Tucker Des Lauriers, the 30-year marketing and sales exec originally from Boston and now living in Brooklyn, was the latest houseguest to be evicted on Big Brother 26. The TV Watercooler caught up with Tucker following his eviction to discuss volunteering to go up on the block, Angela’s paranoia, and who should be worried now that [SPOILER] has won H.O.H.
You love puzzles! What exactly happened? Were you building it backwards?
I was building it backwards! I [either] didn’t listen to the directions enough, or my dyslexia kicked in. I don’t know!
You stuck by Angela after what she did. How much of that was strategy and the long game had you both stayed in the house this week?
A lot of it was. She has nobody. Nobody was going to trust her after [this week] for sure! Not after what she did to me. So, I [thought I could] save her and [that I’d still be] in that house. She had devoted her loyalty to me and then let her paranoia get to her. She should have checked her paranoia when it would come back to her because being inside that house causes you to be very paranoid.
Did you ever take Angela aside and tell her to dial down on that paranoia of hers?
Yeah! A lot. I was telling her that there are two sides to this coin, and everyone’s got to play both sides of this game. I know it’s hard to trust people, but you feel it. You feel it on the first day. You feel it when they hug you.
I told her to, “Listen to those feelings and not to listen to the words that come out of my mouth when I’m talking to other people. You have to play both sides of this game, and most of the time, I’m not even playing games with other people. I was just talking with them. And if you think it’s against you because you walk in the room and people get quiet and you think that it only happens to you, it actually happens to every single person in that house!”
It’s just how it us. You know, sometimes guys are having “guy talk” and you walk in and we’re just like “Okay, let’s not talk about farts right now. Angela is in here.”
America voted to make you the A.I. Instigator and awarded you $20,000 for causing chaos, how did that make you feel?
I am so thankful! It brings a knot in my throat. I do a lot for people and I’m very much someone that puts others before myself. I’m very empathetic and I will forever be like that. So, for people to understand that about me, support me, love me for being me, it makes you feel really good.
And there’s still another thing for [America] to vote on!
Your first A.I. Instigator challenge didn’t have the results you had hoped for. How did you patch things up with Rubina and how are you going to break it to her that you were the A.I. Instigator?
I think she’ll understand. Those were far from my intentions. I thought it was going to be a cute, fun joke and have this weight lifted off of us because there was so much mental strain being in there and so much game-playing that having that on top of it was so hard for both of us. We had talked about it [the truth about us] being out there to get that weight off our chest, and I figured that this would have been a good opportunity for it. I thought that no one was going to care. Quinn was up there and saw us and told Kimo, and then Quinn could have told Leah and then that could have spread.
I can still see Rubina’s face when that happened. It makes me lose sleep at night. I never wanted that to be the case. I really do care about her and I think she knows that my feelings for her are real. When she finds out about that [challenge], I would love to be there in the room with her and console her and let her know what my true intentions were.
Now, that was quite the exit kiss. Was it planned or was it a spur of the moment?
Yeah, we had that planned from when Rubina was on the block. That was going to be the house’s introduction to “us.” But we couldn’t resist each other in the house and Leah walked in on us!
We did have a moment in the H.O.H. room where we were hugging cheek to cheek and whispering in each other’s ear, and I kissed her on the cheek. Everyone was freaking out! I’m Italian – you kiss people on the cheeks! I don’t regret it at all. I absolutely adore her.
We’re both adults about it. We knew we were in that house and that things are completely different outside of it. We’re going to be excited to take in each other’s lives and respect the decisions that we both make.
At which point did you realize that perhaps there was a strong likelihood that you’d be going home and did you regret volunteering to go up on the block this week?
I reluctantly volunteered. The words came out of my mouth because I’m a nice guy and I did it for two other people that I wasn’t in an alliance with, so I just wanted to T’Kor to know that “this is not strategic, this is because I just love and respect you. Your overjoyed feelings are so contagious. I’ve never felt so happy for someone else to win something in my life. I know how hard that is and I do not want you to go through things that you don’t have to. I know you’re an empathetic person as well.”
I did not expect to be the one up there. I mean, Leah has never been on the block. Both Kimo and I were skeptical of her. It seemed very obvious to me that she wasn’t going to put me up, but she is playing a much slower paced, timid, and sort of “scared” game, which I guess is good in there. But I can’t play that game that way. I don’t live my life that way. I take things very head on and the things that I am the most fearful of, I will do first, because then it’s easy breezy after that!
Quinn has won H.O.H.
I heard!
Do you respect his gameplay?
Yeah, I do. If I had won H.O.H., he was going right up! I was telling everybody that I’m getting ready to kick his butt out of here! I told Kimo, Rubina and T’Kor that they were falling for Quinn’s charm in this game when it was so fake to me. But I do respect it. There’s a lot that I can learn from his gameplay, but it stinks losing. I’m the youngest of two older brothers and anytime that I’ve lost, it just puts an insane fire underneath me to study, learn more, do better, and make myself improve and be better than ever before. So, you guys have only seen the tip of the iceberg! I’ve got a lot more time to learn in case I ever do go back. Let’s go!
Who should be worried now that Quinn’s H.O.H.?
Rubina, Kimo and T’Kor. He’s in the ‘Ballers,’ which I believe is the name of his alliance with Chelsie and Cam. They all played college sports, which has to do with the ‘ball,’ so I am sure that they are bringing Makensy in with them! They are the strong side of the house right now.
If I had stayed and we had won, we were going to bring Angela over. Now, Angela’s going to be floating hardcore. They’re not going to have to worry about her. She’s probably going to be a perpetual pawn. Leah, somehow, is going to float far into this game. I hope Joseph can ride on her coattails and strike Quinn down whenever he sees a good chance to do it! Come on Joseph, you got this, bro!
Big Brother airs Sundays at 9 p.m. ET, Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET, and Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET on Global and CBS. Canadians can also stream episodes at GlobalTV.com and the Global TV app.
