Atlanta’s Bayleigh Dayton on ‘Big Brother 20’ debuting June 27

She was Miss Missouri 2017, now a Delta flight attendant
Bayleigh Dayton is a recent Atlanta transplant from Missouri competing on "Big Brother 20."

Bayleigh Dayton is a recent Atlanta transplant from Missouri competing on "Big Brother 20."

Originally posted Monday, June 18, 2018 by RODNEY HO/rho@ajc.com on his AJC Radio & TV Talk blog

The 20th edition of CBS's trashy reality competition show "Big Brother" will feature an Atlanta flight attendant Bayleigh Dayton, who is also a former Miss Missouri.

The 16 contestants, who are already sequestered, will enter the Big Brother house June 27 under the watchful eye of host Julie Chen and a raft of producers and viewers.

Dayton, a 25-year-old Baylor University graduate, will be up against a lifeguard, a female pro football player and a Vegas entertainer, among others. The youngest is 21; the oldest is 40. The winner will pocket a nifty $500,000, which isn’t bad for 12 weeks of work.

Yes, you have to commit almost three months to this show, longer than “Survivor” or “American Idol.” And you will have to live without the Internet, TV, social media or books (except the rule book and the Bible.) This is probably why you don’t see a lot of attorneys, doctors or active police officers on the roster. Who can take that much time off?

Dayton, according to her LinkedIn page, has worked as a flight attendant at Delta Air Lines since February, 2015. She must be taking a leave of absence given the potential length of time she might be in the Big Brother house.

She was the first African American Miss Missouri in 2017 after finishing runner up in 2016. She landed in the top 10 at the Miss USA pageant.

LAS VEGAS, NV - MAY 14:  Miss Missouri USA 2017 Bayleigh Dayton is introduced during the 2017 Miss USA pageant at the Mandalay Bay Events Center on May 14, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada.  (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

Credit: Ethan Miller

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Credit: Ethan Miller

"Learn to walk with kings and queens but never lose the common touch," she told the Kansas City Star after winning. "I want everybody to know that yes, I am a queen, but I am a queen for the people and I am here to serve."
According to her Big Brother bio, she is big into yoga, something she'll be able to do in the Big Brother house. She describes herself as "engulfing, adventurous and unpredictable," which if true could potentially mean great TV.

She told Ross Mathews, a former "Celebrity Big Brother" contestant, that she is single with no boyfriend. Her weakness: "I don't know how to handle boys." (Curious that she calls them "boys.")

She said in her bio that she likes to call people out in real life so “keeping my thoughts to myself and not showing my reactions on my face is hard.”

Asked for her strategy, she made a quick pageant reference: “I want to be ‘Miss Congeniality’ — not be fake or too nice.”

Dayton added: “I want to stay clear of the drama and let the bombs self-destruct. But I also want everyone to fear me just a little.” That’s going to be a tricky balance.

She told Mathews to be good but not so good as to have a target on her back. She wants to be considered strong but not technically be a floater. She considers her biggest strength is her social game. She is also competitive and athletic.

She will bring her Bible inside the house so she will have something to read and help her stay centered along with her yoga. By the way, someone has already created a fan page for her on Twitter.