Julie Chen's BB12 Blog

Julie Chen blogs 'Big Brother' episode 2

by Julie Chen



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What the BEEP! Oh, “Big Brother Saboteur,” we barely knew you! Sad to see our “Saboteur” leave the house tonight…I was eagerly anticipating a summer full of crazy Big Brother fan-inspired sabotage.
I think Annie played the game well, but she may have shot herself in the foot by playing too hard too soon. After tonight’s show, she told me that the moment she entered the house she started playing her game, while most of her fellow Houseguests sat back and let the game come to them. She also admittedly didn’t handle being put on the block very well and reacted too aggressively. Whatever the reasoning, her HouseMATES delivered a resounding eviction vote of 10-0. Not one vote for Rachel – THAT had to sting!
She also expressed that the game was much harder than expected and that the realization that she could not trust someone she was sharing a room with was emotionally draining. I think she was also a bit embarrassed for being the first to leave, but overall grateful for the experience.
I do give her kudos for the bold yet failed attempt to save herself by calling out Brendon for lying about his profession. That move only strengthens the disdain the “Brigade” has towards the swim coach. And she even snuck in one last sabotage before walking out…tune in on Sunday to see what she did. A “Saboteur” till the very end.
Once Annie left the studio, I was standing on the stage thinking that the “Brigade” would maintain their control of the house, but then a curveball in the form of a red-headed “Have-Nottie” snatches this week’s HOH. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? Rachel goes from tag-along to leader in the blink of an eye. That’s exactly what I love about this show. Do you think her “showmance” continues or does she use her power in the game to snuggle up to a more secure player? Comments, please!
Now that the “Saboteur” has been ousted and with a new HOH in place, here are my thoughts on the current alliances inside the house. I’ve ranked the alliances in order of strength:
1) The “Brigade” Alliance (Hayden, Enzo, Lane and Matt): Despite Rachel’s victory this evening, I think they’re still running the show. But on the flip side, their moniker could be one of the weakest in 12 seasons.
2) The “Love Nerds” Alliance (Brendon and Rachel): This season’s inaugural “showmance” is hot and heavy for the time being. I think it’s safe to say that Brendon is camping out in the HOH room all week. Rachel’s victory tonight moved them from third to second place in the rankings. Both are very strong players – physically and mentally – and as Annie stated during her plea before being voted out, we could be witnessing the emergence of this season’s Jeff and Jordan.
*A quick dating tip for Brendon and all future love birds on this show — it’s probably never a good idea to ask one of your fellow Houseguests out on a date (once the show is over) while you’re still living inside the house. You never know where this game is going to take you.
3) “Arkansas’ Finest” Alliance (Britney, Kathy and Monet): Yes, I know Monet isn’t from Arkansas. I understand the regional bond between Britney and Kathy, but I’m still trying to figure out Monet’s association. Does Britney remind anyone of a younger Kathy without the badge? I predict this is the first alliance to break up.
4) Kristen and Andrew: One of the most peculiar pairings so far in my opinion. I’m still waiting for Kristen to pipe up a bit more, but maybe that’s part of her strategy. And are we starting to see hints of a second “showmance” forming between Kristen and Hayden?
5) Ragan: Poor Ragan. Either he’ll continue to be an outsider in this game or play the role of the all powerful swing vote at some point.
INSIDER FACTOIDS:
* We all learned during tonight’s HOH challenge that there was 330 gallons of sticky “goo” in Sunday night’s “Sweet Tooth” challenge. But did you know that there was over 1,300 pounds of popcorn!
* My personal favorite “fan-submitted sabotage” was one that suggested the “Saboteur” throw all the Houseguest’s food over the Big Brother wall. That’s called playing to win…depriving you and your fellow competitors of nourishment. I wish we could have seen that one played out.
GENERAL THOUGHTS:
* I love Kathy, but she really needs to lose that “Rub for Luck” shirt or at least wear something else. Wonder what her fellow officers back in Arkansas think?
* Enzo, no more sunglasses inside the house! If you’re using it as a tactic to avoid eye contact when you’re lying through your teeth that’s one thing. But I get the sense, the “Meow, Meow” simply thinks it’s cool. Love ya Enzo, but we’re not at the World Series of Poker.
* I’m not sure who was more emotional this week, Annie or Brendon. I understand Annie’s tears, but Brendon needs to man up a bit if he’s going to stay in the house.
* I’m guessing America decided Kathy was the “Saboteur” the second they saw her taking a siesta during the “Sweet Tooth” challenge. I’m not saying I could have done it either, but she may need to showcase a bit more physicality to stay in the game.
That’s all for this week. I can’t wait to see how the shift in the HOH impacts the game. Do Brendon and Rachel keep love alive; will we see a second “showmance” between Kristen and Hayden emerge; will Ragan jump into an alliance? Let me know your thoughts.

Great Blog...luv Julie's opinions. I always wonder if she watches the feeds

Julie Chen blogs 'Big Brother' episode 3

by Julie Chen


Image Credit: CBS



A lot of tears inside the house this week.
One of the misfortunes of winning a cash prize during the first week of a competition-based reality series is that you give your fellow players a reason to eliminate you – and I believe that’s what happened when Monet snagged the $10,000 prize during the first challenge. Whether or not that was the sole deciding factor for the House’s vote of 7-2 to eliminate Monet is uncertain, but it clearly gave Rachel and her fellow Housemates an excuse to hang their hat on.
I spoke with Monet after last night’s show and she’s in pretty good spirits despite the elimination. I think walking away with the $10,000 prize in hand definitely eases the pain. She did touch on how emotionally draining this past week has been for her and her trusted ally Britney. She also emphatically stated that she has no regrets for the trash talking seminars she and Britney held in the backyard. Those are two ladies I would never want to tick off.
I asked Monet if she had any parting advice for Britney and I was genuinely surprised by her answer. She suggested that Britney’s lifespan inside the house could be extended if she were able to team up with their rival, Rachel. A surprising but intriguing strategy if Britney could pull it off.
Now, let’s talk game play! Clearly, Matt had the move of the week by putting himself up as a pawn. WOW! An absolute risky move at this early stage of the game, when alliances are still fresh and can easily be broken and replaced by new ones. Whether or not his roll of the dice proves to be advantageous down the road is yet to be seen. He’s obviously playing both sides of the house and I personally think he took a hit when Rachel called him out during the House meeting. At the very least, he’s officially put a target on his back by announcing that he’s a player who is willing to lie and cheat to get to the end. EVERYONE DOES IT…JUST DON’T GET CAUGHT.
Coming out of last week, I was honestly starting to wonder what was wrong with Kristen. She was literally the quietest Houseguest I had ever seen. I’m glad to see her show some fire this week when she stood up for herself. Maybe laying low is her strategy, but I hope she wakes up and starts asserting herself a bit more. My gut tells me she has the potential to be a sleeper in this game. Maybe her secret “showmance” will spark some new life.
Speaking of “showmance”…which “showmance” do you think will last longer inside the house? The “Love Nerds” or Hayden and Kristen? Let me know your thoughts below.
I think the Brigade still holds the power in the house based solely on numbers, but Rachel and Brendon could prove to be a powerful alliance. I know I said it last week, but both are strong, both are bright, and if they stick together they might make a run at this. On the other side of the spectrum is Britney. Miss Arkansas could be in serious trouble depending on who snags this week’s HOH — or maybe she’ll adopt Monet’s advice and partner up with Rachel.
This is usually about the time in the game that we start to see a lot of scrambling inside the house and this upcoming week should be no different.
HERE ARE SOME GENERAL INSIDER FACTOIDS FOR BOTH THE POV AND HOH COMPETITIONS:
On the POV Competition:
* The dollar bills that the Houseguests were getting slapped with were over 8 inches long and the serial number on the Big Brother dollar bills was 19811450.
On the HOH Competition:
* The giant wave wall was 65 feet long and 12 feet high!
* The surfboards that the Houseguests balanced on were 8 feet long!
* The surfboards could be lowered to a 40 degree angle, increasing the difficulty of balancing!
BEST QUOTES OF THE WEEK:
Enzo: “It’s like Alcatraz with palm trees. I am about to go ‘Shawshank’ and spoon my way out.”
Rachel: (When I asked her if she would choose the half million dollars or Brendon?) “Brendon is a once-in-a-lifetime thing. I would have to choose what’s best for me and Brendon.”
Matt: “Take it away Chenbot.” (I had to throw that one in there.)
WARDROBE QUESTION OF THE WEEK:
I received some questions regarding my wardrobe for last week’s LIVE show. Thanks for those. I was wearing Thierry Mugler last week and in case you’re wondering, last night’s outfit was Max Mara.
Thanks to all of you for the support. We have a great season on our hands and it only promises to get better.

OK SO HERES THE DEAL U GUYS NEED TO GIVE RACHEL OR BRENDON A POWER BECAUSE IF THEY GET VOTED OFF THERE GOES ALL THE DRAMA AND WE ALREADY KNOW IF RACHEL IS GONE BRENDON WILL GO SHORTLY SO NOW IF THAT HAPPENS WHICH IT WILL THE BRIGAD WILL WIN SO WE DONT REALLY EVEN NEED TO WATCH BB12 ANYMORE CAUSE THAT WILL HAPPEN IF BRENCHAL LEAVE SO I AND ALOT OF OTHER PPL HAVE BEEN ASKING CBS PLEASE GIV RACHEL OR BRENDON THE POWER OF coup d'etat so if you could before one gets voted off i think that would help cause i mean the whole sab getting voted off in the first week u guys kinda messed that one up so please dont let them get voted off this season is not so great at all anyways it really sucked but if brenchal get voted out it will suck even more.

thanks for ur time

jessica

Julie Chen blogs 'Big Brother' week 7

by Julie Chen
Categories: About Last Night, Reality TV, TV Recap, Television


Image Credit: Lisette M. Azar/CBSTHE “BLINDSIDE” HEARD THROUGHOUT TEXARKANA!
Wow, what a night! Matt shocks the house by using the Diamond Power of Veto, pulling himself off the block and putting up Kathy. Kathy sits motionless as her fate is determined in a Live vote that results in a unanimous eviction of 5-0 — thus concluding one of the most exciting weeks this season. Why Kathy you ask? It could have simply been a numbers game or she might have fallen victim to the speculation that she was the “Saboteur.”
But first…let’s recap what led us to this point.
Brendon avenges his ousted lady by out-roping his enemies en route to a victory in this week’s HOH. His first order of business is putting Lane and Ragan on the block. Ragan shows his grit by capturing this week’s POV. Rachel re-enters the house anticipating a reunion with Brendon, but instead discovers Brendon has left the house courtesy of “Pandora’s Box.” Rachel leaves a pretzel message for Brendon, but inadvertently adds to the “Saboteur” speculation surrounding Kathy. Ragan saves himself in the POV meeting — Brendon then puts Matt up on the block, but Matt remains calm as he’s secretly holding the Diamond Power of Veto. Which brings us back to Kathy.
I spoke with Kathy after the show tonight and she was clearly shocked by her swift and sudden departure. However, she told me that she felt as if something was off this entire week, chalking it up to a gut instinct. She added that she was disappointed to have left the game, but pleased that she was able to survive in the house for this long with her morals intact. She also told me that the one thing she will take away from this experience is a new appreciation for her family and her hometown. I personally think she handled a disappointing scenario with a lot of class.
Moving on to this week…I can’t believe Britney is the last woman standing! I would have never predicted that earlier in the season. Following her victory this evening in the HOH competition, my initial thought was that Brendon is toast unless he’s able to capture the POV. However, after further consideration, it could be an interesting strategy for Britney to keep Brendon in the game. Why not keep someone around that everyone truly dislikes in hopes of taking that person to the end to make it an easy decision for the jurors? Its game play 101…keep your friends close and your enemies closer.
Look for a crazy week ahead as alliances could be restructured – namely the “Brigade.”
RANDOM THOUGHTS:
*When Rachel returns to Vegas she should run – not walk – to the nearest pit boss for a lesson in knowing when to fold em. Clearly she had no idea she was squaring off with a college professor who makes his living giving lectures, but you would think after their first heated exchange she would have reconsidered coming back for more. Conversely, I’m sure Ragan took pride in leaving Rachel speechless, but it’s safe to say he’s down one juror vote.
*Lane, Enzo and Hayden could be forced to do some serious schmoozing this week as the balance of the “Brigade” lies in Matt’s reaction to knowing Enzo and Hayden actively selected to keep Lane instead of him. Does the “Brigade” remain four strong or will they split apart and start fending for themselves? Matt thinks he’s smarter than everyone else in the house while Enzo and Hayden doubt their ability to beat Matt in the end. What do you think? Comments please!
*How classic was the Zingbot 3000? My favorite zing was “Hayden, Justin Bieber just called…he wants his hairdo back. Zing. Zing. Zing.”
*Kudos to Ragan (and the fans who voted for Ragan) for a terrific stint inside the house as this season’s second “Saboteur.”
QUOTES OF THE WEEK:
*Matt’s thoughts on campaigning: “I want to sleep the day away, sleep the night away and wake up on death row and see what happens.”
*Ragan on life inside the house: “I’m in a prison of starvation and heterosexuality.”
*Enzo to Matt: “You just got ‘sabobitched.’”
That’s it for this week. I haven’t looked forward to a week inside the house this much in awhile. I’m dying to see how Brendon responds to Britney calling the shots and what happens with the “Brigade” now that we’re starting to see some kinks in their armor. See you next Thursday for our double elimination!

Another great blog by the Chenbot! I loved the "friends close and enemies closer" line. That's an excellent point. If she gets rid of Brendan this week, and can't play for the next HOH, who does she think's going up??? Most likely her! Plus, if she doesn't get rid of Brendan & he wins, she's def safe.

Julie Chen blogs 'Big Brother' week 8

by Julie Chen



Image Credit: Lisette M. Azar/CBSI’M EXHAUSTED! What a night. Here’s a quick recap for anyone who missed day 55 inside the Big Brother house. We sprung the news about last night’s double eviction on the Houseguests at the top of the show — I do love the excitement and chaotic nature of the double evictions. The Brigade implodes as Matt becomes the first casualty of this season’s most dominant alliance and leaves the house by a vote of 4-0. The remaining Houseguests compete in a HOH competition in which Hayden narrowly edges out Brendon; Hayden places Brendon and Ragan on the block; Ragan captures the POV and removes himself from the block; Hayden places Britney beside Brendon on the block; Brendon is sent packing by a vote of 3-0.
*I need to pause for one second before I proceed in order to comment on Enzo’s performance in the competitions this evening. It’s almost comical how poorly he’s competing each week. Either he’s throwing the competitions (which I doubt) or he’s simply one of the most uncoordinated competitors we’ve ever had on the show. Although, having said that, the “Meow Meow” has positioned himself well within the house to make a run at the $500,000. He’s a likable guy, who seems to be a straight shooter — a characteristic that typically proves useful come finale night.
Back to the action — it’s Matt and Brendon making their way to the jury house this week. I can’t say that I’m surprised by either selection. We knew the writing was on the wall for Matt this week, despite several last ditch attempts to sway the house towards Ragan. I spoke with Matt after tonight’s show and he actually told me that turning his back on Ragan (if only for strategy) was his sole regret from his time inside the house.
With Matt’s departure, it’s easy to see how the three remaining members of the Brigade (Enzo, Lane and Hayden) could maintain a steady control over the house if they can keep winning. But one can only wonder which one of them will be first to flinch and set off on their own to form a new alliance outside of the Brigade. It’s clear that Lane and Britney have formed a bond over the last couple of weeks, but where does Ragan fit into the equation?
Tell me who you think is in jeopardy this week…is Ragan the odd man out, or will he be just the swing vote someone needs in order to pull a major power shift inside the house?
RANDOM THOUGHTS:
Way to go Britney! I know I keep saying it, but I’m shocked at her maturation as a player inside this game…she’s not just floating…she’s established herself as a power player. And, oh yeah, she’s the last remaining female. This could be a huge week for Britney depending on how the HOH shakes out and whether or not the Brigade remains three strong or continues to splinter.
In my opinion, I believe Britney and Lane are playing the best games inside the house. Britney is a feisty survivor who is using her sweet, southern charm to stay alive while Lane is playing the most quiet game ever for a strong, athletic competitor. Either one of them could be tough to beat in the end.
For all future Big Brother contestants – ease up on the “shout outs.” I know everyone misses their friends and families, but it seems that this cast in particular has to say hello to their mom or girlfriend each time before pleading their case to the house as to why they should not be evicted. Although, I did like Enzo’s anniversary wishes to his wife…nice touch “Meow Meow.”
Despite tonight’s eviction, I commend Brendon for his staying power. I can’t remember a Houseguest being this targeted since day 1 and being able to muster up just enough each week to survive. And he actually wears the bald head look well.
We might establish a new record for PDA inside the jury house this week with the impending “Brenchel” reunion.
QUOTES OF THE WEEK:
Britney regarding her allies: “I like what I see from my army.”
Lane regarding hecklers: “I wish we had hecklers. We did have them — Rachel and Brendon.”
Brendon on life inside the house: “It’s a really nice version of prison.”
FUN COMPETITION FACTOID:
“Big Brother Zoo” – Power of Veto Competition:
There were 11 animals in the Big Brother Zoo. 3 penguins, 1 camel, 1 ape, 1 snake, 1 turtle, 1 lion, 1 elephant, 1 alligator and 1 rubber duck. There were 16 total signs including the Houseguest’s name placards which were visible in the Big Brother Zoo. Some of the funny signs included CAUTION: PLEASE DO NOT FEED THE HUMANS. 48 bars were used in each of the Big Brother cages.
That’s all for this week. Who are you rooting for to win this week’s HOH? Will the remaining Brigade members maintain a united front till the end or was Matt’s departure just the beginning of the destruction? Sound off below.
Until next week…

Julie Chen blogs 'Big Brother' week 9

by Julie Chen







AMERICA…IT’S DOWN TO THE FINAL 4
I’m not sure which house had more drama this week — the jury house or the Big Brother house?
We witnessed some serious fireworks at the jury house when Matt came clean and told Kathy, Brendon and Rachel that his wife isn’t really sick. I’m not sure why he decided to come clean at this time as he could have easily waited till after the show or even dropped that bomb during the finale. Whatever his reasoning, I haven’t seen that many jaws on the floor in some time. It almost seemed as if Matt was harboring some guilt for that lie and needed to put it all on the table.
What do you think? Was it a questionable strategy on Matt’s behalf or would you employ similar tactics during the game to advance further? Tell me below!
Ragan put up a valiant effort to manipulate votes from Lane and Britney this week, but in the end the loyalty of the “Brigade” was simply too strong. However, he seemed to be in fairly good spirits after the show considering he was just ousted. He departed the house still suspicious of an all-male alliance consisting of Lane, Enzo and Hayden — and he assumed his BFF Matt was also associated with them in some capacity.
Looking ahead — this is typically the point in the game when strategy switches from survival mode to collecting votes from the jury members. I’m not sure Lane is making the wisest decision by choosing to align himself with Britney en route to the finale. I know she supposedly doesn’t have many friends in the jury house, but someone like Britney could always garner those “perseverance” votes. Of the remaining four, she has clearly had to claw her way to this point in the game, while the three “Brigade” members have essentially relied on outnumbering their competition. If I’m in the jury house, I might admire that perseverance.
If Lane and Enzo make it to the final two, who do you think deserves it more? Tell me below. Both have played fairly conservative games, flying under the radar from day one.
At this point it’s hard to predict who has set themselves up best among the jury members to win their votes. It’s a toss up for me…
RANDOM THOUGHTS:
* The endless dance-a-thon that took place in the house courtesy of Pandora ‘s Box might be one of the most clever punishments Big Brother has ever devised. I call for that to be a permanent rule inside the house – whenever Houseguests hear music they are required to break into dance. Unless we have to watch Hayden dance.
* Kudos to Enzo for out lasting the Big Brother “costume curse” – and for finally winning a competition. Good timing.
* I know I’ve been predicting the imminent demise of the “Brigade,” but I must give credit where credit is due. They’ve advanced to the final two weeks of the game with only one casualty to date and those are numbers you simply can’t argue. They aligned early and stayed strong throughout.
* Is it just me or does it seem that the Houseguest’s final pleas during our LIVE eviction shows are growing increasingly warm and fuzzy? I’m not sure that I could muster up the phrase “I love all of you” as they’re ripping $500,000 from my pocket.
QUOTE OF THE SEASON:
* I selected this as the quote of the season (up to this point) as it so clearly reflects the personality of the person delivering the line.
* Enzo regarding his lifestyle in the house: “I only took three naps today.”
Just a reminder to everyone that our schedule is a little different next week – eviction show on Wednesday night (Final 3 will be revealed) and as always a LIVE show on Thursday, but no eviction. And for all you crazy “zingbot” fans out there…I was just told EW will have an interview with the infamous “Zingbot” during finale week. Stay tuned for that…till next week.

Julie Chen blogs 'Big Brother' week 10

by Julie Chen



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Here we go…69 days into the season and we’re less than a week away from crowning this summer’s Big Brother champion. I can honestly say that at this stage of the game I have no idea which of the remaining three Houseguests will take home the prize. The only thing we know for certain is that it will be one of our Brigade alliance members.
Lane, Enzo and Hayden have six more days to compete, backstab and strategize their way into the $500,000 prize, which will be awarded during next Wednesday’s two-hour season finale.
But first…I was sad to see Britney, our last remaining female in the game, take a ride to the jury house this week. I feel a little sorry for her given the tension mounting inside the jury house – she’s walking into a firestorm now that Rachel and Ragan have been reunited. Britney was truly a tough competitor who should be proud of surviving for as long as she did within a season dominated by men.
Here’s a quick overview/preview of our three finalists as we head into our final week:
Hayden:
Hayden seems to be hitting his stride just at the right time. He’s been playing a strong mental game the entire season, but he’s clearly saved the best for last in terms of his physical play in competitions. I also believe he’s standing on pretty solid ground with many of the jury members, which means he could be tough to beat if he makes it to the final two.
Enzo:
There was no better moment to summarize a Houseguest’s play this season than when we saw Enzo eating soup on the sideline while Hayden and Lane battled it out during the first part of this week’s HOH. That pretty much says it all in terms of Enzo’s physical prowess this season. Having said that, Enzo is a likable guy who has played a strong social game and therefore he could garner just enough votes to carry him to a victory.
Lane:
Lane adopted a similar strategy to Hayden throughout the course of the season. He also demonstrated a strong social game — flying under the radar without ruffling too many feathers — and now seems to be stepping it up in competitions. If Lane makes it to the final two against Enzo, I could see him winning this game. However, if he’s seated next to Hayden in the final two, he has a tougher road ahead of him.
The stage is set for a thrilling competition next Wednesday night as Lane and Hayden square off for the final (and most important) HOH of the summer. It seems fitting that Enzo will once again be sitting on the sidelines…you know I love ya Meow, Meow!
RANDOM THOUGHTS:
*I honestly might have nightmares about those Frankenstein photos we saw during tonight’s part 2 HOH. The mashup of Matt and Britney was especially disturbing.
*It’s fascinating to watch Ragan and Rachel when they are near one another. You can literally see them sizing each other up, while both wait for the other to make the first move so that they can start yelling at one another.
*Who is your pick for America’s Favorite Houseguest this season? Tell me below.
*Just heard a rumor that the Big Brother Zingbot is making an encore appearance during next week’s season finale. Love that Zingbot!
QUOTES OF THE WEEK:
Hayden — “The brigade is dead…it’s every man for himself.”
Enzo on life after Big Brother — “I may just hold my baby so that the Houseguests don’t punch me in the face.”

That’s it for this week. Remember we have a special clip show on Sunday night and the LIVE two-hour season finale on Wednesday, Sept. 15 where we’ll find out who the jury feels played the best game and is worthy of walking away with $500,000 in their pocket.