Calgary’s Ryan Ballantine was the latest houseguest to be evicted on Big Brother Canada after being put up on the block next to Johnny by Derek. We caught up with this season’s first member of the jury to see how Johnny managed to keep himself safe, feeling pressure to stay safe, and not expecting everyone to lie so much in the game.
How dod you think Johnny managed to convince Derek and the house to keep him safe?
Johnny is much smarter than anyone else that is left inside the house. Johnny would have done whatever he needed to do — and good for him. I didn’t help… I went into Derek’s room and told him I’d put him on the block next week. So, I wasn’t willing to lie to anybody’s face at that point so when Derek asked me what I was going to do, I told him. He must have felt that Johnny was a safer option. I’m hoping Johnny is the HOH right now and no, he was not the safer option!
Was there’s someone’s vote that you thought you had locked for sure?
I always thought that I had Paras’ vote locked… I could count on her to be part of a majority vote, but she knew I wasn’t willing to have anyone be a sympathy vote for me.
Last week you were saved by Canada. Did you feel pressure to stay off the block this past week because of that honour?
Yeah, I really did. I regret that I was not able to continue my game and play for Canada. I really let them down by not staying in the game further than one extra nomination cycle. Unfortunately for me, Derek won the HOH and I think he was the worst possible option to with the HOH. Unfortunately, Tomb Raider for me was a touchy subject for me and I got the answer wrong and went against my gut.
What do you think was the biggest move this season?
Backdooring Veronica. 100%. Erica was absolutely “the man.” She was so badass at playing this game. It was unbelievable. I can’t wait to see Erica in an “All-Stars” season.
Who do you think is the most well-positioned player going into the upcoming week?
Going into the upcoming week, I don’t know if anyone is well-positioned because I don’t know the circumstances. If there was a triple eviction, then that’s a different thing. I think there are way too many variables about walking out of the house that I can’t tell you without knowing that information. I think everybody could be equally in danger depending on who won the HOH on Thursday night!
Other than missing your loved ones, what was the hardest thing about playing the game?
The hardest thing about playing the game for me was just the constant sense of being lied to all the time. I’m a businessman and I’m out doing work all the time. I’m a contractor, so honesty and loyalty are an essential part of my day-to-day. Having someone tell you what they want for expectations and then meeting those expectations and having that be rewarded is different behaviour than what happens inside the house. While I expected people to lie in the game, I didn’t expect everyone to lie. And lie so aggressively. I think that was somewhat surprising, even to a guy who has seen so much of the show as I have. I probably shouldn’t have been!
Big Brother Canada airs Mondays at 9 p.m. ET/PT, Wednesdays at 7 p.m. ET/PT and Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Global. You can catch up with previous episodes on demand, on the Global Go app, and online at BigBrotherCanada.ca. You can also tune into the live feeds online at BigBrotherCanada.ca. For more of The TV Watercooler’s Big Brother Canada coverage, click here.
