Big Brother 22: No News is Not Good News

I don't believe I've ever seen quite the hot mess as this. Y'see, there was supposed to be a press release cast reveal on Monday. Today, as per my X'ed out image above, we were to get cast interviews on the live feeds. On Monday CBS pulled off the interview notice and replaced it with a "Coming Soon, August 5" notice on the feeds.

And, they've ghosted us all along. Now, you can't just post a notice like that and then take it down without explanation as if no one ever saw it and it doesn't exist! I realize much of our politics seem that way today, but ...!

Rumors have it that one or more of the 14-day quarantine/sequester hamsters tested positive for COVID-19. Supposedly they had a few alternates, so I don't really know the issue and they ain't saying!

I've been researching all around and have gathered up some intel and some rumors that are likely to be true. Here's the skinny:

* Janelle and Kaysar seem to indeed be in the cast and haven't been mentioned in the rumors they're out.
* Danielle Reyes was rumored to be in the cast. However, she's been posting on Twitter claiming that she never was in the cast. They aren't allowed to post from sequester (although it appears that family might be making some posts for others). Her tweets do seem to be coming from her. I'm disappointed. Sigh.
* Paul was never in the cast and posted that he didn't want the additional stress in his life with the pandemic and ill parents who needed him at home. I think he either wasn't asked or figured he'd just lose again. No great loss.
* Supposedly, Josh and Kaycee were in the cast and now they're not. Would they be the virus carriers if there are a few? Both had been seen partying it up at bars prior to quarantine.
* Bayleigh and Tyler seem to be in the cast. Both may be booted due to slips from Swaggy and Tyler's mother. Swaggy was videoed in a promo for some online show he and Bayleigh do, but mentioned she couldn't be there because she's "on the show." Meanwhile, Tyler's mother said something about it on Facebook. I don't think the show can afford to lose either at this point, but both cases are violations of the nondisclosure agreements.
* Nicole Franzel and Nicole Anthony seem to be in the cast. More on Nicole F. soon. 
* David Alexander from last season is rumored to be in the cast. Maybe we'll see him actually play the game.
* Both Dan Gheesling and Derrick Levasseur were early initially rumored to be in the cast. Neither is in the cast now. While Derrick posted a tweet with an explanation that he turned it down due to family health concerns and the pandemic, Dan is tweeting like nothing happened. It seems to be part of a big brouhaha by Nicole Franzel to secure her own place on the show. Supposedly she went to production claiming Derrick and Dan were pre-strategizing before quarantine/sequester. You can read more about it here at this link. 
* Daniele Donato-Briones seems to be on the show.
* Kevin Campbell -- BB11, the one who evicted Jeff -- is rumored to be in the cast.
* Ian Terry, Cody Califiore and Hayden Moss are rumored hamsters and I've seen nothing that would say they're not in the cast.
* Christmas Abbot is rumored to be in there as well as Enzo Palumbo (the Meow Meow), Keesha, Da'vonne and Memphis Garrett.

But, then again ... who really knows? Big Brother CBS has to stop ghosting us and let us know what's going on!

Big Brother 22: Are You Ready Hamster Watchers?

Yep indeedy ... soon it will be AWN (as Monica BB2 would say). Even a pandemic can't seem to stop our summer obsession! Yes, delay it a heck of a lot, but not stop it!

HERE IS WHAT WE KNOW:

* It will be an "All-Star" season for only the second time ever. Although, from the rumors out there I'm thinking some of the hamsters might just earn the title of "returning player" rather than "All-Star." To give casting some credit, it had to be hard getting folks to commit with the virus running rampant.
* As you see from the image at the header, we will find out about the cast on the live feeds next Wednesday.
* The cast has been in sequester/quarantine already and will be for 14 days total before the show premieres.
* The crew is also going to be working under many restrictions even though it's being said that they will have no personal contact with the hamsters.
* Julie Chen-Moonves will still be hosting.
* The season premiere will be on Wednesday, August 5 at 9pm. It will be a two-hour move-in episode. No mention of when the live feeds will start as of yet.
* It will follow its regular scheduling of Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday, probably with the live evictions still on the Thursday shows.
* I will once again be posting live feeds reports and show night live blogging pool parties as the episodes air here on the East Coast.
* I will be posting a pool sign-up post next Wednesday. Please do not ask to be in the pool here on this post and do sign up on that one when it goes up!
* It should be noted that the cast interviews on the 29th will be on the live feeds only. And, of course, the live feeds are on CBS All Access.

STUFF FOR YOUR ONLINE READING PLEASURE:

From US Weekly - CBS Announces
From RobHasAWebsite
From TMZ
From Cinema Blend  
From ETOnline 

BB21: Live Feeds through Sunday - July 14

Make some moves already, Sam!

Here's the latest from inside that Big Brother House of Delusional Dolts:

• A couple of big things happened Sunday in the house.
• Perhaps the most newsy and a bit disturbing -- Kat said something about Jackson having been arrested for domestic violence.
• Now, I didn't hunt it down. But, of course, the Internet did. I'm actually surprised they didn't find it before because they came up with Jack being arrested for a drunk driving charge and made a bigger deal that his real name is John, not Jack, than the arrest itself.
• I don't like Jack. But I think every Jack I've ever known is actually a John.
• I don't know why.
• But, back to Jackson -- he was arrested for domestic violence when he was 22, two years ago. The charges were dropped. Innocent until proven guilty and all, but it might not be the best to even have the questionable locked in a house with other people under pressure. 
• In the other "big" news arena, it seems like the Diary Room "suggestions" and line of questioning might actually be working in the favor of most of the show's fandom.
• Well, as the fandom seems to appear, at least.
• Not only Christie is saying that she won't vote out Nicole, after a DR session, Tommy seemed to rethink his position and he too is on that boat.
• Now, things can change in a moment, but it now looks like most will NOT vote out Nicole.
• Kat has already promised to save Jess with the veto (which she hasn't taken off since winning, even sleeping and showering wearing the necklace).
• I think Kat will keep her word. She's a bit flighty, but I'm liking her more as time goes on. Although she's been voting with her group, she's more likely to have a mind of her own than others in the alliance.
• So, if Kat takes down Jess, unless Nick (who actually seems to be wavering a bit) goes against someone in the Eight, it will be Nicole going up with Cliff and Cliff out.
• I kind of feel bad because I was rooting for Cliff until he exhibited an irrational outright fear of David … which he never explained. Then, of course, he knew his Cliff Notes were overheard, yet he kept doing them. So, he can go. 
• I'd actually prefer Jess to leave as she does nothing for my entertainment.
• But you can't always get what you want.
• In other news, Kat and David continue to be quite chummy. They're actually fun to watch together.
• When David mentioned that he switched everyone's coffee to the decaf before the PoV comp, Kat shouted, "Kavid is OVER!"
• He's given her more insight into the Jacks and others in the alliance.
• And, she isn't reporting things back to the Jacks.
• Hmm. There may be hope for her.
• In yet other news, Bella cried for a good portion of the day yesterday.
• Why did she cry?
• Because Nick was cuddling with Analyse.
• He spent a lot of time apologizing.
• But we know from conversations that he has a thing for Analyse.
• What a tangled web we weave when we … er, jump in bed quickly with others.
• Yeah, that's it.
• The veto meeting should be today. 
• Kat will have to stop wearing the necklace.

Kemi and Nicole destined to be friends

Bored by the Jacks

Handsome -- better than his tank tops!

Talking Kat's love of Brett (BB20)

Has worn PoV necklace since Friday

BB21: The Ika ET Canada Interviews - Part 1

For those who might not know -- Canada not only has its own Big Brother show, they can also watch the USA version. Ika was on their version and, although she didn't win her season, she might have parlayed it into a more overall lucrative career with ET Canada. She interviews the new USA cast each season and, although her interviews are a bit formulaic, they're legally available on YouTube unlike the Jeff interviews for All Access which end up getting pulled. 

I will be posting these in four parts, four hamsters at random, along with a bit of commentary from me. Please feel free to voice your thoughts in comments!

But first … don't forget to sign up for the BB blog pool by going to this linked post. Only entries on that post will get into the pool. It's going to be a hot summer -- get in the pool now!

Hmm … I like that Analyse mentioned Daniele, Angela and Kaycee as admired and not Rachel. Heh. There aren't a lot of long-time show fans on this season. And, since she's only 22 and the show's been airing almost her whole life, ten or so seasons practically make her a superfan this season. That said, it doesn't seem like she has ever watched the live feeds or participated in anything online with the show. In my book, that makes her a bit of a pseudo-fan and she doesn't really know what she's getting into here. My jury is out on her.



Yes, Jack … you may face a situation where they might want to shave your head! Be very scared. Obviously a recruit, possibly for the Aquaman resemblance, mentioned in the Jeff interview, but not this Ika one. I would guess he's only been watching the show since he got the word he might be on it. At least CBS Access has all the seasons of the aired TV shows. But they don't have the live feeds from previous seasons stored. He deems like a nice enough guy. His eyebrows can look Vulcan-ish at times. He ain't gonna win.




A gay Broadway performer? Well, that's new and different. Heh. To be honest, I think I like Tommy as opposed to my first impression of the previous hamster with a similar background. Tommy is upbeat and pleasant. Of course, he does have the infamous Staten Island accent, often mistaken for New Jersey. For this season, he's a long-time fan of the show. Yeah, season 14 and on counts as long-time for this cast. No mention of the live feeds. I think he just might last a long time. I bet his social game will be very good!




The press calls her Isabella, but she calls herself Bella. So, she's Bella to me! Another recruit who tried to learn about the show after the "opportunity arose." It seems like she's probably only seen some of BB20. She's definitely going in oblivious. That said, I kind of like her. I think she's going to be fun to watch on the live feeds/ She seems to have an interesting and fun personality. Will she win it all? I doubt it. But, I'm here for the entertainment value anyway.

The Amazing Race 31 starts April 17 - BB and Survivor Teams!

It's been announced that the new season of TAR will start following the airing of Survivor: Edge of Extinction on Wednesday, April 17. Now, I had absolutely no interest in that Million Dollar Mile (whatever) anyway. So, I'm glad it was booted to Saturday night in its death throes.

This upcoming TAR season was surely made for this blog and its readers! Why else would they have contestants from three CBS reality shows -- Big Brother, Survivor and The Amazing Race -- the three shows always covered here? 



From Big Brother, we have …

A sister team of Rachel Reilly and Elissa Slater, now ages 34 and 32 respectively. Rachel has an edge over many of the BB hamsters as she's been on TAR twice already with her husband Brandon. Her stats are: Big Brother 12, winner of Big Brother 13, The Amazing Race 20 and The Amazing Race All-Stars. It will be interesting to see how she does with her sister who was on BB15.

Engaged couple Nicole Franzel and Victor Arroyo, ages 26 and 28. Although not even a showmance in their one BB season together, they're engaged now. Her stats: Big Brother 16, winner of Big Brother 18. He was the hamster who kept winning comps to come back in Big Brother 18. I'm not sure how she'll do on TAR -- she's one of those lovable but kind of naïve sorts. I can see him excelling at any challenge thrown his way. It's a shame he can't do all the challenges himself on the show!

Here's quite the duo! Friends Janelle Pierzina and Britney Haynes! Now ages 38 and 30. Janelle was a BB fan favorite with three summers on the show -- Big Brother 6,Big Brother All-Stars and Big Brother 14. She was a tremendous competitor in BB6. Britney has two BB seasons under her belt -- Big Brother 12 and Big Brother 14. Not as big a player on the physical comps as Janelle, I think she has a very entertaining (and sarcastic) wit about her. I'll enjoy watching them race as a team together!



From Survivor, we have ...

Married couple Rupert and Laura Boneham. He's 54 now, she's 49. Rupert had a large fan base from his four appearances on Survivor --Survivor: Pearl Island, Survivor: All-Stars, Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains, Survivor: Blood vs. Water. Laura was on Blood vs. Water with him. While I think Rupert is a very admirable man in his business and personal life, I was never really a fan of his on the show(s). To me, his schtick was to roar and act like a pirate. Age-wise and competition-wise, I think they're going to be out of their league on TAR.

Friends Corinne Kaplan and Eliza Orlins, ages 39 and 35 respectively. Corinne was on Survivor: Gabon and Survivor: Caramoan. Eliza was on Survivor: Vanuatu and Survivor: Micronesia. I didn't realize that Eliza is now a public defender in Manhattan. No, I won't go there and get into trouble just to meet her. Don't even ask! This should be a pretty solid team. As an added bonus, if they go to China, Eliza can speak Mandarin! I enjoy the both of them and they just might be contenders!

Then we have friends Chris Hammons and Bret LaBelle, both from Survivor: Millennials vs. Gen-X. Chris is 40, Bret is now 44. Chris is a defense attorney while Bret is a police sergeant. I enjoyed both of them personality-wise on the show. But, if memory serves, neither was all that great at the challenges. It looks like Chris, in particular, has gained some weight. I can't knock a person for that -- glass houses and all that, y'know! But … excess weight against lean and mean teams often brings an early exit from the show … or a late arrival on the welcome mat.

I'll be covering the returning TAR teams in a separate post. But, I'll leave you with a little teaser. Who could forget Colin from TAR5 and "My ox is BROKEN!"?

Celebrity Big Brother 2: Live Veto, Live Eviction Show Blog Party

Gah! Sorry this post is such a mess! The more I try to fix it, the worse it gets!

I have no clue how they're going to fit it all in an hour, but tonight is a live show. I'm talking live veto comp, live eviction and HoH comp. At least that's my understanding.

As the show airs here on the East Coast I'll be live blogging the major happenings -- refresh this page to see the latest! Of course, the actual party is in the comments area. Please join in on the fun!

As we're heading into an eviction, here's Lifeguard Glenn's updated blog pool match-ups --


1. Jackie - Ryan
2. Glenn - Natalie Eva Marie
3. Sue Gee - Natalie Eva Marie
4. Donna NY - Dina
5. Kelsey NY - Kato
6. Sally - Joey
7. Jennasmom - Tom
8. Bizaro22 - Kandi
9. Cheryl in NC - LoLo
10.Jennifer - Ricky
11. Monty924 - Tamar
12. TBC - Ryan
13. Itchy - Ryan
14, Marthalight - Tom
15. Joyce Johnson - Dina
16. Dr Celine - Kato
17. Gaylos - Joey
18. Merrilee - Natalie Eva Marie
19. Brian - Tom
20. Ayana - Kandi
21. CaelaXO - LoLo
22. Fred AKA Two Black Aces - Ricky
23. Janice - Tamar
24. Skyriver Blue - Lolo
25. Skyriver Gold - Ryan
26. Cherry Pie - Kato
27. Karen in CA - Kato
28. Sharon C - Joey
29. Judi Sweeney - Tom
30. Donna in FL. - Kandi
31, Sharon N - LoLo
32, Alicia in Tx - Tamar
33. ChaCha - Joey
34. David - Dina
35. Renee Buck/Renee from NJ - Ricky

36. Jenna G. - Natalie Eva Marie 

Are we ready? Let's rumble!

Okay, Julie didn't mention HoH. I don't see how they could fit it in anyway. We're into Previously On. 

Kato is about to find out that flipping on a friend is the least of his problems. We're talking Tamar. His plan is to backdoor Ryan.

Now Tamar is making drama about Kato saying that she should go home and be with her son, as well as be a maid. She thinks it's sexist. So, she lights into him. Joey takes Kato aside and tells him not to take the bait. Meanwhile, Dina is crying. Kato has no plans for her to go, but can only tell her she will be safe.

Drama Mama Tamar is still crying about her son. On and on.

Tom sings a coffee song. Weird, but better than Tamar drama.

Tamar goes to talk to Kato. He tells her he never meant to be malicious. He thought she had been crying because she missed her son. (It was the Kandi and other drama.) He tells us that Tamar isn't his target, Ryan is. But he can't tell her that. 

Tom thinks he and Kato should team up with Lolo and Natalie. He tells Kato they could run the house. Lolo just wants an alliance that will work! Kato wants to try telling them about the backdoor plan for Ryan. They think he's most likely to win and like the idea of backdooring him. 

Whether he heard them talking or not, Ryan is sure Kato wants to backdoor him. He's been thinking that every since he didn't get nominated. Joey has replaced Jonathan as Ryan's wingman and they're trying to think who will work with them. They both go to Kato asking if they should pack. Kato admits there's a chance and it's up to the veto. 

Tom, Natalie and Joey were the three chosen to play for veto.

And it's time! Worldwide Rollout. Launch own movie, roll ball along a globe. The ball in the highest number slot wins. It's a crap shoot. Random draw for order. 

Tom first. 35 million. 
Dina - zero
Kato - 15 million 
Natalie - zero
Tamar- 35 million
Joey - eliminated, didn't get the #

Tiebreaker -- 
Tom - 70 million
Tamar - I didn't see, but TOM wins the Power of Veto!

POV Meeting time!
No speeches by nominees.
Tom is saving Dina.

Kato puts Ryan on the block. He praises him and apologizes.

Live vote and eviction time.
Tamar - Thanks CBS, production, etc. Amazing time, laughing all the time even when fighting, love y'all, team player, would like to stay.
Ryan - Awesome, walking out with new friends, thankful, team player, want to keep playing, no hard feelings.

The votes to evict:
Joey - Tamar
Tom - Ryan
Lolo - Ryan
Into commercial ...
Dina - Ryan
Kandi - Ryan
Ricky - Ryan
Natalie - Ryan

As I expected and as per Kato's plan, Ryan is voted out.

Joey is already working on Kato to split up others. Lolo is crying about voting Ryan out? 

Ryan is gracious in the interview with Julie. He had a lot of fun and has made new friends.

America's Vote - can give one HG the power of the publicist. It allows the winner to take him/herself off the block once. It sounds like it's only Twitter voting.

Celebrity Big Brother 2: Updated Blog Pool

Since Anthony (Mooch) wasn't a real chamster and we give leeway for the first one evicted, Glenn has been kind enough to update the blog pool. Only those who originally had either Anthony or Jonathan in the pool have been reassigned a new chamster. No other changes have been made.

No, if you have Tamar, you're stuck with Tamar.

1. Jackie - Ryan
2. Glenn - Natalie Eva Marie
3. Sue Gee - Natalie Eva Marie
4. Donna NY - Dina
5. Kelsey NY - Kato
6. Sally - Joey
7. Jennasmom - Tom
8. Bizaro22 - Kandi
9. Cheryl in NC - LoLo
10.Jennifer - Ricky
11. Monty924 - Tamar
12. TBC - Ryan
13. Itchy - Ryan
14, Marthalight - Tom
15. Joyce Johnson - Dina
16. Dr Celine - Kato
17. Gaylos - Joey
18. Merrilee - Natalie Eva Marie
19. Brian - Tom
20. Ayana - Kandi
21. CaelaXO - LoLo
22. Fred AKA Two Black Aces - Ricky
23. Janice - Tamar
24. Skyriver Blue - Lolo
25. Skyriver Gold - Ryan
26. Cherry Pie - Kato
27. Karen in CA - Kato
28. Sharon C - Joey
29. Judi Sweeney - Tom
30. Donna in FL. - Kandi
31, Sharon N - LoLo
32, Alicia in Tx - Tamar
33. ChaCha - Joey
34. David - Dina
35. Renee Buck/Renee from NJ - Ricky
36. Jenna G. - Natalie Eva Marie

Celebrity Big Brother 2: Live Eviction Blog Party - Jan. 25

I'll be live-blogging the major events of the show as it airs here on the East Coast. Refresh this page to get the latest news! It should be an action-packed hour with all that's gone on and all they need to air on the show. Of course, the party itself is down in the comments -- please feel free to join in on the fun!

Tonight's HoH comp is scheduled to be endurance playing out on the live feeds. I have a separate post waiting in the wings so I can cover that with screen caps and updates. If you want to know the winner the second he or she wins it, this is the place to be! Well, not THIS post, but the comp one.

Here's the blog pool going into tonight's eviction, thanks to the esteemed Glenn:

1. Jackie- Ryan
2. Glenn- Natalie Eva Marie
3. Sue Gee- Jonathan
4. Donna NY- Dina
5. Kelsey NY-Kato
6. Sally-Joey
7. Jennasmom-Tom
8. Bizaro22-Kandi
9. Cheryl in NC-LoLo
10.Jennifer-Ricky
11. Monty924-Tamar
12. TBC-Anthony Mooch
13. Itchy-Ryan
14, Marthalight-Jonathan
15. Joyce Johnson =Dina
16. Dr Celine-Kato
17. Gaylos-Joey
18. Merrilee- Natalie Eva Marie
19. Brian-Tom
20. Ayana-Kandi
21. CaelaXO-LoLo
22. Fred AKA Two Black Aces-Ricky
23. Janice-Tamar
24. Skyriver Blue-Anthony Mooch
25. Skyriver Gold-Ryan
26. Cherry Pie-Jonathan
27. Karen in CA-Kato
28. Sharon C-Joey
29. Judi Sweeney-Tom
30. Donna in FL.-Kandi
31, Sharon N-LoLo
32, Alicia in Tx-Tamar
33. ChaCha-Anthony Mooch
34. David-Dina
35. Renee Buck/Renee from NJ-Ricky

36. Jenna G.-Natalie Eva Marie

Let's get in ON!

Make this Previously On short, please. Julie seemed to imply  a gone chamster was a twist.

The narrator said a shocking twist happened to the house sending one celebrity home. Hmm.

Julie looks nice tonight, dressed in a black dress. 

The Diary Room clips have them all acting like they're there to stay. Ryan is suspicious that the girls might be working against them (their main alliance) and tells Jonathan.

Ryan calls all to the living room and reads from a card. Alerts will be announced to the house to twist the game like never before. They even have a Celebrity News Alert music. An announcer on video tells them one houseguest isn't a houseguest at all. Anthony is missing. He shows up on the video claiming he's part of a Big Brother twist and he's out of the house. He claims he's giving the current nominees a second chance to stay. This is in the form of Mooch's veto. 

Ryan has to immediately replace Anthony with another nominee. He chooses Kandi, saying it doesn't seem like their personalities mesh and he hasn't talked to her much.

The Veto Comp is all about Anthony. At least that's what he warns them.

Ryan tells Jonathan that if he has to replace one of the new nominations bunch, he'll go for Lolo.

Time for Mooch's Veto Comp! Kato and Dina are the other two playing.

Newspaper clippings of Mooch. Some real news, some fake news. The first person to answer the number of real headlines wins the veto.

Kato tells us he wants to save Tom if he wins. Most think there are seven true headlines, one six, one nine. Kato is the last one in with eight true headlines.

KATO wins the Power of Mooch!

Lolo is worried that she'll be backdoored. She's right to worry.

Anthony gives them a touching video goodbye.

Kato tells Tom he wants to save him. He thinks that Tom really wants to be there and knows the game. 

Ryan goes to talk to Lolo and she tells him that she thinks the guys are going to try to backdoor her. He is caught off guard and has absolutely no poker face. Now he's a bit wary and doesn't think he should put her up.

Time for the veto meeting --
The nominees make no speeches. Kato saves Tom. Ryan is totally dazed and confused. He stumbles through putting up Joey.

So, the nominees are Joey, Kandi and Jonathan.

He tells us his target is Kandi. 

Tom tells Kato that they should keep Kandi because she won't be a big threat in the future. Meanwhile, Jonathan and Joey could be strong competitors. They talk it over with Ricky who thinks that it's good to keep Kandi. Meanwhile Lolo is hesitant to keep Kandi because of the Kandi/Tamar drama. Yet she's also worried about leaving Jonathan and Ryan together because she thinks they'll come after her.

Time for the live vote and eviction:
Joey: Been a wild and amazing ride, a pleasure, all here as part of our journey. If I go home, it's been a blessing to be here. 
Kandi: Really enjoying herself, ups and downs, crazy week, really want to stay. Pleease …!
Jonathan: Thanks CBS, craziest best experience in his life, teammate to everyone in the house. I demonstrate teamwork and helped all. Team, please back me up.

The votes to evict:
Dina - Kandi
Kato - Jonathan
Tamar - Jonathan
Into commercial …
Ricky - Jonathan
Tom - Jonathan
Lolo - Jonathan
Eva - Jonathan

Julie tells Joey he had no votes. Six to one, Jonathan is evicted. It's a shame because I enjoyed him. But, if I were in there, I probably would have voted him out, too. He was indeed a threat to win!

He was good in the Julie interview.

Julie tells people to watch the HoH comp play out on the live feeds. I have a post for updates on that right here at this link.