The Simmering Showmance Between 'Big Brother's' Rubina Bernabe and Tucker Des Lauriers, Explained

Now in its 26th regular season, Big Brother has maintained its popularity as one of the best psychological gameplay competitions to date. Since it first premiered in 2000, the fandom has grown strong. Gameplayers who went on to become fan favorites have become celebrities in their own right. Winners Rachel Reilly and Dan Gheesling were even featured in Seasons 1 and 2 of Peacock's The Traitors, respectively. Fans love the drama Big Brother brings, but that's not all.

There is nothing better than a slow-simmering romance in any form of entertainment. There's something about the tension and build-up that makes that first kiss so very exciting to watch. When it comes to Big Brother, there have been plenty of "showmances" over the years. It makes absolute sense; if you cram a bunch of people into one house, someone is bound to get a little touchy-feely.

Viewers are in the midst of such a showmance between two particular houseguests: Rubina Bernabe and Tucker Des Lauriers.

Flirtation is bound to happen when a bunch of people, some of whom are conventionally attractive, live under one roof. Especially when no contact is allowed with the outside world. While some shows do this with the purpose of love, like Love Island, Big Brother is a game, and any showmance is 100 percent incidental, if you don't include potential producer interference. There has been a lot of flirtation on Big Brother 26, but viewers are quickly obsessing over just how cute Tucker and Rubina are.

Season 26 is bringing all the drama and mess in the best way possible. Chelsie Baham brilliantly broke down all the crushes and showmances within the house in a hilarious clip. In it, she mentions her crush on Cam Sullivan-Brown. Cam has a crush on Leah Peters, who has a crush on Tyler, who, she asserts, loves the fish in the fish tank. However, it has become clear that Tyler has set his sights on Rubina, as their flirting has gone up a few levels, and now fans are yearning for the duo to kiss.

On the Aug. 7 episode of Big Brother 26, a lot happened. Tyler, who is in love with the fish (allegedly) and is in like with Rubina, made a game-changing move that shook viewers everywhere. Prior to that, he and Rubina had a cuddle session that drove fans crazy. One fan gushed over one intimate moment on X, writing, "rubina grabbing tucker by the shoulders and him pulling her by the waist as they lock eyes and then he asks for a KISS PLSSSS," later adding, "OH TUBINA RISEEE!" We agree: be cute and rise, Tubina!