Meet the 'Big Brother 12' houseguests

UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. — Who is the "Big Brother" saboteur?

That's the question that will no doubt consume contestants on the 12th edition of CBS' voyeuristic reality TV series that confines a group of strangers — or houseguests, as they're known on "Big Brother" — inside a makeshift two-story domicile for the summer, all while being constantly monitored by over 50 video cameras and 95 microphones.

This season, executive producer Allison Grodner and her team have planted a mole among the houseguests to do viewers' bidding and disrupt the players' lives during "Big Brother 12," which debuts July 8 at 8 p.m. EDT. Grodner said the saboteur, who will be revealed to viewers on the July 15 episode, isn't eligible to win the $500,000 grand prize.

"For the first time ever, we have someone in the house who, in a way, is playing their own game," said Grodner, who stressed that the operative is not an actor but a real person who was picked alongside everyone else. "They're playing for a cash prize, if they make it a certain amount of time in the house. If they don't last, they're out, and their cover is blown."

Such surprises are a staple of the "expect the unexpected" franchise. The traitorous twist is similar to the eighth season introduction of "America's Player," which allowed one contestant to complete viewer-voted tasks for cash, unbeknownst to his house mates. This time, however, the cast will be made aware of the trickster's existence beforehand.

Among the suspects is Andrew Gordon, a 39-year-old Orthodox Jewish podiatrist from Miami. Gordon will be taking his own cooking utensils into the house and will observe Shabbat, not using electricity from sundown Friday until Saturday night. Grodner said no special exceptions will be made for Gordon's religious beliefs when it comes to the game.

"It's already going to be tough in that house, so it's going to be even tougher dealing with these extra little things," he said. "People are probably going to look at me as an outsider and wonder what I'm doing and why I'm not eating their food. It's something I've had to explain my whole life as a practicing Jew. Whatever happens, I'll deal with it."

Before meeting their competitors or entering the house, the houseguests were individually interviewed by The Associated Press while voluntarily sequestered — no TV, newspapers or telephones — from the outside world. (This season was originally slated to feature 14 contestants, but one person dropped out before the contest and will not be replaced.)

"I live my life full of adventure," said Annie Whittington, a 27-year-old bartender from Tampa, Fla., who dyed her platinum hair brunette at the insistence of producers because there were too many blondes this season. "I never thought I'd actually make it on the show. I love the social experiment, throwing in random people where they can't escape."

Kathy Hillis, a 40-year-old deputy sheriff from Texarkana, Ark., doesn't think competing and deceiving on "Big Brother" will be tougher than fighting crime or battling ovarian cancer. Hillis, who has been cancer free for 11 years, lied to her 23-year-old son and told him she was going on an undercover assignment in another city, not on reality TV.

"I wanted it to be a surprise," said Hillis. "He knows I've applied in the past, and he thinks it's funny."
Others hoping to outlast the rest include tattooed 32-year-old Mensa member Matt Hoffman from Elgin, Ill.; 34-year-old slam poet and assistant professor Ragan Fox from West Hollywood, Calif.; 24-year-old oil rig salesman Lane Elenburg from Decatur, Texas; and 32-year-old insurance adjuster Enzo Palumbo from Bayonne, N.J.

"My strategy is to go in there and hustle them," said Rachel Reilly, a 26-year-old cocktail waitress and chemistry graduate student from Las Vegas. "I'm not going to let them know at first that I'm an intelligent girl who is into chemistry. I'm going to let them think I'm just this ditzy cocktail waitress from Las Vegas who doesn't know anything."

This season, the Florida-themed "Big Brother" dwelling, which is located on a Studio City sound stage, features several beachy touches, including an indoor room resembling a cabana and a pair of colossal fake palm trees. Grodner said the "have not" bedroom, an uncomfortable enclave where players who lose "have not" competitions are relegated, will return.

"It's sort of the dark-side of the decor this year," teased Grodner, who said the nightmarish space would be revealed during the July 11 episode. "We have a very fun South Beach kind of vibe going on throughout the house this season, and this room is the opposite of all that. I would venture to say it's worse than last year, which was pretty bad."


Link to see the rest

CBS just set up official facebook fan pages for all the houseguests!

Here are the links to follow who you like. Just click on the name and it will take you to thier page:

Big Brother Check out the official fan pages for ALL the new HGs: Rachel Reilly, Kristen Bitting, Britney Haynes, Monet Stunson, Brendon Villegas, Andrew Gordon...


Big Brother And here are the rest!! Enzo Palumbo, Kathy Hillis, Annie Whittington, Matt Hoffman, Lane Elenburg, Ragan Fox and Hayden Moss!!

http://www.thewrap.com/television/blog-post/big-brothers-infamous-chima-simone-runs-down-new-houseguests-18914

'Big Brother's' Chima Simone Runs Down the New Houseguests
By Chima Simone
Published: June 30, 2010


Big Brother’s Answer to "Jersey Shore":
Enzo Palumbo, a 32-year-old insurance adjuster from Bayonne, N.J.

A self-proclaimed character, he thinks he’s already a celebrity and has apparently used the Jersey Shore Nickname Generator because the best he could come up with was “Meow Meow." We all know “The Situation” is taken, but really?! His strategy, plainly put, is winning. And with Mafia as part of his planned alliance name, that just may happen. By any means necessary.

The Definitive Diva of the Season:
Monet Stunson, a 24-year-old model from Glen Carbon, Ill.

Monet told the producers she couldn’t wait to taste slop so we know she’s a good liar. She has strutted her stuff for Gwen Stefani’s label L.A.M.B, placed 1st runner up for Miss Illinois USA 2008, and one of the accomplishments she is most proud of is her "good driver’s license picture." I can hear the collective “She’s a spoiled, entitled, little b----*” grumblings from here. Oh wait, that was directed at me? OK, never mind.

Obviously proud of her looks, this princess lives a privileged life, yet will soon get a cold shower wake-up call when she finds out slop isn’t so tasty after all, especially after a full week of what I can best describe as pig’s feed masquerading as flavorless oatmeal.

The Brains Are Back in a Big Way:
Matt Hoffman, a 32-year-old web designer from Elgin, Ill.

Former contestant on the fourth season of NBC’s "Average Joe: The Joe Strikes Back," Matt is the smartest person to ever play the game (his words). Even telling the producers he’s smarter than them. Word to the wise, Matt, don’t talk smack to the producers.


A seasoned reality competitor & MENSA member whose motto is “I don’t want the world, I just want your half” should fare just fine in the cutthroat "Big Brother" house.

Foxy Floater:
Ragan Fox, a 34-year-old college professor from Los Angeles

Ragan’s strategy is to float-on until war is declared while also maintaining a secret alliance on the side. He plans to use his gayness for good & evil so maybe Enzo will get that “good gay guy” he’s looking for in his mafia alliance. Writer, poet, and podcast producer, Ragan also brings an intellectual creativity to the game. Humor is his thing so I expect many inspired diary room sessions from him; each one presented with him possibly sporting a different color bow tie? I can only hope. Maybe his penchant for them will rival last season’s Kevin Campbell’s obsession with scarves.

She’s a Hustler Baby, She Just Wants You to Know:
Rachel Reilly, a 26-year-old chemistry graduate student/VIP cocktail waitress from Las Vegas

Rachel’s strategy is to employ that well-honed VIP bottle service skill set to the game. That translates to using what you got to get what you want, the ultimate result being big money in Vegas and a nice prize in "Big Brother." And this girl’s got a lot: Hawaiian Tropic bikini body, brains, beauty, & personality. This sexy scientist will win the men over and the women? Well, my guess is that they’re expendable as far as she’s concerned.

Secretive Salesman:
Lane Elenburg, a 24-year-old oil rig salesman from Decatur, Texas

Lane is not revealing his strategy. How did he get away with that one? That was a biography must-have last season! A former collegiate athlete, he’s well equipped for the physical challenges. In addition, this muscle-bound man works in public relations so he’s very familiar with spinning public opinion and that will undoubtedly help him in this game.

Doesn’t Do Lemons Unless They’re a Garnish:
Annie Whittington, a 27-year-old bartender from Tampa, Fla.

Her life’s motto is “When life gives you lemons … say f--- the lemons and bail.” Well, that’s the strategy I employed in the game, but not Annie. She has declared, "I will be the winner of Big Brother." and plans to use her bisexuality as a secret weapon. Outgoing, overly dramatic, and loyal, I expect some fireworks from this girl if and/or when that loyalty is betrayed. Disloyalty is inevitable and she claims to have the worst of a very important component in this game, luck.

Quiet Storm:
Kristen Bitting, a 24-year-old shoe boutique manager from Philadelphia

Kristen is willing to do close to anything to win. She grabs life by the balls so surely she won’t hold back in the "Big Brother" house. According to her bio, she is very misunderstood by strangers. That is not necessarily an asset in a game where you have an extremely short time to make a good first impression on your fellow housemates. She says we’ve never seen anything like her in reality TV … well, don’t shelter us from the storm, Kristen. We want to see this!

Purported Backstabber:
Hayden Moss, a 24-year-old college student from Tempe, Ariz.

Hayden claims he’ll stab anyone in the back to win a half a million dollars, but after reading his bio, I’m not so sure. Something about him, maybe his fun loving, hang-loose attitude and charming smile, exudes a guy who is there to win,

continued:

but undeniably also there to have a good time at all cost.

Jeff’s Doppelganger?"
Brendon Villegas, a 30-year-old high school swim coach from Riverside, Calif.

Not according to his bio, but CBS’s “The Early Show “ clip sure portrays him as the next Jeff Schroeder, a huge fan favorite from last season. He may be our resident "Big Brother" heartthrob looking for a showmance with a girl bearing a sweet rack personality, but in his bio, he states he wants to win women over and then turn them against each other. While he claims he’s scared of that lovely girl that may win him over with her kind-heart, I don’t sense fear. I detect cold calculation. A PhD in Biom. Physics isn’t needed to orchestrate catfights, but his intelligence could help him win the game.

A Mix of Chelsea Handler & Martha Stewart:
Britney Haynes, a 22-year-old hotel sales manager from Huntington, Ark.

Sooooo Britney is a comedian that knows her way around crafts and a kitchen? That remains to be seen, but she did tell America to remember whatever comes out of her mouth is purely sarcasm. Her strategy is to play hard to get. Um, this isn’t "The Bachelor," but OK. Egomaniacs and old people are her most undesired roommates. Well, one out of two ain’t bad. The eldest houseguest is 40 years young.

Survivor:
Kathy Hillis, a 40-year-old deputy sheriff from Texarkana, Ark.

Criminal profiling, reading people, and investigating are part of her daily job so I don’t see her being fooled very easily. Self-described as tenacious & having survived ovarian cancer her life’s motto is “Never give up, never give in, and never use the word defeat …” She may have to put aside her dislike of living with women to get ahead in this game, but I don’t see that being a problem for her. Kathy vowed to her Grandma that she would apply to Big Brother when she got well, now she’s there to win.


Pot Stirrer:
Andrew Gordon, a 39-year-old podiatrist from Miami Beach, Fla.

Andrew describes himself as sneaky. Am I gullible enough to fall strictly for that little tidbit? Yes, but here are some other clues that seal the deal for me: First, his bio reads like the definition of saboteur, especially his reference to his missing his daughter. That would be so sweet if it didn’t come second to watching ESPN daily as the most difficult part of living in the "Big Brother" house.

This man has no desire to win over the audience. Bingo! He doesn’t have to because he’s working on behalf of America. Secondly, his first two favorite activities are gaming and poker. Lastly, he wants to incorporate many players’ strategies, most notably, Russell Hantz of "Survivor," a notorious saboteur. Russell’s name was actually tossed around as a desired addition to the "Big Brother 12" house by many fans.

Maybe those lucky viewers will get a little taste of the tampering with Andrew. We shall see...

***

Now to my pick for this season’s America’s player, “The Saboteur."

Inspired by "The Mole," this season’s twist includes a player that is there solely to sabotage their fellow houseguests. The player will not try to win the $500,000 grand prize, but he or she can win cash by getting to at least the halfway point in the game.

“The Saboteur,” who many are referring to as a revised version of season 8’s “America’s Player,” will be revealed during the live eviction show on July 15.

Stay tuned.

Apparently throwing temper tantrums means new job oppurtunities in Hollywood. Look who is giving her views on houseguests for entertainment website, "The Wrap."

http://www.thewrap.com/television/blog-post/big-brothers-infamous-chima-simone-runs-down-new-houseguests-18914

TV Guide Article Reveals who was to be 14th houseguest

http://www.tvguide.com/News/Meet-Big-Brother-1020187.aspx


It's getting pretty damn hard to fluster the contestants on Big Brother, so look for a huge, sneaky twist when the CBS reality hit starts its 12th season — a twist that's intended to shake up the game and create chaos and suspicion among the players. "I don't think we've ever had so many BB superfans in the house at one time," says exec producer Allison Grodner. "They have an encyclopedic knowledge of the program and know it better than we do. To throw them off, we're going to make the game harder to play than ever before."

Here's how she'll do it: On premiere night (Thursday, July 8, 8/9c) the houseguests will be told that producers have slipped a mole into the group. America will learn the impostor's identity on July 15 during the first live episode and, through an interactive online process, fans will be able to suggest ways for the impostor to sabotage the players and disrupt the game. (Visit cbs.com/bbtwist for more information.) The longer the impostor maintains anonymity, the more money he or she will take home.

So how does the Season 12 cast stack up? TV Guide Magazine interviewed each of the players right before they went into the BB house. (Paolo Aviles, a 30-year-old out-of-work real estate agent, later got cold feet and quit the show, dropping the head count to 13.) We found no shortage of Type-A show-offs and high-maintenance personalities among this year's group, but they were virtually unanimous in their dislike of Season 11 prima donna Chima Simone, who was ejected from the show when she disobeyed Grodner's repeated requests to go to the diary room and threw her pricey body mike into the swimming pool.

But opinions were split over last year's surprise champ, sweetheart waitress Jordan Lloyd, who won the $500,000 grand prize without stabbing even one back. Many in the BB12 cast admire how Jordan reinvented the game by playing it with honesty and decency, while others find her to be naïve and clueless and feel she didn't deserve the dough because she didn't really earn it.

"There will be a lot of anti-Jordan strategy coming into the house, which may or may not be wise," notes Grodner. "As we saw, the winner isn't necessarily the one who plays the best game. It could be the one who pissed off the jury the least!"

Here's our take on the BB12 players:

Kristen Bitting

Age: 24

From: Philadelphia, PA

Occupation: Shoe Store Manager

An odd bird, to say the least. Bitting is loaded with tics and mannerisms that'll either endear her to the other houseguests or annoy the holy crap out of 'em. She's prone to overstatement and self-homage: "I have put everything — my whole entire life — on the line to go into the BB house," Bitting says. "A lot of people know me in Philadelphia and they won't know where I am. This is the biggest risk of my life. It's truth or dare time." And she never met a metaphor she couldn't mangle: "I believe in Karma," she states. "It's good to not burn the bridge too hard because you never know when it's going to come back at you."

Lane Elenburg

Age: 24

From: Decatur, TX

Occupation: Oil Rig Salesman

This big, brawny bruiser is not fooling anybody, himself included. "I'm just a meat-head jock so I need a brain to work with me in the BB house," says Elenburg. "Hopefully there'll be a doctor or lawyer or financial major I can team up with — someone who will take me almost all the way to the end before I lie and stab him in the back." Living on a ranch has left Elenburg with a crazed fear of electric fences. His best friends are his brother and sister. And he won't be helping out much in the BB kitchen. "I can put dishes away but I'm not a very good cooker," he says with a sluggy drawl. "Oh, except for 90-second microwave. That I can definitely do."

Ragan Fox

Age: 34

From: West Hollywood, CA

Occupation: Professor at Cal State Long Beach

He does not plan to admit he has a doctorate in communications. "I'm obsessed with BB and I know how to talk game," says Fox. "That and a PhD would get me bounced from the house in a second — even I would evict me!" A part-time slam poet and author of two poetry collections on gay life (2005's Heterophobia and 2009's Exile in Gayville), Fox won't fret if there's homophobia in the house. "I grew up in very conservative Cypress, Texas," he says. "I know how to navigate through that sort of thing extremely well." The day Fox found out he was a BB finalist, he spotted Season 10's flamboyant Rennie at his local grocery store. A good omen?

Andrew Gordon

Age: 39

From: Miami Beach, FL

Occupation: Podiatrist

Oy vey, what a pain! "I know I'll be the smartest one in the house and I'm a triathlete — biking, swimming, running — so watch out!" says Gordon, a divorced single dad and Orthodox Jew who has already convinced the BB producers to provide him with kosher slop. He plans to shave ficw years off his age, so that he'll mix better with the younger players. "I spend my day dealing with old Jewish people and their foot problems," he says. "If I can deal with them I'll have the patience to deal with anything in the house." Well, almost anything. Gordon told us he doesn't want to share space with any Arabs. States the doc: "I would have a problem with it politically."

Britney Haynes

Age: 22

From: Huntington, AR

Occupation: Hilton Hotel Sales Manager

A junior version of Dolly Parton, this tiny, saucy, gay-friendly sexpot — this season's youngest contestant — recently got engaged to a medical technologist. "My going on BB is gonna be a nice break for him because there's nothing crazier than a newly engaged girl!" Haynes says with a country cackle. "I will make it clear to the men in the house right up front that I'm not available. You get yourself in trouble when you mix business and pleasure." And she does mean business. "When it comes to the physical competitions, I'm no powerhouse who's gonna blow everyone else away. My strength lies is my ambition. And I am here to win."

Kathy Hillis

Age: 40

From: Texarkana, AR

Occupation: Deputy Sheriff Sergeant

Angie Dickinson has nothing on this policewoman. Though the bodaciously blond Hillis — a divorcee with a 22-year-old son — is this year's oldest houseguest, she's also the dishiest. And she's got an incredible back story: A self-admitted "wild child," Hillis nearly died of ovarian cancer in 1999 and — taking that as a sign to straighten up — decided to become a cop. "I'll just tell the houseguests that I pull people over for speeding and leave out my experience in criminal profiling," she says. "I can read faces. I'm an expert at body language. Will I call people out on their lies? Absolutely not. But, trust me, I will keep it all filed away in my mind!"

Matt Hoffman

Age: 32

From: Elgin, IL

Occupation: Web Designer

A computer whiz and a certified genius — yep, he's a member of MENSA — Hoffman is also quite the wise-ass. And he knows it could get him in trouble. "I have the curse of gab and the filter between my brain and my mouth doesn't always work," says Hoffman, who intends to trim his age a bit so he can have a faux 30th birthday party in the house. This is actually his second time as a BB contestant. He was picked last year, then had to drop out when he realized the finale conflicted with his wedding day. "My wife, Stacy, will be watching on the 24-hour feed so no cuddling or massages in the BB house for me," Hoffman says. "I don't want to go home and get my balls in a sling."



Hayden Moss

Age: 24

From: Tempe, AZ

Occupation: College Student

If this dude's not the mole, he's sure as hell acting like it. A jobless, over-bronzed muscleman who hopes someday to open a snowboard shop, Moss admits he's not very B&B savvy and has only seen Season 11 — and that was handed to him on DVD by the show's producers. When we ask how he came to apply for the program, he looks nervously at his handler and says, "I don't think I'm supposed to answer that question." The handler mumbles something equally fishy about Moss being "a random applicant." Whatevs. Real or fake, win or lose, BB won't interfere much with his lifestyle. Shrugs Moss: "I'd be sitting around the pool doing nothing all summer anyway."

Enzo Palumbo

Age: 32

From: Bayonne, NJ

Occupation: Car Insurance Appraiser

Guido alert! "I'm from Joizey. I got a short personality. I don't like pencil-neck geeks. I don't like stuck-up women. I'm Italian, which means I'm Catholic, but I don't like super-religious people. I'm not here for the ha-has. I'm here to take it down!" says the loud, rapid-fire Palumbo, the kind of guy who sucks up all the oxygen in the room. If he wins, he claims he won't get a chance to even smell the money "because my wife is gonna want something Cartier." His big worry going into the BB house? "I'm managing two fantasy baseball teams right now and I'm winning. My brother will have to take over and everything he touches turns to crap."

Rachel Reilly

Age: 26

From: Las Vegas, NV

Occupation: Cocktail Waitress

This voluptuous redhead gets high rollers all liquored up at the Sin City VIP club Aria — her best tip ever was $4000! — but she's also preparing for a career in science. "Most people look at me and think I'm just a hot girl with big boobs when I'm really a chemistry grad student with big boobs!" says Reilly, who dreams of some day hosting her own nerd show on the Discovery Channel. Slop? Not a problem. "I grew up on redneck liver mush in Concord, North Carolina, home of NASCAR. I can handle it," insists Reilly, who packed very lightly for the game. "Wait until the guys in the house see me in all my little Vegas bikinis. They. Are. Going. To. Freak!"

Monet Stunson

Age: 24

From: Glen Carbon, IL

Occupation: Runway and Print Model

Another Chima? We'd bet half a million on it! The gaspingly gorgeous Stunson entered a CBS talent contest in St. Louis and — without any acting experience — won a one-day role on The Young and the Restless. She then moved to L.A. to try for more jobs, but soon fled because she was annoyed by the traffic. During our interview, she was already blasé about being picked for BB, clearly bored with the press and inexplicably pouty. Does she have meltdown potential? "You might witness a few crying fits," admits the diva. And that's not her only warning. "I highly doubt I will meet the man of my dreams in the BB house," she says. "But I will have no problem leading a guy on."

Brendon Villegas

Age: 30

From: Riverside, CA

Occupation: High School Swim Coach

He's taught so many kids that he's starting to think like one. "Going into the BB house as a contestant is like stepping into a giant board game — it's every boy's dream!" says the studly Villegas, who also has a more adult dream in the works. This fall, he will begin work on his PhD at UCLA — on full scholarship — with plans to become a biophysicist and eventually enter the field of cancer treatment. He reminds us a lot of last season's popular Jeff. Will he find his own Jordan? Says Villegas: "My one weakness in the game is that I could easily fall for a sweet, genuine, down-to-earth girl. A showmance will probably be my downfall."

Annie Whittington

Age: 27

From: Tampa, FL

Occupation: Bartender

Now she toils for tips at a steakhouse, but Whittington once had aspirations to be a star on Broadway. "My problem on BB will be that I'm over-dramatic and over-expressive and you can read everything on my face — which is why I have never attempted to play poker!" says Whittington. "If I'm going to succeed in this game, I will need to dial it down and save it all for the diary room." Whittington is in a serious relationship with another woman back home in Tampa. "But initially I will keep that to myself," she says. "Whether or not I talk about it will depend on how I feel about the other houseguests and how comfortable I am."

Subscribe to TV Guide Magazine now!

Here is her picture thanks to Reality BBQ

Thanks for posting the TVG inerviews Kay.

I hope Matt IS as much of a smart ass as he says

Ross isn't doing the interviews. He said they never got back to him. He starts talking about BB around the 2:45 mark or so.

Aww Ross says he tried really hard, that's too bad.

This is kindof about media?

Ross Matthews posted a talkyblog about whether or not he'll be doing BB interviews this year.

Starts at 3 minutes-ish:



In short, he tried and tried and tried really hard to be the official person to talk to the HGs, he was even willing to do it for free, they made a ton of phone calls, but it just never came together. He thinks the BB/CBS people just got too busy and never called him back. He still loves BB and Julie Chen (and AG), but he won't be doing them this year.

Thanks Annie. Well, that sucks. I loved Ross interviewing the house guests.

How cool is this?



PopTalkWebShow

We're interviewing Daniele Donato from Big Brother 8 this Thursday. Do you have any question's you want us to ask? TWEET US!
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Boo to CBS for not getting back to Ross to host the show again - he was the best interviewer by far.

Yay to Lydia and Kevin for booking Daniele - she is great!

It sucks that Ross will not be doing the post eviction interviews this summer. Inside Dish turned out to be a nice alternative to Housecalls while it lasted. Ross' BB fandom and quirky interviews will be missed.

Kind of OT: I adore Ross, but the fact he's obviously Team Jay makes me love him a teeny tiny little bit less.

Ross was great and I am surprised CBS would not get back to him. Maybe there is more to the story?

ET Canada will have an interview and house tour with Julie Chen tonight.

Steven Daigle's blog on BB12....


http://www.edgedallas.com/index.php?ch=entertainment&sc=television&sc2=&sc3=&id=107634

Big Brother 12 Week 0 :: Thirteen Angry Men (and Women)

by Steven Daigle
EDGE Contributor
Tuesday Jul 6, 2010



Well everyone, its summer again, and you know what that means: the cast has been announced, the house has been fastidiously camera-ridden, and I, Steven Daigle, am back here covering another fantastic season. That’s right, it’s time for Big Brother Season 12. Even though the official start to our voyeuristic happiness doesn’t kick off until this Thursday July 8th (can you wait for it? I can’t!), I wanted to get in early this time and start offering my thoughts on the cast, the house, and the upcoming madness.

First, the cast. I noticed immediately while tooling around www.cbs.com that the contestant list contained not only two A, B, K, M, and R names, but also that the rollover effect of the CBS header made it incredibly hard to actually click on anything I wanted. Patience, Steven, patience, I thought, and rapidly started to scroll through the thirteen names searching for interesting tidbits. Here’s what I found:
The Characters
Andrew Gordon


Andrew Gordon


Andrew, full name Andrew Gordon, a 39 year old podiatrist from Miami, FL, claims to be stubborn, spontaneous, and sneaky. Alliteration aside, Andrew is a practicing Orthodox Jew who has vowed to observe Shabbat during his time in the house. For those of you that don’t know, this means he’ll be wholly unable to utilize electricity (among other things) Friday night to Saturday night. Thankfully though, his fear of Rabbis (among other things, like beauty) should be alleviated during his stay in the house. Interestingly, Andrew sincerely hopes that no one with an idiot IQ will be a housemate. So, CBS producers, look out! If you’ve cast anyone with an IQ of 20 or less, you’ve already bummed out Andrew. But by the way, if you’re casting people at that IQ level I know a few friends who’d make the grade.

Annie Whittington


Annie Whittington


Next up is Annie Whittington, a 27 year old bartender from Tampa, FL. Annie describes herself as an overly dramatic adrenaline junkie (two things that really don’t go well together, unless you’re safe behind the television screen) whose strategy for winning is to "be herself." Annie’s life motto is, "When life gives you lemons...say fuck the lemons and bail." What’s interesting is that Paul Rudd had the exact same motto in Forgetting Sarah Marshal. Annie, I hope you come across in the show as a better person than in your bio, because I already don’t like you.

Brendon Villegas


Brendon Villegas


With a strong jaw-line, decent tan, and the physique of an athlete, 30-year-old Brendon Villegas is alphabetically third. A high school swim coach from Riverside, CA, he describes himself as fun, driven, and intelligible. Wait. Intelligible? I succumbed to momentary doubt and had to verify with www.m-w.com, but yes, intelligible does mean that Brendon can be understood. Thanks goodness, I was terribly worried I wouldn’t be able to understand him. Not that it matters; he seems more like eye-candy than ear-candy. Being intelligible is just a bonus for us.

Britney Haynes


Britney Haynes


Britney Haynes, a 22-year-old Hotel Sales Manager of Huntington, AR, broke the monotony of coastal contestants. Reading through her biography was actually pleasant, and I stifled a laugh at her desiring not to be in the house with "old people." Sorry, all you geriatric Big Brother wannabes. She even referenced herself as "so much more than meets the eye! I look like a typical blonde from the south, but I’ve got a lot of spice to my personality. I’m a good mix of Chelsea Handler and Martha Stewart." I mean, Transformers and a Chelsea Handler reference? What’s not to like?

Enzo Palumbo


Enzo Palumbo


Ahh. Enzo Palumbo, the 32-year-old Insurance Adjuster from Bayonne, NJ. The Jersey Shore character I knew we’d be seeing. Don’t believe me? In his own words, "I’m Italian and I already think I’m a celebrity." Let’s just hope he is the "situation" we’ve all come to love. And by that I mean the abs, not the character. In an interview he did with Zap2It before heading to the house he also stated that his perfect strategy would include "a strong female" with breast weapons (I’m paraphrasing), and, *sigh*, "a good gay guy. He could play both sides of the field for me. A gay guy’s like a woman in a guy’s body, they have the emotions of a woman but can have the attitude of a guy." Thanks, Enzo. Let’s see how that one works out for you.

Hayden Moss


Hayden Moss


Hayden Moss, 24-year-old college student from Tempe, AZ, makes no reference to what he’s studying in his biography. But if I had to guess, I’d go with athleticism. Oh wait, yes he did, he’s on the baseball team. I knew it, a quick Google search on him shows that he’s an "Exercise and Wellness Major." Even if his batting record puts him way, way in the minors, he’s still got a major. And in case you can’t tell, Hayden’s bio has left me with very little commentary. Very, very little. He is afraid to fly though. Maybe we’ll find out more about him when he takes his shirt off (it’s bound to happen).

Kathy Hillis


Kathy Hillis


Then there’s Kathy Hillis, the 40-year-old Deputy Sherriff-Sergeant, from Texarkana, AR. Both a survivor of ovarian cancer and a fun-loving lover of mudding, Kathy enjoys a good street race in her patrol car. I always thought those were known as high-speed pursuits, but I’m not a law enforcement officer, so I’m sure I must be wrong. Kathy is also a television and telephone addict. As someone who is clearly a technophile, I feel entirely confident in saying, "Welcome to the hardest months of your life, Kathy."

Kristin Bitting


Kristin Bitting


24-year-old Boutique Manager Kristin Bitting (is that pronounced bite-ing?) hails from Philadelphia, PA and opines that the most difficult part of being in the house for her will be "being understood." Apparently, Kristin is often misunderstood by strangers. At least she’s honest though, admitting that she enjoyed Braden from season 11 because he was nice to look at. I’m with you on that one, Kristin. She also describes herself as a "quiet storm". So far, I’m interested. Let’s hope her "quiet storm" turns into a full-blown tempest at some point. Maybe then we’ll understand her better.

Lane Elenburg


Lane Elenburg


Lane Elenburg, another 24 year old, is an Oil Rig Salesman from Decatur, TX. Lane is afraid of electric fences, and perhaps it’s getting late here, but I just can’t think of anything clever to say about that one. A former Texas Tech student, Lane believes his current occupation in Public Relations should enable him to spin truths and convince everyone in the house that yes, he is the one true successor to the victory field. Just one problem Lane, sales and PR aren’t the same. At all.

Matt Hoffman


Matt Hoffman


Matt Hoffman, the 32-year-old Web Designer from Elgin, IL, likes to annoy people for his own amusement. Hopefully he enjoys doing it for the amusement of an audience as well. He wants to leave his real life at the door, play 100% game, and is afraid of failure. Matt, just like everyone else, has a 7.69% chance of success. By my math he’s only got to fear 92.31% of the game then. Go get ’em, Matt.

Monet Stunson


Monet Stunson


Monet Stunson, another 24 year old, is a model from Glen Carbon, IL. She is also apparently "the coolest person you will ever meet," which makes me slightly sad that I’ve never met her. Because who wouldn’t want to meet the coolest person you’d ever meet? Clearly hating on "ditsy girls" and Brendon types, Monet has an amazing drivers license photo. Or so she’s been told. Additionally, she has zero strategy, which is a strategy I like. Or at least a strategy I like to watch.

Rachel Riley


Rachel Riley


A bartender, and now a VIP cocktail waitress, Rachel Riley, 26 and from Las Vegas, NV, is bubbly, effervescent, and adventurous. Which makes her not unlike drinking a combination of champagne and the blackberry moonshine my friend used to make. A little bit can be fun but too much and...Well, I’ll save that for another column. Rachel hopes to not be in the house with negative people. I wonder how long until Rachel fails to see the same beauty in life she hopes everyone else sees. Well, we’ll see.

Ragan Fox


Ragan Fox


Lastly, Ragan Fox, 34-year-old college professor from West Hollywood, CA. Ragan, a published poet of such titles as "Exile in Gayville" will at least give Enzo a candidate for his "gay hand man." I find it amusing that Ragan hopes not to live with college age students. If you consider 24 within the bracket, I count 5. Ouch. Look out though, he wants to settle disputes with fart jokes. I can only imagine what his lectures are like.

The House



Dive in the pool?


So, on to the house. From watching a quick Entertainment Tonight clip about the redesigned abode, the theme appears to be a combination art-deco/swimming pool, as if the contestants are living underwater and must constantly struggle to surface for air, only to be dragged back under again. That, and the producers want everyone to strut around in their swimwear at all opportune moments (yay). Most of the common areas of the house seem to be colored the way my middle school cafeterias were: thick blue and yellow paint thrown liberally on all surfaces. The bathroom resembles, well, a bathroom. Or a very large bathroom capable of handling 13 people. Or 12 if you want to be technical, since the Head of Household as always gets their own bedroom and bathroom. Ahh, the comforts of success. What’s that? They’re also given a nice spy television to watch downstairs movement, and conversation. All in all the house looks like a higher priced trendy club I would never, ever want to be caught inside of. Not that I don’t love trendy clubs, but this one looks like it was vomited out by other, more trendy clubs.


So Big Brother fans, that’s my report for this week. I’ve covered the cast, and the house, and the rest...Well, the rest is up to them. Or is it? It looks like this season, in BB’s famed summer twist, one of the 13 houseguests won’t actually be there to compete at all. They’re there only to cause strife and mayhem. Which reminds me very much of that other reality TV show. You know, the one with the mole... But I’m rather excited about it!

I’d love to make a prediction calling out the fights, the alliances, and the crying (my favorite), but it’s a tad too early for that. So simply based on the biographies and interviews, I’m guessing that Annie doesn’t make the cut. Why? Because nobody puts Baby in the corner. Oh wait, wrong movie. Because nobody steals Paul Rudd’s lines.

Come back next week, where we see just what these reality tv-ers are made of.Steven is a champion bull rider in the gay rodeo circuit and was a contestant on "Big Brother Season 10."


This article is part of our "Big Brother 12 :: Eviction Prediction with Steven Daigle" series. Want to read more? Here's the full list»

From Kevin's twitter

My Zap2it intro blog is up! Leave comments good or bad! Let me know what you think! http://shar.es/mQ3yT

Quote:

My pants are already on fire for the first episode to air July 8th, as well as my first blog entry here on Zap2it! Also, I'm very excited to announce that this summer I'm working with Lydia from "Big Brother 11" on interviewing Big Brother alumni and other reality stars on our new webshow at www.poptalkwebshow.com! We're working on interviewing evicted houseguests this season, so I'll make sure to share any nuggets I learn here on Zap2it.com and on poptalkwebshow.com!

I wonder in what capacity they will be interviewing evicted HGs. Will they be CBS/BB approved media or will they have to wait until after the HG has been released from BB? Interesting...

JanellePierzina
Join me on #SuperPass today 6PM ET for a special #BB12 Happy Hour show! Call 877-448-6639 to chat with me LIVE! #BBFeeds

That means 5pm here in Texas right?

Yes, unless you are in the El Paso area. Either way it is in about 16 minutes.

ET did a segment. Showed a little of a challenge, some HGs, and Julie telling them about the saboteur.

Earthquake! 5.7 in LA!

Preliminary report from USGS says quake was magnitude 5.9 and centered near Borrego Springs - Studio City probably felt it #bb12

From Hamsterwatch

Scary!

Here is the ET Video. It confirms that the houseguests know there is a saboteur.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGwApXdp0Ds

Thank you dtd2

Another new commercial shown today :