for his or her relationship — however it wasn’t till they had been each evicted that their romance took off.
The pair met in July 2021 whereas residing underneath the identical roof on season 23 of the CBS collection. Following their respective eliminations from the home in August and September 2021, they bought a second likelihood at love after they had been within the jury home collectively for 2 weeks.
“I positively preferred Claire in the home. I knew that Claire was simply my sort,” Xaio solely informed Us Weekly in October 2021. “I knew that from week one which Claire was my sort, however I do not know. I suppose I simply by no means let myself discover that past only a friendship.”
Us broke the information of the TV personalities’ off-screen romance in October 2021, shortly after the present topped a winner in late September. (Xavier Prather was the season’s champion.)
Their showmance was in a position to flourish as a result of there weren’t cameras documenting their late-night conversations whereas within the jury home versus after they had been competing in the principle home.
“When you’re off digicam, that’s whenever you actually, actually get to know who an individual is and you’ll actually be susceptible and you’ll actually be open and actually discuss plenty of issues out of your life,” Rehfuss informed Us.
Xiao added, “I really feel like I do know Claire higher than I do know plenty of my finest associates.”
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The twosome informed Us in October 2021 what they love about one another most after shaping their relationship behind-the-scenes of the CBS’ present.
“I feel what I actually like about Derek is simply genuinely his humor. We do exactly actually make one another snicker,” the College of Michigan alum mentioned. “However then, additionally, I feel Derek has one of many largest hearts out of anybody that I’ve ever met. He simply all the time sees the nice in any scenario. He sees the nice in each single particular person. And he is simply so kindhearted. He simply has a lot love to offer and takes love so properly.”
Xiao, then again, pointed to Rehfuss’ “improbable” humorousness as one in every of her finest qualities.
“She by no means fails to place a smile on my face. She is among the most fun-loving folks that I’ve ever met. She has this saying, ‘Bear in mind the rule. Have enjoyable.’ And that’s one in every of my favourite sayings I discovered in the home,” the College of Maryland alum informed Us. “She gave me a bracelet that has it and I put on it each single day. She additionally has an extremely form coronary heart. The love that she confirmed for everybody in the home was utterly real. So inventive, simply all the nice issues, I really feel like Claire embodies.”
Scroll right down to relive Xiao and Rehfuss’ whirlwind relationship:
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After houseguest Christie Valdiserri examined optimistic for COVID-19, Rehfuss stepped in as her substitute earlier than the present’s season 23 premiere. In line with Xiao, he knew from week one which the Ohio native was his “sort,” however didn’t act on it as a result of he was attempting to win the sport. Rehfuss had an analogous response to assembly the Baltimore native.
“I feel each of us had like a bit of little bit of a crush, or no less than noticed possibly there’s some potential there, fairly early on within the recreation,” she solely informed Us in October 2021. “However then you definitely simply get wrapped up within the recreation and also you simply do not give it some thought anymore. You simply are so targeted on attempting to win the cash. And you are not exploring it. You are not likely pondering, “Oh, what if this?'”
Xiao was evicted from the Huge Brother home in the course of the August 26 episode.
One week later, Rehfuss was despatched packing in the course of the September 9 episode after pal Tiffany Mitchell, who was the Head of Family, nominated her.
The duo had been then reunited within the jury home, which is the place they began to understand that there may be one thing romantic between them. “I bear in mind the primary or second evening that she was there, we stayed up all evening simply speaking till 5:00 a.m. That occurred each single evening for the primary, like, 5 days,” the Hell’s Kitchen, New York, resident informed Us the next month of his time with Rehfuss within the jury home. “That’s after I began actually pondering like, ‘Wait a second, why didn’t this occur in the home? There’s such a robust connection and chemistry between us.’ I feel that was the start of us fascinated with what this could possibly be.”
Us broke the information on October 14 that the TV personalities had been relationship after growing a “bond” within the jury home.
The twosome introduced their relationship standing through social media the identical day. “The very best factor to return out of probably the most irritating 3 months of my life,” Rehfuss captioned a steamy photograph of the couple on Instagram.
Xiao shared his personal snap along with his girlfriend, writing, “Count on the sudden? 😅 Shoutout to all my fellow houseguests for serving to us preserve one final secret 🙏🏼. Popping out of the Huge Brother home has been overwhelming, however I’m so fortunate to have had Queen Claire by my aspect making me smile and snicker on a regular basis ❤️ I’m so excited to see what’s subsequent for us!”
The beginning-up founder shared a goofy TikTok video along with his love in celebration of their romance. “If you lastly go public along with your relationship,” he wrote alongside a clip of the pair dancing and hugging whereas the Bee Gees’ “Extra Than a Lady” performed within the background. “We had been means too blissful at this take,” he captioned the video.
The lovebirds shared a candy Instagram Story video collectively after returning to NYC, the place they each presently dwell. “Right here is her beautiful New York residence that isn’t in Queens, as a result of she is a liar,” Xiao joked as his GF joined him within the kitchen. After Rehfuss by chance disclosed the place she lives within the Huge Apple, her man defined that they’ll be hanging out in New York for 2 weeks and would love suggestions of issues to do.
The Al engineer gave Xiao a crash course in watching Survivor throughout one in every of their first days again in New York. “It’s occurring! Right here we go. Going to be attempting to offer him classes, inform him what’s occurring,” she mentioned in a collection of Instagram Story movies earlier than instructing her BF play the sport inside a recreation.
Xiao shared a collection of candy pictures from the couple’s romantic scorching air balloon trip together with just a few goofy selfies from mid-air.
“Joyful Valentine’s Day to the one one who may make $750k seem like a comfort prize 🥰💕,” Xiao wrote through Instagram on Valentine’s Day 2022. “I used to be scrolling by way of my photograph album, and I could or might not (might) have gotten a bit of teary eyed seeing all of the recollections we’ve had collectively 🥺 Thanks for being probably the most caring, humorous, clever, lovely, and ~mushy~ individuals I do know. Can’t wait to see you quickly ❤️.”
“Goes to Miami as soon as and adjustments his identify to Mr. 305,” The Problem contestant joked through Instagram Rehfuss inspired her boyfriend’s nickname, commenting, “🔥🔥🔥 dale.”
The couple solely informed Us that they had been relocating from New York Metropolis to Los Angeles and had been trying to find a “long-term lease.”
Derek jokingly added: “, these [NYC] lease costs. We couldn’t keep.”
The information broke that the duo could be competing collectively on season 34 of The Superb Race. The newest installment of the fact TV competitors premieres in September 2022, with the contestants starting their travels in Munich, Germany.
After a collection of trials and tribulations, Derek and Claire completed season 34 of The Superb Race on prime, successful the ” million grand prize collectively. Derek informed Us that the competitors strengthened the duo’s bond in methods he’d by no means imagined.
“I feel on the very starting, I had delusions of grandeur round how good our relationship was as a result of we hadn’t been examined, so I didn’t know. However then we really bought examined, and now I feel our relationship really is the place I assumed it was,” the Baltimore native mentioned.
Claire added: “We simply had been actually required to speak about like, ‘How can we talk, how can we wanna remedy issues?’ and be very sincere and be very actual with one another in a means that I feel plenty of {couples} don’t need to be, essentially, and nonetheless be blissful. So, that simply made it a lot stronger, and it’s made it a lot extra relevant once we get into, like, fights or no matter exterior of the race too. I do suppose it was actually a check — which I feel could be very cliche that folks say — however I feel that it did make us quite a bit, lot stronger.”