VIENNA - A Vienna man will be a "house guest" on a CBS reality show which begins airing July 9.
Ronnie Talbott will be part of the 11th season of "Big Brother," a reality show where a group of people live together in the Big Brother House, isolated from the outside world, but constantly watched by television cameras. On the show the object is to win a cash prize by avoiding periodic evictions.
Talbott, 30, is a 1997 graduate of Parkersburg High School and an education major at Ohio University.
His mother, Charlene Talbott, said he left for Los Angeles several days ago and will not be able to contact family members until after the show is over in September or sooner if he is evicted from the house.
"They are not allowed to have any electronic devices to communicate with the outside world," she said. "They can't even have a pen or pencil and paper."
Talbott said he has been trying to get on the show for the past six years.
"He is an avid fan of 'Big Brother,'" she said "He is the first person from West Virginia to be on the show."
Talbott said her son had to go through two interviews in Ohio and spent several days in Los Angeles for interviews to be selected.
"He was interviewed twice in Columbus," she said. "He was one of 17,000 they interviewed out of millions who applied."
Michelle Dye Talbott is his wife. She said when she learned he would be on the show, she was happy he was able to do something he wanted to do for a long time.
"I was excited for him; it was something he wanted to do for a number of years," she said. "He was very excited. I'm very excited. This was the fourth time in six years he tried to get on the show."
In pursuit of that dream she said they drove to Memphis, Columbus and Cleveland for auditions.
Charlene said Ronnie will use his debating skills and intelligence on the show.
"In school he was a speech and debate champion in the National Forensic League," she said. "They tested his IQ for 'Big Brother' and it was 132.
"He told me he was going to use his skills and intelligence to win."
Ronnie will also appear in a Biography Channel presentation in July, she said.
Michelle said although she will see him on television and an Internet feed, it won't be the same as having him around and it may be the end of September before his family will see him again in person.
"It has not sunk in yet, really; it's been rough already," she said. "I cried when he left. I'm already missing him. He's a person who brings so much color to the world."
She said her family was excited when they heard the news about him.
"My parents were watching the CBS News Early Show when the cast was announced; they are also excited," she said. "My sister Melissa posted on her Facebook that her big brother is on 'Big Brother' right after the announcement. She was very excited."
While Talbott is the first resident of the Mid-Ohio Valley to be on "Big Brother," he will not be the first person with ties to the area to appear on a reality show. In 2007, Aaron Reisberger was a contestant on "Survivor:China," which also aired on CBS. Reisberger has family in Washington County.
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Wed Jul 01, 2009 9:41 am
