And the reason, because the, the debate was after. TO one HOH. mm-Hmm. . And, and once the power of veto competition ended and, and Cam had won, that’s where politicking started and that’s where Angela started making it known around the house, Hey, I’m not as close to Tucker.
You know, Tucker’s thinking that Angela, he’s, he’s just taking, he’s riding with Angela to the end and she basically turned on him. And that got out. He had some very harsh words with Angela and told her like, I’ve been your ride or die. I’m the one that’s kept you here. And now I find out you’re going behind my back, wanting to get me out.
You’re going up. And that’s, you know, T CORE, listen to it. And that’s why T CORE put Angela up instead of, of Leah.
So she wanted all along, like that’s, yeah, like shows you Tucker’s power. I guess T CORE has gotten what she wants. And somehow come out, not look, not being the enemy in all of this. And I just find that so impressive.
I really do. Anyway. Sorry. I didn’t mean to cut you off. Keep going. No, but I was,
yeah, what I was saying, it just like. The sixth street, which is the four that you mentioned, Rabina, Rabina, Tucker T CORE and chemo with bringing in Joseph and Angela, even though Angela just kind of invited herself and said, can I be a part of this?
I mean, that’s the six strong there’s 11 left. Right. And they’ve, they’ve got the numbers. They could ride those six to the final six, but Angela. Went behind Tucker’s back. I don’t know if they’ve, I think they’ve patched things up, but if it is Angela against Tucker tonight, like you say, the only, cause you have no idea.
Like again, when Tucker, as long as BBA arena is around, I just feel he’s going to win one of two every week. He’s not going over to cause he’s so dominant. So if somehow he doesn’t win a arena tonight, no matter who he’s up against, if Angela wins it and he’s sitting there against MJ or MJ wins it and he’s sitting there against Angela.
Like you said, you gotta take him out. If you don’t, he’s winning this game. Tell me, I don’t see anybody else with even half the resume that he has and I know I’m just And no, I’m not just going off comps, even though he’s an absolute, absolute comp beast, but, and I’m going to give him credit because he, he’s really good in these comps, but it’s not like, it’s not like he’s going up against people that I feel are providing any sort of competition for him.
Like the wall, I feel he would have stayed, I know he said it and maybe he’s just talking and bragging about himself, but I feel he could have stayed up another 45 minutes when had no chance against him again on the, none, none. And I just don’t feel like anybody’s giving him any competition in these comps.
So I don’t want to take it away from him, but he’s also, who else has a resume on the show? Maybe outside of T Corp. Anybody else
playing well, also, I just feel like, don’t you all want to have a chance at winning, like get rid of him. So you got a shot, like winning any of the comps. Like you said, no, one’s going to win anything as long as he’s in the house
and Tommy, you, you agree.
If he gets to the end, he’s winning, right? Like, I don’t see him not winning. I would vote for him in a heartbeat. Yeah. So yeah. So you had a season where Jackson was a comp beast, right? He won 10, 11, right? Yeah.
Yeah, I think 11, 11 comps.
Yeah, which was I think maybe at the time tied for the most or maybe he set the record.
I can’t remember.
He’s still, he’s still tied for the most. One of them was a luxury comp. But people just like to forget about him and leave him out of the conversation, but he was a force to be reckoned with. He was dominant.
He was a, he was a comp beast. And I know that there are some people that are like social game versus comp game and yeah, just because Tucker’s winning all these comps doesn’t mean he’s the best player.
I mean, Like you just said, if he got to the end, you would vote for him. And I think it would be, he’s, he is playing well. He’s erratic. Sure. He’s impulsive. Sure. But he is so dominant. I don’t think you can take that away from him in a season where. Anybody else’s game right now. I just don’t see their resume, even half of what he’s putting out there.
He’s just so good. And so dominant, but the one chance you get, you got to strike or else you are just, you’re not going to win comps going forward. He’s probably going to rack up two or three more head of households at some point. Yeah, he doesn’t, he’s going to win some power vetoes or AI arenas like.
I think the one difference, you know, we talk about Jackson from my season because he was also very dominant. The difference between Jackson and Tucker is that Jackson waited until 40 percent of the season was over. Like finished. He didn’t start winning until we were like a little bit into the, into the game.
That’s right. Tucker started winning
right away. So I do feel like, like we saw with Michael from BB 24. I think that we’re going to see him get voted out at some point. I don’t think that he’s going to be able to take this the whole way. But but yeah, I do think he’s still a force to be reckoned with and I could see him winning this thing.
I just think that his path to the end is, is, is, Very difficult because of the way that he’s played so far.
He’s almost showed his cards too soon. And it’s just like, okay, he’s a comp beast. If we don’t get them out he’s going to beat us. Like you’ve spoken to all the eliminated contestants is the consensus is the, the house will take a shot at him when they have a chance, or are they saying is Kenny saying is Brooklyn saying Matt.
Lisa, are they all saying, no, they’re scared of him. They don’t want to take a shot at him.
Well, funny enough, all of those people are the ones that would have taken the shot at him. The people that are left in the house all have final twos with him. Angela was right. Angela is right. He is working closely with T Coren chemo.
He is working closely with Quinn. Now he is working closely with Rubina. He’s working closely with Angela and Joseph. He has a final two with everyone except for Leah and McKenzie.
Yeah,
so I don’t know what’s gonna happen. Like if they don’t, I don’t know if these people are actually just playing him and they really are just waiting for the, they’re using him until they have the opportunity to take the shot or if they actually are wanting him to stick around.
I can’t really tell because here’s the thing. We see them talk on the feeds. But they don’t always say what they’re actually feeling because they know it depends on who they’re talking to unless I’m seeing a combo between like chemo and T Core. That’s those are two that I believe that they’re going to always tell each other the truth.
There’s
very few people like, even when they talk to Rubina, they probably have in the back of their heads. She’s going to go back and talk to Tucker about this. So they’re going to filter what they say to her. So we could see them saying one thing, but they might actually feel something completely different.
And it’s hard to sift through what people are actually feeling sometimes. So with that said, I don’t know if they’re going to take the shot at him when they get the opportunity. Or not because you’ve seen them say that they wouldn’t that they want him in this house. Still, I’m just holding out hope that that’s not the truth and that they actually are just waiting for the right moment
as someone who played this game.
Yeah, I’m just curious on how you feel about or how you felt at the time. Obviously you all know that the live feeds are happening. Did you do it the same way? Did you like, Hey, I’m going to tell certain people like Christie, I think is the one that you obviously were closest to in the house and you felt like, okay, you and Christie were kind of like the T Core and chemo of this season, you know, you just feel like that is your ride or die and I just.
When you knew the, you know, the feeds are running, how did you handle it? And did you try and bite your lip on certain things because you didn’t want anything getting out on live feeds that could be misinterpreted or taken a certain way, or were you just like, no, I, I know what this game is. I understand what I got myself into.
I’m just going to say what I feel. How was your take on the live feeds?
Honestly, I really didn’t worry about the live feeds at all. I didn’t think about them. You forget that you are on camera. You really do feel like you’re in a house. The only time that you realize that you’re on a set is when you look up and see hundreds of lights, hundreds of cameras, like every, they keep them hidden in the corners of the room.
It’s really, they do a good job. So you forget. I personally did not worry about the live feeds because I my number one priority was to win that game. I would have done anything to win. I, you know, my season had a lot of controversy, obviously. And it’s very interesting watching now as a fan and in hindsight, because I would go in that my number one goal when I went in the house was not to be A perfect person to do the right thing to stick up for people when they deserved it.
That wasn’t what was on my mind. I didn’t care about that. I would have compromised who I am in real life for the game. I would do anything to win and not pain a target on my back, but I just find it so interesting that fans of the show gets so mad at people when they don’t do the right thing in the house, but sometimes doing the right thing.
Puts a target on your back. And so the answer to your question is, did I, did I worry about the live feeds? No, I didn’t worry about anything, but winning that game, but keeping the target off of me. And even if that meant not doing the right thing in real life, if I saw someone being bullied, I’d stick up for them, but in the house.
No, you don’t. You don’t stick up for them. That because the truth is that could put a target on your back and then you could get voted out. And that was, you don’t want that to happen. So I did not worry about the live feeds at all. I truly forgot that I was. On camera and I was just being myself and focusing on each week and just staying in that game
So let’s just say at some point in the next couple weeks Tucker goes out or just tucker isn’t in the final two You know and he gets out i’m trying to think of okay.
Now, let’s go down the rung of people left Who has built up a good enough resume? Obviously, there’s still plenty of game left. There’s over half the game still there That’s
the thing we like We lose sight of that because so much has happened, but we are still just in week five. Like we have a lot more game to play.
And if Tucker goes, people will have the opportunity to build up their resume. Someone that I wouldn’t write off is Angela for some reason, but I know, but some reason, everybody that I talked to that got like evicted and stuff, they’re all still, no one takes Angela seriously in that house and I can’t understand why.
I think she like just. Painted herself as a crazy person week one. So people are writing her off, but your viewers or house guests, both, both honestly, but I think that she’s doing a great job. Like the fact that she was able to step back and say, Tucker, you have final twos with everybody. Like, who are you telling the truth with?
She’s fucking playing this game. She’s here to play. I, I gotta give respect where it’s deserved. I just think that she’s more of a force to be reckoned with than we’re giving her credit for. She’s won two HOHs. Everyone wants to say that it was luck and write it off, but it’s two HOHs that most people don’t have.
Nobody else in the house has two HOHs except for this 57 year old woman. So she’s doing something right. She keeps escaping the block week after week. She is painting targets on people when she needs to. Her enemies keep leaving the house one at a time. So like, I don’t know. I think that she’s got a pretty good resume.
I’m a huge T Core fan. I just love watching her navigate this game. I think that she’s awesome. Leah is somebody that everyone’s sleeping on. She’s managed to stay off the block and she has so many people fighting for her. And it’s kind of weird that they’re fighting for her because she’s not fighting for them.
So it’s like kind of, I don’t know how she has this power over these people, but she does, it’s working.
Yeah.
I mean, some of the people that I’m into right now.
Yeah. And you know, T CORE and chemo, you wonder. You know, obviously I think in their minds, they want to be the final two. And, you know, and I don’t think there would be any bad blood right now.
I think T Corps has a much better resume than Kimo. Kimo hasn’t won anything. Right. He hasn’t really even been a threat in any sort of comp. I just don’t see anything where he would get votes over T Corps if they happen to be the final two, but like we said. Plenty of time left. Maybe he pulls a great game move at some point or directs a blind side and can claim that on his resume.
We don’t know yet, but yeah, I’d say right now, now I think people could take Angela to the end because I think they think nobody’s going to end up voting for her. Like, I don’t know how well, like she is in the, in the house. She’s doing well in, in terms of staving off being eliminated, but. You know, if Tucker took it, if, if this twosome of Tucker and Angela ever got to the end, I mean, Angela gets zero votes.
I just don’t think anybody’s voting
for her. I guess I agree. And I can’t figure out why, like, why are they writing her off? Maybe in time she can turn it around and that would be even more impressive if she’s just downplaying her threat level. And making them all think that she’s just a crazy person that they could write off, but then towards the end, she people start realizing that they underestimated her.
Maybe she can have that game and that like, like a Nicole Franzel game in the 1st game, 1st season that she played in. I feel like I could see it’s going well for Angela. I could, because they are writing her off. I, I might have my foot in my mouth if she gets kicked out this week, but yeah, but but I don’t know.
I just feel like she’s, I’m very impressed with her. And I think that people are underestimating her skill level because she’s so, and you know what, this is what I’ll say. This is the difference between Angela and Tucker. Like, look how I’m like, Fighting for Angela and then Tucker I’m not into. Both of them are playing boldly, fearlessly, recklessly, but I never questioned her motives.
I know that she wants to be here. I know that the game matters most to her. She would never threaten to leave. She would never, ever like she is appreciative. And you can tell that this means something to her. He just feels like a, a spoiled brat that kicks and screams when he doesn’t get his way sometimes, and I just don’t have patience for it, but actually very similar in that regard.
And I am, look how much I love her and I’m all like fight for her in these conversations. But for him, I’m, I’m not about it. I’m over it.
Yeah, no, it is. It is certainly quite the dynamic. And obviously we just don’t know going into tonight. You know, I, without knowing what the AI arena comp is, I just assume Tucker’s going to win because he wins basically everything.
So we’ll, we’ll, we’ll see. And gosh, if he is on the block, if somehow MJ or Angela beats him, you got to take a shot.
Wouldn’t that be something if Angela wins AI arena over Tucker?
And is, is, is the person eliminated tonight? Are they, are they first person on jury or no? We don’t know
that yet. We’re going to find out.
Usually Julie says on eviction nights, congratulations. Everyone here has at least made jury. I think we’re going to see that. I mean, usually they do either a nine person jury or a seven person jury. So I think that we have a little bit longer to go.
Can you imagine if Tucker doesn’t win AI arena, whether it’s MJ or Angela and he gets voted out, like.
One of the biggest comp beasts we’ve ever seen in the history of the show. Can’t even make jury like it it’s because nobody that didn’t make jury has, I, you know, I don’t, I only know the show from your season on zero season was the first one I ever really watched. But I can’t imagine anybody in the previous 21 seasons in the first 21 seasons, one, six comps and didn’t make jury and was eliminated before jury.
There’s no way.
Yeah, you’re right. You’re right. He’s,
it would be amazing because everybody’s expecting him to make Like if he gets to the end, he’s winning, but yet he might not make the jury. If he somehow loses a arena tonight and they do what they should do, which is we got to take a shot.
So usually Julie will announce on it, like on the live show on the live eviction episode, congratulations, you all made jury.
I wonder, there’s still a time for her to. announce it if he gets evicted this week, and they just want him in the on the show. There’s she could reveal it once he’s out of the house already. They might have that plan in their back pocket just to keep him around.
Yeah, no, we’ve got it. We’ve got 11 right now, right, but
then there’ll be two on the the final final two.
So this, usually the jury would have been announced already. If it was a nine person jury, they would have announced it last Thursday, but because they didn’t, people are thinking it’s going to be a seven person jury so that the votes are, can’t be split down the middle. They do that. It’s either nine or seven, but they didn’t announce it.
So people are thinking it’s a seven person jury, but if he gets voted out, you’re right. I think they want him involved with this season the whole way. I could see them revealing if he, you know, during his exit interview with Julie, if he does get eliminated. Hey, you actually made jury. We’re doing nine person.
We would have announced it last week, but plot twists were we announcing it now.
What was your jury nine or seven? Nine.
I like the nine person jury. I think that it’s important. I do.
And so you guys had a nine person jury ever since your season, do you know, off the top of your head? From 21 through 25, they’ve done
seven.
They’ve done seven people. Like last season was a seven person.
Was it okay? I don’t remember. Yeah, I don’t my retention of this because there’s so many episodes and the, they kind of all run together. The seasons, but I can’t remember. Number of jury members. Yeah. Season, because last year was seven. Last year was seven.
You think? You remember?
Yeah. Last year was seven. I’m pretty sure. And I think the year before it was seven as well.
Was
the year
before cookout or was
that
three seasons ago?
Three seasons ago. And I think that was nine, but I’m not a hundred percent sure on all this, honestly. That’s right. Cause
going back, going back, well.
We can go from your season to now, it was winners, Jackson, and then 22 was all star season, right? Or was that 23?
22 was all stars during COVID, then the cookout, then Taylor, and then Jag was last year. And now we’re at this year.
Wait, who won all star season? I’m already forgetting.
Cody? Cody.
That’s right.
And you know why? I’ll throw some flowers. On his name too, Cody’s one of the best players that we’ve had in Big Brother history and people just don’t like to admit it. He’s so good. The fact that he made top two both times. And the way that he seamlessly won all stars, I just, I love watching him play. I think he’s so good at the game.
So charismatic, great at competitions when he needs to be big fan of Cody.
So this should be, I mean, it should be a hell of an episode tonight. And like you said, it’s, this is, this is all coming down to the AI arena and can Tucker beat Angela and MJ. You would think he could based on no matter what comp it is, but you throw in Hey, a memory thing, or, you know, even that first HOH that Angela won, where it’s just, Hey, let’s just roll a puck across a board.
Like something like that would not give Tucker any sort of advantage unless, I mean, well, he didn’t win the first one. So clearly, but what I’m saying is something like that, you couldn’t practice at home. Nobody has a skill of rolling a puck across a board and landing it on a certain number. I mean, that’s, I don’t want to say it’s a luck, but.
It evens out the playing field if you have something like that. But if it’s, you know,
yes, I will say, I think that people, you know, last year the competitions were, I think that in the past, big brother has not had equitable comps that they’ve been like fair for everyone. But I think that this year they have done a much better job at making them fair, anyone’s game.
It’s just, it just so happens that Tucker’s extremely well rounded. Like if you look at the different types of competitions that he’s won, they’re kind of all over the board. They, they really are. I know you’re right that a lot of them are the timed ones, the AI arenas, but in terms of vetoes or that HOH that he won, they’re kind of all over the place, the comps are a lot more equitable this year than they have been in the past, which I appreciate.
I’m trying to remember now. Obviously, he’s one six. We don’t need to go over all six, but the one where you had the plug and you’re running through a maze. Couldn’t hit something or else it added to your time. He won that one. Right.
I would say is a mixture of like athleticism, but also just like patience and like using your brain and being smart.
So I think that in that regard, I just feel like some of these competitions are not just endurance. The wall one is just endurance really, but like pretty much everything else requires multiple skills and not just endurance. One, it’s not just focusing on one skill per cop. If that makes sense,
did he, did he win the one where running across the boards and hitting the button for the score and whoever the highest score, did he win that one?
No, McKenzie won that one. Was that McKenzie? Oh, geez.
Yeah, that was already with the balls. When you had to knock them out off the middle.
No, no, no, no. The one where you had, where he had to run, you know, on. It’s almost like, it seems like they run this comp every season where you have to run across like planks and you have to remember you had to sprint.
Oh, and hit a button. Was that, I think he won that. I think, but I can’t remember.
No, you’re right. Who won that one? It was McKenzie fell and was going to win that. And was it Tucker or Cedric?
Yeah. Was that Cedric’s win? See, that’s what I don’t remember, but that comp has always seemed to be there every season.
That was the beginning of Tucker’s like winning streak. I think that was the first one that he won.
Okay. Yeah. See, that seems to be a comp that they use every year. We’re running, running across planks. How far did you last on the wall? I don’t remember.
Well, that’s so it’s an interesting question because Are you out on that?
No, I was, I was top two on that one. It was me and Jackson with that one.
But,
What’s it called? So the wall comp used to last for hours and it’s, it’s not lasting as long as it used to, they must be tilting it at a sharper angle than they used to in the past or something like that, which is making it.
We’re seeing more athletic men win that competition than we used to. It used to be skinny, tiny people, like people with just like lean bodies. It could have been a man or a woman, but I feel like over the last few years, we’re seeing more men win that comp than they used to. Honestly, men used to not win that competition because they had more weight to hold on to.
So it would only go a little bit. And it was just easier for, I don’t, I don’t know. I don’t know what it is, but we’re seeing people like Tucker Jackson win that competition more now than we were in the past. I think I lasted, I honestly forget, but it was, it was a while.
And if, if I’m not mistaken, Tucker won it in like 40 minutes or something like that.
It was, and we’ve had some that lasted in the past based on what I went on Wikipedia. Cause I was like, it’s seeming like Tucker won this fairly soon. And I was seeing like, they ranked the longest wall winners. Yes. There was like a three hour. There was a few that were three hours back in the day. Exactly.
So there’s no way that far and someone lasting three hours, you almost can’t physically.
And that’s why we’re seeing stronger people last, because it’s more about the muscle when you’re going down at a sharper angle than it is just how long can your body keep going versus how much can you hold
when you lost to Jackson again?
I don’t remember. But were you? Offered a deal where you just like, and you couldn’t take it.
I was at the wits, like I couldn’t, I really couldn’t last anymore. And he was like, I’ll give you a deal. And I was like, All right. I guess I’ll take the deal. I get to play it in next week’s HOH and I’m safe this week.
Let’s do it. So I took the deal.
And you were, you were, you were done.
You
couldn’t last.
I was done. I couldn’t last anymore. And he was an animal, so he was going to last a lot longer.
Yeah. I mean, he’s just, he was a put together guy. He was big. He was strong. Like exactly what you were saying. Like that seems to benefit.
The wall seems to benefit those people now, you know, he’s got more weight to hold on to. He’s also stronger. So maybe it doesn’t clearly works out a lot, you know,
he also, I gotta like give him credit. Like he had a very, just as strong as his body was. His brain was justice was equally as strong. He had a really like, just when he like locked in, there was no beating him.
It was, it was a mental thing too.
The yeah, I mean, I, this is. Some great big brother talk. This is exactly what I wanted to get to. But I love that you
love it now. I love that you started with our season and then you just kept watching. I love it. Yeah, I just, it’s so good. I love it. I can, once I got hooked
and you know, I just for 21 seasons, I was just like, it’s a show on three times a week.
It’s on the same time as the bachelorette in the summer. I just didn’t have the time to dedicate it.
Yeah.
Dedicate to it. And the reason I started watching your season was because I knew Holly. We weren’t close friends or anything, but she had been on my podcast before. So I’m like, I’ll watch it. And then I was just like, okay, I’m sucked in.
You look at if Holly got eliminated in episode two, I probably would have been out on your season.
Holly’s another one. Like people don’t realize how good of a player that she really was. She won a lot of competitions. She won a crazy amount of competitions. It just so happens that Jackson won more, but comparatively speaking to other seasons, Holly won a crazy amount of competitions.
She stayed off. She holds the record, like one of the highest records for staying off the block the longest. It was me and her, we got put on the block the same week, but she went on two days after me, I think I went 79 days and she went 81 days. Something like that. So, but so her social game was incredible too.
She is somebody that like, oh my God, I would love to see her play again. It just sucks because our season, you know, had so much controversy and it was so triggering for so many people. And understandably, so like, I get it. It, it, it makes sense, but there were a lot of good players in my season. A lot of people were there to play the game and they played hard and they were great competitors that just kind of don’t get the recognition that I think they deserve.
And Holly, if I’m not mistaken. Even one like late in the game when it was down to, I think three or four, didn’t she run that endurance one where you have to hang on and it spun around. She won that one, didn’t she? She won that
one. And what was going on was her, and it wasn’t until at least like halfway through the season where then she would win an HOH, then Jackson would win the HOH, then she would win the HOH, then Jackson would win the HOH, then she would win the HOH.
They just took, they just literally kept winning. They take, you took a chance of peace at winning the next one. So they stayed safe for so many weeks.
No, they were
good.
Yeah. I’m glad. I’m glad I’ve stuck with the show. I do, I definitely do enjoy it. I don’t watch the live feeds, but I read, you know, the Twitter and I’m just like, I just need a gist of what happened.
I’ll, I’ll basically find out. Okay. Who won HOH Friday night, who they put up. And then on Monday. So I just, I keep up, we keep up to date that way, but I just don’t have time to watch obviously the feeds and congratulations to all the people that that do have time and report it because it’s, thank you for doing that because I just don’t have the time for it.
Obviously Tommy, we haven’t had John since I believe would have been, you know, 20, So that was 2020. Yeah. That was during COVID. When
you blindsided me and you had her on the call and you were trying to get me to talk shit about her, but I didn’t because I don’t, I don’t, I don’t do that, but that was so funny.
The you know, it’s, it’s, It’s funny because there’s probably two things, two major things that have happened in your life since then that I want to talk about. You went on one of my other favorite shows. You went on The Challenge.
Yes. Went on The Challenge. That was like a fever dream. Yeah. Like, it was, it was so fun.
I’m so glad I did it. Yeah. I got to go with Annalise, who was, well, oh, going back to what we were saying before, like, you, you mentioned, like, Having a person that you can talk to and really be open and honest with in the game and not worry about what you’re saying and who it’s going to get around to. I was thinking about it.
I really had a few people like that, honestly, in the game, it was Christy, Annalise and Jack, those three people. I felt like I could say anything to, and I would trust that it wouldn’t get around. And that was, that’s something that, you know, that not everyone has in that game. And. And I think that’s why I always felt good in the house anyway.
So I got to piggybacking off of that. I got to do the challenge with Annalise and I am hoping that the world gets to see what she can, what she’s really made of without me because I held her back. That’s the truth. Like I’m so freaking tiny. I’m not meant for that show. It’s just not my thing. But I had a great time.
I got to hang off of a building in Argentina. That was unbelievable. And I’m so glad that I did it. You would think that, like, I actually thought that it was. Way more difficult than Big Brother was and not even because of the physicality of the challenges. It was more about the mental game. Like. Feeling like you are just a rookie and you’re on the outs and your days are numbered and you’re, you’re just paranoid and trying to stay out of the elimination.
It was so exhausting. On the like night before we got eliminated, before we went into the elimination I was just crying and Annalise looked at me. We had said like such a real. I can’t say enough good things about her, honestly. She’s incredible. Somebody else who really, she just, the world has not seen her potential yet.
But anyway, she looked at me and she just said, Tommy, I can, I know you like a book, and I know that you are just being strong for me, but I know that you’re not in love. Okay. Right now. And you can, you can let your guard down and you can like open up and be vulnerable and let me know what you’re really feeling.
All that was all she had to say. And I just, the floodgates opened. It was, it was really tough, really tough
was, was it always a, Hey, we want to get a big brother team and we’re kind of mixing and matching. Was it always going to be a Tommy and Elise thing? Or was it, Thinking, Hey, we’ll put Annalise with this person from big brother, or we’ll put Tommy with this person from big brother during casting for, for that.
So, no, honestly, people don’t really real because me and Christie had our connection outside of the game before big brother people associate. Her and I together, which like, we’re still best friends. Like I, of course, like as it should be, they just don’t, they didn’t associate me and Annalise together necessarily, but we were also best friends.
Like she’s literally like, she’s like my best friend forever. I love her. It’s really like the people that I’m closest to are Annalise sis, I call her Christie and Holly. Those, the, the three, the four of us, like. They are like my home, honestly. And they’re just the best. I love them and everybody else.
Like I’m still close with Ovi, with Nick, with Kat with Nicole. And I’ve developed relationships with all of them, honestly. But with that said, what happened was I had been in for casting. Sis had been in for casting, and then they had this twist where they were going to do, they wanted to do teams, ride or dies, and we basically just said, we fit this theme because we’re literally best friends.
We were probably one of the handful of teams that actually had a real, a strong relationship. I would say that our connection before going into the, the, the game fit the theme more than majority of the other couples.
See, I’m already forgetting. Were you Challenge USA or Challenge MTV? No, Challenge, the main,
the main show.
And that’s the problem going on a show like that when you’re not Like no matter how good you and Annalise were, you were going to be targeted, you know, that’s the problem being a quote unquote rookie, you know, the vets on that show, not in a mean way, or maybe sometimes it is a mean way they gang up on the newbies and they’re just like, you need to prove yourself.
Like, did you know going into that look, Annalise, no matter how we perform, unless we literally get immunity every week. We’re going to be one of the early teams to go in because
I totally knew,
you know,
okay. I was going because I wanted to have an experience. Like it wasn’t about, I literally lost money going on the show.
Like you don’t make anything when, especially when you’re a rookie. So I literally had to like buy a whole new under armor wardrobe because you can only wear under armor. So I literally lost money going on the show, but it was, When you’re offered an opportunity like that, you don’t say no because it’s just, and how many people could say that they got flown to Argentina and got to compete in these challenges, run in the mud.
scheme, hang off buildings with their best friend. Like that is something that I will say that I would pay to do actually. So I knew that it was going to be a very tough road ahead, but it was more about just having the experience for me.
Yeah, I was going to say you wouldn’t, you wouldn’t trade that for the world at this point.
Nope, wouldn’t. Definitely not.
The other thing that’s obviously happened to you since 2020 is you got engaged and something that obviously you’re very happy about. So tell us were you, I can’t remember who proposed to who were, was it a surprise and where are you in Wedding planning going on with everything.
So, I met my fiance Joey in 2020 during the pandemic. We met on hinge. Oh, you met on hinge.
Okay. I was, I was going to ask, like, where did you, I didn’t remember, but like, where did you meet him? Yeah, we
met on hinge and we, we got a cool story. We do like. I, I just love him. I’m obsessed with him. He’s my, my like, he’s my partner.
He’s my best friend. He’s like a part of me at this point. We live together. He’s downstairs working right now. We have our wedding day picked out April 19th. I’m super excited. It’ll be great. And we’ve both just come from big Italian families. He’s from the Bronx. I’m from Staten Island. So we fit together like a puzzle.
It’s great. I’m very lucky.
Before you met him on him, just out of curiosity, before you met him on hinge, were you, were you new to hinge? Had you been on a bunch of hinge dates and you’re just like, God, I’m about to give this up or whatever. Or did, was he one of the first ones? Where were you with that?
I was talking to a bunch of people, but I didn’t go on a lot of dates necessarily because you only go on a date if you think it’s going to be worth it.
And I kind of just knew that it wasn’t going to be worth it. I’m sure that I went on a handful of them. I can’t remember offhand. It’s honestly been so long at this point that I don’t remember, but but I knew right away, as soon as we went on our first date that I, I knew that he was my person. I did.
Which is interesting because like you said, it happened during COVID. So how did you manage the COVID thing? Because technically you weren’t supposed to meet people who were new and you didn’t even know them. You didn’t know where they had been or who they had come in contact with. How did you guys manage it?
Cause that’s exactly how Kat and I started dating. We dated during COVID and we were basically both home alone and we’re in. That’s how we started dating and we just told each other like, Hey, I’ve been hanging out with anybody and I’m like, yeah, neither have I. So we met up and we felt we were safe, but same thing with you guys.
Well, okay. So here’s what I’ll say. And this is like the cool, all right. So when you meet on a dating app, it kind of takes the element of fate. Out of it because you’re like, Oh, you literally forced it. You set it up. You literally both went on a nap, you matched, and then you decided to meet up. There’s no element of fate.
That’s not true with us because we matched in May of 2020 and we talked for a little bit, but then it fizzled away. I didn’t know this at the time, but he was not out of the closet to his family. He still hadn’t told his family that he was, that he’s gay.
Oh,
okay. That was always a deal breaker for me. I would, I wouldn’t have dated somebody who was still in the closet and I wouldn’t have wanted somebody to come out just to be with me either.
I wouldn’t have wanted that pressure. So that was a deal breaker for me. If we would have continued to talk in May. We wouldn’t have worked out because I would have written it off. So, the first week of August, he comes out to his family on his own. The week after, I messaged him again and I said, Hey, I don’t know if you’re still on this app, but, like, what’s up?
And I If we would have continued talking when we originally matched, it wouldn’t have worked out. But so I always think that that’s a fun story because, you know, you hear dating app and it makes you feel like there’s no element of fate. But I do think that we were meant to meet and it feels like fate to me.
So when you were, when you first started talking to him in May of 2020. He told you, I haven’t, he told you I hadn’t come out yet. Oh, he never, I didn’t know. Okay. So you didn’t know
we didn’t get that far. So I had no idea. So that’s why I like had no idea, but if we would have continued and gotten that far, I would have written it off.
And he told you, Oh, by the way, I haven’t come out yet. You would have been like, when we,
when we started like really talking end of August and here’s the other thing, like what I was going to get back to was how, like during COVID, how was that meeting then? I don’t like, I, I feel like in the summer things kind of calmed down with COVID, like people were going outside a little bit more people were, it was not going away, but the, the wave of COVID.
Was not at its peak. And then it picked up back again in the fall.
Yeah.
Well, because we were all still figuring out what it was, but what happened was in March, it really hit, we were all inside. And then by August, we were kind of like, and July and August, we were like going outside again. It wasn’t spreading as much.
And then it picked up again and we went back inside, but we met during the window where we were kind of like testing the water still a little bit and going outside as a society. So. We, again, we got lucky in that regard as well.
Cat and I were the opposite. We met during the literal, the worst time when it started, but, and that was just one of those things where nobody was doing anything and she’s just like, I haven’t seen anybody in next amount of days.
And I’m like, well, neither have I. So clearly we should be fine. And then, you know, are you dating now?
What’s going on with you?
No not anything serious. Just talking and maybe seeing if something goes somewhere. There’s I don’t really talk about it too much, but it’s always been tough, you know?
For me, I just, I, I’m. I don’t want to say I’m picky because I don’t think I am in terms of like looks. I don’t, it doesn’t, I don’t care about blonde versus brunette or tall versus short. It’s never been that with me. It’s just for me, I’ve always been very private about my personal life. Kat was the very first person in my life became someone who other people in the reality, Steve world knew about, you know, because she had been on reality TV and people knew her.
And it took some adjusting for me and then to post stuff. Cat is obviously very photogenic. She loves posting stuff on Instagram and I’m the opposite. And I’m not saying that ultimate led to our downfall. It’s just, I don’t think if Cat and I would have kept going, I think that ultimately would have been our downfall.
It’s just, I wouldn’t have been able to take it and, you know, Nothing against her. I have no problem with her being that way. I just know after a while I wouldn’t have been able to keep up with it. And I just knew it would have eventually set in, but for now. You know, for me, it’s just like, I, someone that I date has to understand.
Also the second I say, even though I’m not any sort of celebrity, I’ve never been on a reality TV show. I am known within a niche audience of the, you know, the bachelor nation, whoever I do date, once it is public that I am dating them, they have to know that. Like, they’re gonna get judged. And I just, it’s just a weird thing to put somebody through.
Because people are just gonna have comments, you know? I know most, most will be positive, but, you know, Tommy, I, I, you know, I wasn’t gonna bring this up and now that you brought it up, I, I will, you know, you, I’m sorry to
put you on the
spot.
I’m, I just wanna know I’m, we have No, I have no problem.
I have no problem talking about that, but it, it reminded me of something that I saw about, you know, just talking about how.
Judgmental people are online and you and and, and your fiance had, had put up a post. I can’t remember how long ago it was, maybe within the last six months to a year about receiving hate online. And you know, I hate that you have to go through with it. I had that you have to go through that. And it’s just, I just, I’ve never gotten it like that.
And obviously being part of the LGBTQ community that you are. Obviously we know it’s, it’s easier for people to hate on people that are, you know, different from them. And I just want you to kind of talk about it and just how, how did you deal with it? How do you deal with it still? I mean, I’m sure you get comments here and there.
But did it put a strain on your relationship at any point? Like, how does it feel to have to be marginalized like that and be put? Yeah, it’s got to suck.
First of all, I’m like laughing because I love that this is turning into a therapy session. We were like, literally like meeting up to talk about big brother, but all right.
So Joey, my fiance works in finance. He is not in this world at all. You know, you say that, whoever you date has to understand this part of your world. And it’s, it scares you. Sometimes it sounds like, because it’s, it’s a lot to put on a person and who didn’t ask for it. Who’s not in that world, but here’s the thing.
They are asking for it. If they want to be with you, that’s what I’ve had to surrender to and learn. It’s a part of me. This is what I do. I, I podcast, I do Broadway shows. I do reality TV shows. That’s who Tommy is. And so if you want to be with me, then this is what being with me looks like. You have to embrace and love.
This part of me as well. And then you find what works for them and what doesn’t. You, you have to have these conversations and talk about boundaries. My fiance gets nervous on camera. Like he’s not obsessed with it all the time. And so we have to like pick and choose what we do. And I respect that, but he’s also the most supportive.
He’s extremely supportive. I I’m very, very, very grateful for that. All this said, don’t let that intimidate you. Like some, like. Whoever it is, will be okay with it. And they gotta be okay with it because that’s, that’s who you are. That’s what you do. And it’s exciting. That’s the other thing. Like what we do is exciting.
We don’t have a nine to five where we sit down a normal person job. And, and I think that that’s, that’s why they’re attracted to us in the first place, like, because we’re not normal, we’re weird, we’re crazy. And I think it’s, it’s okay to embrace that and not think that it’s something To not be ashamed of, but just like be nervous about or have reservations.
I think it’s, I think it’s something to embrace and just know that like, yes, it might be tough sometimes to get that hate online, but think about how we got to go to the opening of this Broadway show. Think about all the exciting things that came because of what I do. And it becomes worth it. You just, it gives you tough skin, you know, all that hate.
I don’t even, when I, when someone gives me hate, I don’t even, I don’t Get mad. I just like, and I don’t even judge them for it. I’m just like, all right They’re at a place in their life where that’s what they think And I hope that they find out that what they think is wrong one day and that I hope that they just come from a place of love.
That’s it.
That’s all
you could do. I just, I, I’ve just gotten tough skin over the years and I, I don’t judge people when they, you know, give me hate because I am a big believer in this is like one of my mottos. I don’t believe that there are many bad people in the world. I think that people just do bad things because of bad things that have happened to them.
I think that a lot of our issues stem from our childhood, stem from our trauma, and they cause people to do things that maybe they’re not proud of, or that hurt other people. But I don’t think that they do it out of. A malicious intent. I think that usually people just do things because, you know, hurt people hurt people that it’s that saying. So it doesn’t bother me.
I
could go on so many tangents, Steve. I’m literally just a talker. I’m sorry, but it just doesn’t, it doesn’t affect me. I’m like, I see it. I like to more draw attention to it because I think it’s important to know that it’s still out there. I think that I’m blessed to live in New York City where and come from a family who does accept me and my fiance, but that’s not the case all over.
And sometimes it’s good to bring awareness to the fact that there is a lot of hate out there and that people aren’t as accepting. Even though we live in 2024 and even though it’s not in my immediate circle. It still is out there, and a lot of people are dealing with it, and that doesn’t fall unrecognized.
So, yeah, he, you know, he’s, I wish that he wasn’t in a meeting, because I would honestly ask him to jump on and be like, how do you feel, like, being, like, getting hate? Because he gets it too now sometimes, and it’s like, you know, he’s, he’s gotten good at just dealing with it.
You mentioned last thing here.
You mentioned Broadway shows. Yeah. Are you in one right now? What was the last one you did or what’s on the horizon for you?
Well, funny enough. So big brother happened in 2019. And then for, you know, like six months after that. whatever, however many months I was just coming off the high of the show. I wasn’t working.
I wasn’t performing at that point. I was doing appearances just in the reality TV world. And then the pandemic hit and Broadway shut down. And it took me until this year to get back to Broadway. I opened a new Broadway show this year. It was called the heart of rock and roll. It did not do well, it closed.
But I’ve been lucky enough to jump right to the next gig. And now I’m doing another show in New York called Titanic. And I’m performing again. It’s amazing. I’m, I’m very frickin blessed. I really am. I’m doing what I love. I’ve got a bunch of different pots on the stove, whether it be podcasting, reality TV, and theater.
I’m doing it all and, and planning a wedding and it’s all good. A lot of good things.
Nice. Just out of curiosity, have you seen the back to the future musical?
Yeah. And I loved it. I thought it was exactly what a musical should be in 2024. Great story, great dancing, great performances, great music. And the set is so immersive.
It’s incredible. I’m can’t recommend it enough.
Yeah. It’s coming to Dallas, I think in March of 2025. And definitely want to go see it. Because I’ve heard nothing, but I mean, everybody that says it says it’s just awesome. And I’m, you know, being a, an eighties kid myself, absolutely obsessed with everything back to the future.
I talk about it all the time on my podcast. I have seen the movie at least a hundred times. I quote it to my friends all the time. Like, this is, this is awesome. It’d be dumb of me to not see. And you know, I’m, I’ve never been a huge theater guy. I think I’ve seen, I’ve seen Phantom and I’ve seen Wicked.
Okay. I think those are the only two I’ve seen. And I actually saw them in New York. And there might’ve been one other one that I saw, but I can’t remember. It’s not coming to me right now, but back to the future, I have to see it. And I think it’s here in March. So I definitely want to, I don’t think I’ve talked to anybody.
I’ve seen the reviews. Everybody loves it. The critics love it. But I haven’t talked to anybody who’s actually seen it, but you’ve seen it. You it’s great. You love it.
Love it. You’re going to love it. It is so fun. It’s like a great homage to the movie for people who are fans of the movie. You get exactly what you want.
And more, you don’t, a lot of times when they do stage adaptations of movies, people are either disappointed or like wanted something different. They give you all the fans of the movie, exactly what they came there to see and more. It’s amazing.
And speaking of movie, you talk about stage adaptations of movies.
How about, or movie movie adaptations of stage. Are you pro or anti wicked as a movie? Pro very pro I’ve seen
wicked on stage over 30 times. I’m obsessed with it. I love it. I love seeing, I watch videos all the time. I love seeing what all the different actresses bring to the Glinda and Elphaba role. I.
Love that show, and I’m so frickin excited. I’m so excited. I will be there at the first showing. We’re at, we’ve actually, my family and I have already spoken about getting tickets to the, like, like soon, to the first showing, as soon as they come along. Nice.
Yeah, no, that’s I, I definitely, yeah, I don’t want to be there first night, but it’s definitely a movie that I, I do want to see.
I want to see the interpretation and see how that grant I saw wicked and on Broadway. I are back in the day. It’s got to be 15, 20 years ago. Like, I got to refresh my memory on the story itself. Like, I’m forgetting. I’m kind of forgetting the story because it’s been a long since I saw it. But anyway, Tommy, thank you so much for coming on, man.
I loved having you on. I’m not going to wait four years to have you on again. Maybe make this a yearly thing talking at some point during every summer during big brother, we get you on congratulations on everything. And obviously we’ll, we’ll be in touch, man.
Thanks, Steve. You’re the best. Thank you. So good to talk to you.
Bye.
Thank you so much to Tommy for coming on. I’m kicking myself that I haven’t spoken to Tommy since that 2020 podcast. I did when I was still with cat and we surprised Tommy with cat popping on the mic when she was here at my house recording and, you know, gave them the old conspiring against me, bitches line.
And I just, it’s really weird. After I talked to Tommy yesterday and we recorded this yesterday and you know, send him a message back. Thanks a lot, man. And he’s you know, I, I don’t know him well enough. I knew him from when I interviewed him back in 2020 cat had never had anything bad to say about him.
Cat obviously loves Tommy and I just haven’t, haven’t spoken to him for four years, but man. Honestly, one of the nicest guys I’ve ever dealt with. I mean, left me a 45 second voice memo right after we were done recording. And, you know, just, just on the show for a guy who, you know, doesn’t, hasn’t spoken to me in four years, just on that podcast asking me, you know, how are things going with me?
How’s my dating life? Nobody’s ever asked me that. And I don’t think he was being intrusive at all. I just. He’s just such a nice guy and I am fucking not waiting four years to put him on again. I, I, my plan is to have him on at least once a year, every summer at some point during the big brother season.
You will now be hearing from Tommy Bracco. I promise because I think his insight is great. He’s a huge fan of the show and he’s just so open and honest. Just. Such a great guy. Love that guy. And I can’t thank him enough for coming on. I can’t thank you enough for listening. Please rate, subscribe, and review.
Follow me on Apple podcasts, but you got to hit play. It’s the only way it counts as a download. Don’t forget this podcast is in your feed right now, but is also went live on my YouTube channel at reality. Steve 24 at 9 15 AM Eastern time. So you can watch Tom myself. Interview Tommy and talk to Tommy so go watch that and you can watch it Once it gets released and you can join in the live chat that’s happening at that time If you can’t watch it from 9 15 to 10 15 a.
m Eastern time then by all means watch it on your own at some point this weekend some point later on today, whatever But when you do if you haven’t followed me on YouTube yet, please go follow me on YouTube Like the video leave a comment That all helps in the YouTube world as I’m starting to learn. So thank you all for listening, participating, anybody that has left comments on past videos.
I, I really appreciate it. So thank you so much. Daily roundup was posted two hours ago. The sports daily is, was posted an hour ago. If you’re interested in that again, thank you all for listening. I really appreciate it for Tommy Bracco. I’m Reality Steve, and I will talk to you tomorrow.
See ya!
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