'Big Brother' contestant Red Utley from Gatlinburg is the 'world’s favorite chill billy'

Devarrick Turner, Knoxville News Sentinel
·2 min read

A Gatlinburg man aptly named Red because of his long red beard has entered the “Big Brother” house for the CBS reality show’s milestone 25th season and competing for the $750,000 grand prize.

“From the Smoky Mountains of Gatlinburg, Tennessee, the world’s favorite chill billy, it’s Red!” Red Utley said to introduce himself to “Big Brother” in a clip.

Utley is 37 and works in sales, according to a CBS press release. Going by “Hillbilly Red,” Utley is also a popular TikToker, amassing nearly 600,000 followers and 5.5 million likes on the social media platform. His TikTok handle is @lucky_red85.

Utley is competing against 15 other contestants in a season that is “full of jaw-dropping moments and twists that will send the Houseguests spiraling into another universe,” the release stated. But he is confident he’ll be the last houseguest standing.

“I’m going to win 'Big Brother' 25 because I’m Appalachian American: resourceful, always ready to solve a problem and I can adapt and change with anything that’s thrown at me,” he said in a clip released by Entertainment Weekly.

But what’s his strategy to win? He said he’ll develop one as he navigates the game throughout the season to avoid the dreaded house eviction.

“I don’t think you can go in there with any one plan. You can have plans A through Z, but when you get in there, all that changes. So, the beauty of ‘Big Brother’ is that you expect the unexpected, and if you can’t adapt, you won’t survive,” Utley said.

Crews visited Utley at his Great Smoky Mountains home on (of course) a rainy day, and he introduced himself as a hippie/Army veteran/family man who tends to use charming "Red-isms" like "I'm busier than a skeeter in a nudist colony."

Utley isn't the only Tennessean in the cast. Also competing this season is 24-year-old Nashville bartender Reilly Smedley, USA TODAY reports.

Other houseguests this season include a Deaflympics gold medalist, a brand strategist, an exterminator, a geriatric physician, a professional flutist, a political consultant and a DJ from Australia. Contestant ages range from 21 to 63.

When to watch 'Big Brother' 25

Red Utley of Gatlinburg, going by "Hillbilly Red," is competing on the 25th season of "Big Brother."
Red Utley of Gatlinburg, going by "Hillbilly Red," is competing on the 25th season of "Big Brother."

The 25th season of “Big Brother” premiered Aug. 2 on CBS with a 90-minute episode. Beginning Aug. 6, the series will air three days a week, at 8 p.m. Sundays and Wednesdays, with the live evictions taking place during the 9 p.m. Thursday episodes.

The show will stream live and on demand on Paramount+, where fans can also watch the 24/7 live feeds and find exclusive content.

Devarrick Turner is a trending news reporter. Email devarrick.turner@knoxnews.com. Twitter @dturner1208.

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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: ‘Big Brother’ 25 contestant Red Utley is from Gatlinburg, Tennessee