Entertainment

When Big Brother made its debut way back in 2000, it aired right in the middle of the first season of Survivor, and I dismissed it as merely a clone of Survivor – but in a house instead of an island. I tried to watch, but since reality TV was so new at the time, I only had room in my heart (and life) for Survivor.

While many of my friends were watching Big Brother and perpetually prodded me with their persistent persuasion, I refused to give in. It was Survivor and The Mole for me and that was that.

Then, in 2009 for Season 11, my wife and I were channel surfing and decided to give Big Brother a chance. We were hooked, and couldn’t stop watching. Worse, we signed up for the 3-day trial for the Live Feeds – where you can watch the houseguests 24/7 online. The trial ended but we paid the 10 bucks per month to keep watching. It was a voyeuristic thrill we couldn’t give up. Ever since then, Big Brother takes up a lot of our time. We want to quit but we can’t; it’s almost like we need an intervention. Please help us…

As much as we still love Survivor, there’s something about Big Brother that Survivor lacks, which probably boils down to the fact that you can watch 24/7. You really get to know the houseguests, and nothing can get lost in the editing room.

Last season wasn’t the greatest for casting, but this year, the show’s 14th season, looks to be a very solid group of houseguests.

Season 14 debuted Thursday night to the best 18-49 demo rating since 2008, and featured a first: an immediate elimination. After only 8 hours in the house, Jodi Rollins was eliminated.

Photo: Contributed - CBS

Big Brother's first evicted Houseguest, Jodi Rollins

In the first Head of Household challenge, Jodi’s team - coached by Dan Gheesling, winner of Big Brother 10 – lost. Dan was forced to choose which one of his newbie teammates would go home, and he sent Jodi packing.

Each week following an elimination, I’ll be speaking with the ejected houseguest about their experience in the House.

In a CBS conference call this morning, Jodi explained that she only had 8 minutes between the time they lost and the time she was evicted. “I had a 20-second talk with Dan, and told him why he should keep me but it obviously didn’t work,” she said.

Although she is obviously upset about her quick exit, she doesn’t appear bitter. “I rolled the dice and lost bigger than any other Big Brother HG has in the show’s history. What are you going to do? If you don’t try things in life, you’ll never succeed.”

How does she feel about the Mentors twist this season? “Totally unnecessary, we were no longer in control of our own game. When the coaches came in, it felt like remedial Big Brother. You had to wait for somebody to tell you what to do. Someone else was in charge of your fate.”

Jodi spoke a lot about the energy in the house, and how it was so palpable and ever-changing depending on the twists and turns of the game. The biggest energy shift she experienced was when the Mentors came in. “It changed the entire energy when they came in, and not for the better,” she said.

An outspoken Britney fan, I asked her what she thought of one of her favorite Big Brother players. “I was totally let down,” she told me. “It was so disappointing. She didn’t even make any effort to get to know me or anything. I wasn’t impressed.”

Before giving me her thoughts on best and worst player, she wanted to give a shout out to all Canadians for their support of the show (Castanet was the only Canadian media outlet in on the conference call). “I love all the Canadians on the live feed chat. You guys are awesome!” she says.

Best and worst: “I’d have to say Shane has a great chance of going far, and Danielle may be the weakest.”

Tune in to Castanet each week as we talk to all the evicted Houseguests.