Hisam Goueli was the latest houseguest to be evicted on Big Brother. The TV Watercooler had the opportunity to chat with Hisam following his eviction to find out how he felt about being blindsided, if he ever felt “trapped” in the Professor’s alliance, and who he is rooting for to win.
How have you been since the eviction on Thursday?
I’ve been okay. I’ve been slowly adjusting to being back at my normal life. I have been slowly getting back on track. I had my first real workout, which felt amazing! I got to reconnect with my dog and my friends.
Glad you’ve been able to ease back into your life after that blindside. How blindsided were you at the Veto Ceremony last week? Did you have any suspicion leading up to it?
What I will tell you is that I trusted people 100%. So that probably allowed me to miss more subtle queues. In addition, on the day of my nomination, I could sense some anxiety in the house. I could sense some restlessness, but I did not necessarily perceive that as negative. I’m a really calm and stable person.
That house is filled with paranoia and suspiciousness and as a psychiatrist and doctor, I am just really good at thinking “That’s them. That’s not me.” So, getting nominated was completely shocking to me.
I’ll tell you when I knew…I knew when Felicia said “Hisam said…” I was like, “Oh no! This is going to be bad.” My stomach dropped and then Felicia said the statement “Why take out a Knight when you can take out a King.” I looked at her when she said it. What you saw on my face was just hurt.
To have your own words used against you like that…
I mean, they are true words. We’re playing a game of chess and we’re going after the big pieces. You know, I was a King on their side. I was the person that would have taken them to the end. I have never played a game of chess where I took my own pieces out! [Laughs]
With the dust settled a bit, would you agree that it was a good game move for them?
Of course, it’s a good game move. I’m a smart, strategic player. I think that they recognized that I was a competitive beast. I had won a speed game, a puzzle game, and a physical game. They could just sense that I was dangerous. So, of course, they should evict me.
I think they evicted me at the wrong time. They should have used me to get to mid-game and then cut me. There are still other players and big targets that I would have gone after for them.
Did you ever feel that you were “trapped” with that alliance?
Nope! I chose those people. I wanted to stay loyal to them. I’m a loyal person. I’m an honest person. I’m direct and straightforward, as you can tell! I would have taken them to the end! That was a promise that I had made. I kept all my promises in the house. I didn’t break any of my promises – which I think is unusual in this game. Especially when you have so much power at the beginning. But no, I would have taken them right to the very end.
Who did you feel betrayed by the most?
Felicia.
Felicia is someone that I had a connection with. She was an older adult. I’m a geriatric psychologist. I’m passionate about older adults. I want to see them succeed. I want them to prove society wrong.
In addition, I saw the qualities of my mom in her. I saw her as family. So, when she has the power to put me on the block and does so with a smile or smirk, that really hurts. It really catches you by surprise.
Is there anyone that you are rooting for?
Yes, I’m rooting for Mecole. I think she’s smart, sophisticated, and athletic. I really loved her in the house. I didn’t get a chance to get to know her too well until the very end, but I loved everything that I learned about her. She’s wonderful. I really hope that she wins!
Big Brother airs Sundays and Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT and Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Global and CBS. Click here for the latest Big Brother content from The TV Watercooler.