A Southern belle, Big was born in Dallas, Texas, on March 16th, 1978. The middle child of three siblings, Burns learned solid family values from her supportive parents. Her mother encouraged her from a young age to pursue her dream, which, since kindergarten, was to become a ballet dancer. But as a teenager, Burns showed great promise as a professional ballet dancer but her career was abruptly ended at age 14 after a ski accident. A successful model since the age of 16, she has been featured in American and European fashion magazines and has appeared in televised ads for Mug Root Beer, Matrix and Carrows Restaurants.

Burns also starred on the syndicated series "Out of the Blue" which was shot on location in Orlando, Florida. She later moved to Los Angeles. Ironically, her first audition following her the move to the West Coast was for Baywatch. She didn't get the part, but her natural good looks and talents made an impression on the producers who subsequently called her in to audition for the role of "Jessie." It was her big break. After developing a cult following on Baywatch and Baywatch Hawaii, Burns decided to leave the show at age 22 when she discovered that she was pregnant. The father was recent hubby Julian McMahon of the WB show, Charmed. In addition to her Baywatch role, Burns appeared in several episodes of Ally McBeal, where she played a fictional character in Calista Flockhart's delusions. After baby Madison was born in 2000, Brooke turned toward movies and took a small yet significant role in the 2001 comedy Shallow Hal, where she played a woman whose inner beauty transforms her into a goddess. Her next big opportunity came after appearing in a celebrity edition of Fear Factor, where she leapt on top of a speeding double-decker bus.

Producers from NBC were impressed with her charisma and sense of adventure, and asked her to sign on as host of a new reality show/game show called Dog Eat Dog. She readily took the position and has enjoyed great Nielsen ratings since its recent debut. Although her accomplishments are not walk-of-fame worthy, Burns has the wit and looks to last a long time on screen, whether it's small or silver. She is a natural athlete who excels as a swimmer having been trained by her father, a former national champion swimmer at SMU. In her spare time, Burns is a mentor for PennyLane, a residential home for abused children.