In what was an extremely dramatic double eviction, Big Brother Canada Houseguest, Jess Gowling, was sent packing by their fellow competitors just moments after finishing their week as the Head of Household.
Here, they talk to Female First about the tension in the House they felt with Tynesha, the importance of getting names right, why they think their HOH went well and more…
The Big Brother Canada House this year is super vibrant, and full of surprises! What did you think when you first walked in, and saw all of those mystery doors and bright colours?
Oh it was total gameshow vibes! What’s behind this door, what’s behind that door? That was reinforced with the first HOH. It was beautiful. I think I would’ve still loved it if there was no rainbows everywhere and even if everything was totally one colour, monotone but no, it was tons of fun, very vibrant just like the cast.
We've seen some of the doors open, but what do you think still lurks behind those that haven't been unlocked yet?
I think there could be punishments, there could be powers, there could be absolutely nothing! Speculation can run wild in that game and you can totally be on point, or you can be down the wrong avenue. So, anything is wrong in the Big Brother house we all know this, ‘expect the unexpected’.
Speak to us a little bit about your HOH - why did Hermon dancing onto the block upset you so much?
As a super fan I feel like the Nomination Ceremony is something to be respected, so there’s some disrespect there. I also offered Hermon the respect of letting him know that he was going up, which in hindsight I shouldn’t have done. He hadn’t offered me respect for almost 30 days in the game, he constantly threw my name out despite lying to my face, saying he still wanted me around. So, I think he made a mockery of both, me nominating him in return, and the ceremony itself.
Why did you decide Tynesha was the best option for your renom this week, rather than somebody like Gino who had placed you on the block a week prior?
Tynesha was very clearly working with Moose and Hermon. She also was very close with Summer and Betty. She was the glue to a multi-page book. I feel like Josh and Haleena were also appendices to that so, it was very important for me not to put up someone who maybe would have offered me a few more weeks, whereas I knew with that group I was a contingency or an extra and I was expendable at any moment. It made sense to have to make that group choose and by putting her up there, there was actually a larger group that made the decision.
Tynesha went down swinging, first off calling you out for not getting her name right and then, talking down your HOH as she walked out of the door. What was going through your mind during these moments?
The name thing was interesting to me because I had instantly apologised to her when that happened, I was the one that had actually said ‘names are important’, so I thought she was throwing words back at me. It was an apology that had already happened in Week 2, so I thought it was a little petty to throw that out. I am always someone who is willing to own a mistake and apologise for it. I will add that she has also gotten my name wrong - it is Jess, not Jessica - and she made that mistake multiple times, whereas I only made the mistake once with her and I would’ve never held that against her; I think we’re always growing and learning.
In terms of thinking that my HOH was as bad as Kyle’s, I would have to heartily disagree. Kyle took out one of his allies in the game and he dismantled the large alliance he was with. It was very clear that he was set up to cruise to Jury and had a lot of people in his corner, whereas on my HOH, I took out one of the most powerful players in the game who had every chance to make it all the way to the end and win. So, I think those two things are very different.
Do you have any regrets in regards to your relationship with Tynesha in the House?
Honestly, I don’t. I think being nominated Day 2 made it very hard for me to make a lot of friendships. She connected with lots of people very early on. I know that her and I were building trust, but I also knew that I would never catch up in time to be on a level that so many other people were on. I really just felt like the names that were being pushed during my HOH as potential nominees were not best for my game, or even the collective of The Siblings, and I just felt like there was a lot of personal motivation in the names that were being thrown there. It was clear to me that Tynesha wasn’t in my corner, nor was she in the corner of multiple other people, so it made sense for me to put her up there and have the House choose. Either way, Tynesha, Moose and Hermon were clearly rolling together, so to have any combination of those three up there was the best choice for me to do.
Double evictions can be brutal, as you've just discovered. Why do you think the House chose to get rid of you straight after your HOH?
The blowback was far greater, about Tynesha leaving, than I expected. I also had no chance in that safety chain, to roll a ball and the person that won the safety chain was unfortunately someone that I nominated and who has been saying my name for the entire first half of the game. So, the odds weren’t in my favour that day and, I think a few people that maybe would’ve tried to save me were standing in front of the entire House, having to say a name and it would’ve just been poor for their game to pledge allegiance to me.
Hindsight is 20/20, but do you have any major moments that stick out in your game that you would change, looking back?
Yeah, I would try to be more in the moment and be more of my brighter self. It was very hard to not be the sad cloud when it felt like no one wanted to hang out with me and, I didn’t wanna walk around always being the ‘woe is me’ moment, playing my sad violin but, being on the block on Day 2 made it really hard to integrate socially. I really did do my best, but the relationships just flourished so much faster with everyone else. I felt like I was always trying to insert myself somewhere. I do think I could’ve been a bunch more fun and try, but it was hard to not be in my feels.
If you had stayed in the House this week, who would you have liked to see targeted for eviction next and why?
I would have Moose and Hermon up there again in a heartbeat. They have been saying my name since the very beginning and have never stopped. I know neither of them wanted me to succeed, so that is who I would’ve continued want to see go. They were never going to have my best interest. I don’t even know if they want a friendship with me outside of this game when all is said and done and we’re done playing, so those would be the two that I would be trying to get out of the House if I was still in there.
Finally, who at this point has shown that they have what it takes to go all the way and win this season?
Arisa revealed to me that Josh is actually a doctor, not a biology student so he’s obviously very clever. I think he’s great at listening, I think he’s great at holding information and I think he’s very loved by many people so can choose any path. I also think Kevin is very intelligent and funny. I do think he’s expendable to people but I know he’s smart enough to navigate accordingly, so those are two I’m really rooting for.
Viewers can catch new episodes of Big Brother Canada three nights a week on Wednesdays at 7 p.m. ET/PT, Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT, and Mondays at 7 p.m. ET/PT. For the most up-to-date information on broadcast date and times, please visit the Global website at www.globaltv.com/schedule.
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