Meet the faces of Big Brother 21!!
So we’ve had a chance now to gather their pictures and
listen to the interviews with Jeff. On
the upside, we have 16 brand new faces!
Nobody seems to have a prior connection to nor familial relation to any previous HGs,
at least not that has been alluded to yet.
So, in that respect, we have a whole new, untainted group for season 21! Now the downside – first, I’m not seeing any
eye candy here for the ladies…some of the guys are okay as people, but nothing
special to look at for sure. Second, based
on the interviews, most of these people think the way to do this is to “lay low”
until around the halfway point. So they
want to come in “floating” and “flying under the radar”. Can we say Booooring! Hopefully they abandon this silly idea once
they actually enter the house and the real game begins. And last, it wouldn’t be a BB season if they
didn’t include at least two people whose voices make you want to shear your own
ears off with a steak knife.
With that being said, let us take a closer look at each of
our Big Brother 21 Houseguests.
Analyse Talavero
Age: 22
Relationship status: Single
Currently living in: Los Angeles
Analyse, pronounced Ah-Nah-Lees, recently graduated from
college with a degree in public health.
She was a star soccer player in college and will likely be pretty
competitive. In spite of her competitive
nature, she says she wants to “lay low” to start. She claims to have been watching BB sine she
was 10 years old. She also says it is
easy for her to lie to people…guess she’s in the right place. When asked Jeff’s famous question “Would you
rather win and be hated by America or lose and be loved?” she quickly went with
win & be hated. One side note on Analyse – this girl has totally flawless
skin, or at least the 3+ lbs of makeup she’s wearing makes it look that
way. Can’t wait to see what she is
hiding under all that face goop!
Christie Murphey
Age: 28
Relationship status: Single
Currently living in: Keyport, New Jersey
Oh boy! Christie is a real crier! This chic is crying just
from her excitement alone. She claims to
be a fan since BB Season 8 and says being there “is a dream come true”. Her strategy involves aligning with both a
male and a female and she is of the “don’t play too hard, too fast” mindset. Hmmm…she says she’s filled with positivity and
wants to implement a “gratitude circle” every morning with all the other houseguests.
Um….yeeeaahh, let’s see how long THAT lasts! LMAO! She is the owner of a
boutique store called Mystic Earth and says she would rather “lose and be loved
and respected” when asked the big question.
She reminds me a bit of BB14’s Ashley Iocco and she made it to Jury in
her season, so we’ll see how this goes.
Nicole Anthony
Age: 24
Relationship status: Single, I think
Currently living in: Long Island, New York
Nicole is a preschool aide, so she may be somewhat prepared
for the experience she is about to embark upon.
Being a big fan of the show, she is really excited about making it onto BB. She says she always gives 100% to anything
she is doing, from the big stuff to the smallest, she gives it her best
effort. Considering she graduated at the
top of her high school and college classes, that may be quite true. She doesn’t want to let the other HGs know
just how smart she actually is though, because she doesn’t want to give them a
target. She admittedly has a “big mouth”
and talks back to people. She also has a
real intolerance for bullying and people that think it is funny to pick on
people. Although she will do whatever it
takes to win, she says she is also “self-aware enough to not embarrass [herself]
or her family”. My initial thought was
that she may be a little nerdy, but after seeing the full interview she lacks
that usual doesn’t-quite-fit-in quality and seems to be more outgoing and perky
than the average “nerdy girl” persona. When
asked about a hashtag to use she said “#QuirkyQueen” and pointed out her use of
alliteration…lol…she better be careful using words like that around the other
HGs or she will talk over their heads and her intelligence will be outed before
she knows it. I don’t know if Jeff is
slipping in his old age or if it’s me, but I never heard him ask her the big
win and be hated question…so he either missed that one or I went temporarily
deaf. Oh yeah! Nicole says she is emotional but will hold in all of her crying
and anger outbursts for the DR…lol…yeah, that’s what they all think! Hahahaha!
Nick Maccarone
Age: 27
Relationship status: Single
Currently living in: Sewell, New Jersey
This Nick character could go either way. He has some really lovable qualities but also
displays some traits that may be a little overbearing. He only became a fan at the start of BB17 and
only started watching by chance. After a
tornado left them without electricity for a week his aunt introduced him to the
show while staying with her and he’s been a fan since. He is a mental health therapist and even
makes a point to speak to fans about the importance of seeking help for
depression, suicidal thoughts and other mental struggles they may be dealing
with. He believes that he can make
friends with any type of person and that although he speaks his mind, he is
okay to agree to disagree on something because the conversation and discussion
in itself is a positive thing. On the
other hand, he may talk too much, because he was voted most talkative out of
700 students back in high school. Being
an environmentally conscious and conservation minded person myself, I LOVE that
he touched on the fact that Flint Michigan doesn’t even have drinkable
water. He mentions knowing how hard it
will be to not communicate with his mother….awwwwwww, that’s so sweet. He says he is looking to join a strong
alliance that will stick together for the long haul. He says he’d rather lose and be loved but
that winning is his goal and that he is not going to go down without a fight. So far, I think I like this guy okay.
Tommy Bracco
Age: 28
Relationship status: Single
Currently living in: Staten Island, New York
Tommy has been a successful Broadway dancer for 10 years
now. While he is openly gay, he says he
isn’t looking for a showmance but that a “tasteful kiss” would be okay. My first thought was Oh crap – Frankie 2.0,
but now I’m not so sure. He is a
self-proclaimed superfan and has a long-term strategy in mind. He said he feels that his life has shaped him
to be a Big Brother player. He describes
his boisterous Italian family as “functioning dysfunctional” and says they get
kicked out of every performance of his they attend due to their drunkenness
and/or loud, disorderly behavior. Hmmm…I
have a few ways I might describe this type of people but laughing about it and loving
calling them functioning dysfunctional would not be among them…just
saying. Tommy sounds like he LOVED Ian
Terry, in fact, he sounds like he wants to be this season’s Ian, but I don’t
see that happening. I don’t hate him,
but I definitely don’t love him either.
When asked the question, he says he would rather win and be hated, but
says he’d never be hated because he can talk his way in or out of anything. I’m sure we’ll get to see this tested this
season.
David Alexander
Age: 22, maybe 29…he said 22 I thought, but CBS says 29
Relationship status: Single
Currently living in: Atlanta, Georgia
David is a photographer that has not been a “long-term fan”
of BB. This, of course, means that he is
likely to know little to nothing about the game. These are the ones that are usually annoying
and become followers somewhat because they don’t know what’s going on and are
relying on more knowledgeable players to guide them through. He says he will use his social game over the
physical wins to get ahead until the mid-game.
He says honesty may be his downfall because he finds it hard to lie to
people. Hmmm…wonder if he has any exes
that will pop up to dispute that claim?!?!
Anyway, he is looking at his time on BB as a “break” from his routine
life. A break huh? Yeah, don’t think I’m liking this guy so
far. He says he would rather win and be
hated because he always does what he wants anyway and doesn’t care what others
think.
And OMG, he just finger-gunned at America! Kids in school get suspended for that!
Ovi Kabir
Age: 22
Relationship status: In a relationship
Currently living in: Knoxville, Tennessee
Ovi, pronounced Oh-vee, literally just graduated college. What better way to transition from college
life to real life than surviving a season of BB!! While he doesn’t want his fellow HGs to know
he is a big fan of the show, how he became a fan is a bit unique. His fandom was actually born from a 10th
grade high school sociology assignment that involved watching BB! How cool is that? I never had any HS teachers that would have
been so awesome as to assign Big Brother…but anyway, he enjoyed the show so
much that he went back to watch all of the previous seasons too. This means Ovi not only likes the show but
has studied it on a level that most other players likely haven’t. Will this help his game in any way? It’s hard to say. He says he’d like to “lay low” and work with
a team to get ahead in the beginning. He
has a girlfriend at home and a dog he really loves. He says he’d rather win and
be hated because he “didn’t leave [his] dog for three months not to win.” Sorry girlfriend, guess the dog is who he’ll
miss more.
Jackson Michie
Age: 24
Relationship status: Single
Currently living in: from Nashville and only moved to Los
Angeles 4 months ago
This bartender/server says first impressions are everything,
especially in the BB house. Although he
is single, he says he is there for the money, not a relationship. He called himself a “fan but not a superfan”…what
does that mean? Like I watched several seasons since being sequestered and I
like it okay or I have been watching but not since the beginning? I’m not sure how much of a fan he actually
is. Jackson feels that he needs to
really work his social game to overcome the physical threat he poses. He says people need “to know your lane, and
stay in it.” Yeah, let’s see how well he
can do that in the long run. He also says
“your word is your bond”…okay HGs, you’ve got a live one! Just reel this fish in now! He claims he has his limits but would rather
win and be hated. He says the ONLY
scenario he can envision is himself “walking out into that confetti”. Hmmm…just remember Jackson, second place
walks out of the door into the falling confetti too!
Isabella “Bella” Wang
Age: 22
Relationship status: Single
Currently living in: Los Angeles
Wow! Talk about drive
and determination! This girl lost 50 lbs
last year and climbed Mount Kilimanjaro on her very first hiking
excursion! Daaaammnn girl! She obviously has strength, stamina and
willpower – all very important in a game like BB. Bella is from New Jersey but living in LA
working as a public health analyst. She
feels it is key to her game to make sure she has a personal connection with
every other houseguest. She is also very
aware of her mother watching her in the house and says she really wants to make
her mother proud and show her that she is a respectable, responsible woman. She says she “can look at the big picture and
not take things to heart.” If that’s
true, it will serve her well, but in the BB house, I somehow feel that not
taking things to heart part will really be tested. Bella would rather win and be loved too
because “How could America hate me if the Jury loved me enough to win?” How Bella?
Really? Maybe she doesn’t really
understand the way this game works….
Jessica Milagros
Age: 30-ish
Relationship status: Married with a daughter
Currently living in: Chicago, Illonois
Well, well…what to say about our plus size model
Jessica. She is loud and that laugh…well,
I guess she does that to make sure everyone within the building hears it. I’m feeling sorry for the audio crew already!!
She says she wants to sit back and observe at first but doesn’t know if her
personality will actually allow her to “lay low”. Jessica called herself a fan that has “watched
many, many seasons”. In sequester or as
an actual fan we cannot yet be sure. She
feels that because she is a plus size model she will be underestimated as a
physical player but doesn’t plan to tell the others right out of the gate that
she participates in marathons, spin classes and is very competitive. Jessica says she wants to avoid drama…does
she know where she is?!?! LOL! And she
is already beginning to have phone withdraw pain before she even enters the
house. She says she “wants it all – to win
and be loved”. She also calls herself a “cutie”…hopefully
someone will clue her in…once you’re past your mid-twenties “cutie” isn’t usually
what one gets described as, and even if it were, it wouldn’t describe her. Somehow I think Jessica is going to become
quite annoying to me very quickly.
Sam Smith
Age: 31
Relationship status: Married with 2 sons
Currently living in: Mountain Top, Pennsylvania
No, not THAT Sam Smith...This truck driving daddy is missing his family terribly
already. He admits he has already been
crying over it. While he is a truck
driver that works long hours, he doesn’t do distance driving and is able to be
home to see his wife and boys every day.
The separation pain may prove to bring this guy down quick. He has been married for 8 years and I don’t
think we will see him behaving questionably around the ladies in the
house. He is yet another HG with the “lay
low and float” till mid-way mindset. He
admits he is very bothered by messiness but will try to just roll with it if
the other HGs are messy. He says he’d
rather win and be hated if being hated was necessary, just as long as his family
is proud of him. He seems like a nice
enough guy but there is some quality to his voice that is just grating on
me! I hope that it is just some weird vocal
anomaly going on due to the first-DR interview jitters!
Holly Allen
Age: 31
Relationship status: Single
Currently living in: Los Angeles
Holly is a wine sommelier /safari guide at an establishment
in Malibu. No joke! Her job combines her knowledge of wine and
wine drinking with giving exotic animal tours. She grew up on a ranch in a small Wyoming town
and spent summers cut off from society at their very rural dude ranch, which may
help her in coping with the being disconnected for the summer. She is very close with her family and would
love to open a dog rescue center. She
gets a couple extra points in my book for that alone. Speaking of dogs, she has an overwhelming
attachment to her 3-year-old dog named Jackson.
She’s nearly in tears just talking about him and how badly she misses
him. She misses her Jackson more than
some do their own children. She says she
isn’t normally a crier but knows this experience may really test that. When asked the big question she first said
lose and be loved, then stipulated that she wants to win and will do what she
needs to to play the game, just as long as her friends and family will still be
proud of her. She seems likable enough based on the interview and said she “just
wants to be a mother and daughter to be loved”.
Holly ended her interview by calling out “Jackson, I love you!” Awwwww.
Cliff Hogg III
Age: 53
Relationship status: Married with 2 adult children, 23 and
26
Currently lives in: Houston, Texas
When I saw Cliff is listed as a 53-year-old petroleum
engineer I had a fleeting thought of the cartoon character Hank Hill. Hank Hill he is not. Mr. Hogg here seems to be the stereotypical,
cowboy hat wearing, loud, obnoxious, redneck cliché spouting Texan that comes
to mind when you hear the name Cliff Hogg the III. If he weren’t so loud and obnoxious, this
dad-joke telling Texan might be tolerable.
He’s been watching since season 8 and said he always considered himself
a “normal guy” until they actually cast him for the show. His sense of humor might be funny if he wasn’t
his own biggest fan and best audience.
He said he plays every season of BB in his own head…and wins every
year. Lol! Don’t they all?!?! If he didn’t sound so much
like a NASCAR announcer he’d be easier to listen to. Again, feeling really bad for that audio
crew!! Cliff says he’d rather win and be
hated because “500 thousand buys a lot of don’t give a damns”. Considering he is the season’s token old guy,
he’ll likely be gone quick.
Jack Matthews
Age: 28
Relationship status: Single
Currently lives in: Tampa, Florida
This fitness trainer originally from Chicago is a Florida
transplant. He is well-built and has a
mane of hair that likely draws attention from his admirers. I think he will probably be seen as a physical
threat from the get-go. He says he is
competitive, athletic and kind of a control freak, which could prove to hurt
him. He says he is a fan and also says
he thinks that winning Veto comps is often more important than wining HOHs,
especially in the beginning. He does
seem a bit emotional and says he’s already cried in sequester because of all of
the time to think and reflect on yourself and your life. He is really going to miss his dog Layla and
cat named Celine Dion. He calls himself the
“King of Average” because he apparently excels at nothing in particular but is
average at a lot of things. He says this
as if it is a good thing. He also says
he’s rather win and be hated, but at this point he isn’t seeming too bright, so
it likely won’t be an issue…I doubt he will make it to the end. Hopefully there is more to this guy than his
hair, but I’m skeptical!
Kathryn Dunn
Age: 29
Relationship status: Single
Currently lives in: Dallas, Texas
Kathryn is a digital marketing executive that wants to pay
her father back for paying for her Baylor University education. Kathryn is addicted to social media and has
not been a BB fan. She only recently got
a TV, so her game knowledge is severely limited. In spite of that, she does seem to know that
backstabbing is a necessity to getting ahead and that you must control your
emotions and emotional reactions in order to preserve your game at times. She says she will really miss her dog and the
nightly goodnight texts from her mom.
She says she would rather win and be hated, but also notes that she
knows America isn’t going to hate her.
Too soon to really pass judgement on this one…could go either way.
Kemi Faknule
Age: 25
Relationship status: Single
Currently lives in: From Maryland/ D.C. but has been in
Brooklyn, New York for 6 months now
Kemi is a marketing strategist and was not a fan previous to
her binge-watching 10 seasons of Big Brother over the last year. She says she wants to make as many friends in
the house as possible and a few strong alliances. Since she also says she has no problem
breaking those alliances if it benefits her game, I find it doubtful her
alliances will continue to trust her once she’s turned on one. She finds it very hard to deal with people
that get overly emotional about things. Is it just me or do you see trouble in
her future here based on this alone? Kemi also mentions that her mouth may get
her into trouble. She too, has a dog she
will miss badly and, like Ovi’s dog, has his own Instagram account. She seems really focused on the money, but we
will see if she can be diverted or not.
Kemi would rather win and be hated by America because “they’re strangers…and
someone will still like me.” Guess you’re
going to have to make it to the finish line to prove that one Kemi.
