Jimmy Heagerty, the 25-year-old AI consultant from Sarasota, Florida, was the fourth houseguest to be evicted on the 27th season of Big Brother.
The TV Watercooler had the opportunity to speak with Jimmy following his eviction to discuss having Rachel go from his target to his biggest ally, if he was surprised Ashley tried to change her vote, and what could make someone have a successful run early on in the game.
How did you memorize your collection of Drag Race quotes to use in the house? Which one was your favourite one to say to the other houseguests?
I had my fair share of Drag Race quotes already banked up and that’s who I am! I quote them in real life, so I was going to quote them on the show!
I think maybe one that was more “in the moment” was when Keanu was using his power, and I told him to sit back down on the nominations chair where he belongs, and that this is his moment and he should have it, because there aren’t going to be too many more for him!
Maybe I spoke too soon? Because I was the one who didn’t have any more moments after that!
But it always feels good when you’ve landed a punch against somebody that you were feuding with in the house.
It gave great TV.
Thank you, and that was the goal. To all the queens watching, I know they were rooting for me. I don’t think I would have been as funny in the house without some of them. I appreciate them! We’re a community, so if I could lean on them in the Big Brother house and use my “snake” powers to strike a few people, I was willing to shake that rattle and get ready to strike.
Who do you think is now wearing your fake designer sunglasses?
Hopefully, Rachel, because I left a few for her. But at the end of the day, I think Rachel and Ava are some of the shady girls who are going to be stepping up into the spotlight a little bit.
I know Ava might have been too into the background just a little bit and I’ve heard that she won HOH this week, so I think y’all are really in for a treat to see the real girl.
Your eviction episode is one of the books! Were you shocked to find out that Ashley tried to go back in to change her vote?
Yes and no! If there are two things you know about Ashley, first, she’s very endearing, but Ashley is also late and indecisive.
So does that surprise me? No. But after seeing the video [from the episode], the correct vote total went from being 9 to 2, to 9 to 1.5!
Can you share more about how Rachel went from your biggest target to your biggest ally?
It’s no surprise that when Rachel entered the house, I wanted her out! She’s already won the dang show and doesn’t deserve a third go around. Or at least, that’s what I thought!
But to know Rachel Reilly is to love Rachel Reilly. The more time I spent with her, I realized that she really is the best mom, an incredible player, and an even better friend.
One of the big downfalls of the Triple Threat alliance is that we were never allowed to spend time with each other in order to avoid suspicion. And to fill that gap, I spent a lot of time with Rachel and was able to build a relationship with her in a way that I didn’t connect with anybody else in the house.
Rachel and I have easy chemistry, and she’s somebody that I’ll always be grateful to know, and I’ve enjoyed spending time with her, even if her fashion can be a hit or miss.
Hanging out and kikying with Rachel was definitely my favourite part about being on Big Brother 27.
You blamed Morgan for your eviction rather than HOH Mickey. Can you share more on that?
I knew Morgan, Vince and Zach were working very closely together, and I had a feeling they were using the keys to engineer my downfall.
I’m not going to say I was correct, but from what I’ve heard, I was close to being on the money with that one. I hear they’re in an alliance together and Mickey’s definitely at the bottom of that melting pot. I do believe that if Morgan goes – and I have planted many seeds to make sure that is the case – somebody like Rachel, Ashley, Avan and Will will be able to work more closely with Mickey once she’s suffered from that tie that keeps her connected to Vince and Zach.
I think Vince not being put up was a strategic mistake for Mickey. Vince is playing a great game and there are a lot of people who view Vince as their number one in this game. He’s really safe with a lot of people, and that’s a dangerous card to have behind you – especially since Mickey made herself a target this week.
So, we’ll see how the rest of the game plays out. But I do think at this point, it’s better for Mickey’s game if Morgan goes, considering Mickey thinks Morgan’s her number one – but Mickey isn’t even in Morgan’s top five!
Did you and Rachel have time to discuss what her strategy would be if you were the one who was evicted?
Yeah, I told her to raise hell! This house wants to keep her around because they think she’ll be level-headed in the jury house. They don’t know Rachel Reilly – that’s for sure! So one of the things I told her is to raise hell.
She’s really worried that if she makes the final two, she won’t win. I told her to aim for the final two and make sure they crown you! “If you play a good game, if you play your cards right and you make big moves and step up and win some competitions, they will have no choice but to make you the first two-time winner in Big Brother history.
So that’s what I told her – to raise hell, target Vince and Morgan, and make themcrown you!
I’m rooting for Rachel moving forward, and I hope the audience is too.
Ava did win HOH – what is your prediction for the week ahead?
I think my prediction is that viewers are in for a whirlwind. I know she’s targeting Keanu like everybody else in the house, so I would be surprised if he didn’t go up, but I think that Ava is ready to make a big move.
She told me day one that she was ready to make big moves, and I think she’s ready to do that in this house. Ava is somebody who isn’t swayed by people, which is something I respect about her.
Vince and Mickey want to have one on ones with the entire house. Ya’ll, this is not office hours! What are you doing?
I think Morgan should also be worried. I also think that Keanu should be on edge, and I think there’s a chance Vince and Zach may also end up on the block.
How awkward was the moment when Keanu won the last veto? In real time, did Ava really freeze up and not say her prompt quick enough?
Listen, it happened very quickly. Keanu won and was expecting Ava to congratulate him. I hope I’m not revealing anything, but there’s always a small delay afterwards. So, she was just doing her job. I’m sure she was excited to congratulate him. Ava was doing her best job hosting and was killing it.
Keanu was so fired up and knew the entire house was against him. He thought Ava was freeing up and not giving him his congratulations and that pissed Ava off. As we saw, she was walking up to him and spinning that veto – and I think we were all surprised she didn’t smack him on the face with it – maybe, to some of our chagrin.
But yeah, it was silent. You could hear a pin drop after he won the veto until you heard the reluctant slow clap.
Was that your favourite moment as someone who’s watched the show before?
No, my favourite moments were my moments. Becuae, you know, why be self-aware when you can be self-obsessed?
I do think it was iconic but so was throwing my sunglasses when I was yelling at Keanu.
What was the hardest part about adjusting to life inside the Big Brother house?
Being away from my support system. I have a great family in Florida. I have an incredible network. I also have my chosen family, friends, and my boyfriend in DC. Being away from them was the hardest.
You’re cut off from the outside world, and I was going on Day 43 or 44 – and was cut off from the outside world. The hardest part is not having your support system.
I think in some ways, it was made easier because, through Rachel, Mickey, and Morgan, I was able to build a support system in the house – but I don’t know how real that was after a certain point. Having that support system in the house makes the transition easier because you never feel truly alone. I think that’s one of the keys to making yourself successful [in Big Brother] and setting yourself up for success early on in the game.
Big Brother airs Sundays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Global and CBS. Canadians can stream Big Brother on STACK TV and the Global TV app.
