Speaker 1: It's in the news today, but it was actually on
Speaker 1: TV Reload, the podcast last week they light Welcome back
Speaker 1: to TV Reload. My name's Benjamin Norris, and on this
Speaker 1: podcast I go behind the scenes with the biggest players
Speaker 1: in television. Each episode you will get a front row
Speaker 1: seat with content makers like executive producers, writers, editors, and
Speaker 1: casting agents, plus the talent that we see on our screens.
Speaker 1: TV Reload reloads the shows that you are currently watching
Speaker 1: and gives you a better insight at our television industry
Speaker 1: and streaming services today. On the podcast, I have second
Speaker 1: to vict Mel from Big Brother twenty twenty two Back
Speaker 1: to the Future, which is now on Channel seven from
Speaker 1: Monday to Wednesday. The first cut is often the deepest,
Speaker 1: but as Mel leaves the competition second, I can't help
Speaker 1: but wonder what else we would have gained from her experience.
Speaker 1: Being just a little longer, Mel was a beacon of
Speaker 1: shining light. Her positivity and energy is super prevalent in
Speaker 1: this chat, and today you will get to hear everything
Speaker 1: about her time in the Big Brother House. Go behind
Speaker 1: the scenes as Mel unpacks the highs and lows, find
Speaker 1: out some secrets that we didn't see on the show,
Speaker 1: and I'll also reignite a famous tradition with Gretel Colleen's
Speaker 1: top ten questions, made famous from the first iteration of
Speaker 1: the series back when it debuted in two thousand and two. However,
Speaker 1: let's get started with Mel, affectionately known as Mel from Melbourne,
Speaker 1: as we welcome her to TV Reload.
Speaker 2: I don't know how to be anything other than myself.
Speaker 3: This year it's my twenty first birthday.
Speaker 2: They were just like, we think that you could be
Speaker 2: different for the house and.
Speaker 3: I've invited housemates both new and legendary.
Speaker 2: Yeah. What, it's a funny thing called hindsight.
Speaker 3: Will experience be enough to take on the next generation
Speaker 3: of housemates?
Speaker 2: I wish I could turn back time and do a
Speaker 2: little bit more research and.
Speaker 3: The new contender out Big Brother.
Speaker 2: Just because things happened to you when you're younger for
Speaker 2: all different reasons doesn't mean it's all you know doom
Speaker 2: and gloom.
Speaker 3: This is Big Brother.
Speaker 1: Hey, Mel, how are you?
Speaker 2: I'm well? How are you?
Speaker 1: I'm very good because I get to sit down and
Speaker 1: talk about Big Brother with you.
Speaker 2: Yeah, big Brother, you mean big little lies?
Speaker 1: Okay, why are you calling it big little lies?
Speaker 2: I don't know if you realize, But like I was
Speaker 2: under the impression that we were all telling the truth,
Speaker 2: but we were.
Speaker 1: So what you're saying is that there was a lot
Speaker 1: of liars in the show.
Speaker 2: Yes, did someone SAYKFC? Of course there was lying going on.
Speaker 2: That's why I'm out, baby, That's why I'm out.
Speaker 1: Well, we are getting a little ahead of ourselves. Mel
Speaker 1: You're very well known on the social scene of Melbourne.
Speaker 1: Where did the nickname Mel from Melbourne come from?
Speaker 2: So? I was atendant for ten years and having a
Speaker 2: lot of different bases within Australia, there's a lot of
Speaker 2: other males. So rather than describe me with Mal the tall, blonde,
Speaker 2: the loud, the energy, it was just Mal from Melbourne.
Speaker 2: You know Mal from Albourn, you know Mal of Melbourne,
Speaker 2: you know, And it just stuck. And I have been
Speaker 2: receiving that for as over ten years now, because I've
Speaker 2: been a flight attendant for like longer than ten years.
Speaker 2: But yeah, I'm kind of listening to it now, going wow,
Speaker 2: hearing it on TV is a bit different than hearing
Speaker 2: it in the crew room, but that's okay. Sorry, I'm adjusting.
Speaker 2: I'm Melanie Todd and I'm from Albourn and I'm forty
Speaker 2: years young. The housemates, a lot of them will be
Speaker 2: a little bit like, WHOA, what have I got here?
Speaker 2: I know, my high energy isn't for everybody here, but
Speaker 2: then so many will be like, thank god she's here
Speaker 2: us because time flies when you're having fun, and I
Speaker 2: bring the fun. I was Cavin Crue for ten years.
Speaker 2: I've always been able to adapt in every situation because
Speaker 2: you never know what you're going to get on each
Speaker 2: aircraft and what sort of guests you're going to have
Speaker 2: to deal with. I guess that's what gives me the
Speaker 2: preparation that I can handle anything.
Speaker 1: I can't think of anyone who's been in Big Brother
Speaker 1: who has had their names sort of changed to being
Speaker 1: Mel from Melbourne.
Speaker 2: You know.
Speaker 1: Big Brother would always say Hi Benjamin, you know, but
Speaker 1: in actual fact, you've coined the phrase Mel Mel from Melbourne.
Speaker 2: I'm kind of lucky because I think that's another unforgettable
Speaker 2: moments in my life where you know, I rewrit Big
Speaker 2: Brothers you know way of doing things. You know, I
Speaker 2: must have some sort of special talent.
Speaker 1: After all, How does someone full of sunshine and positivity
Speaker 1: end up on a competitive show like Big brother in
Speaker 1: twenty twenty two.
Speaker 2: Well, there was a thing called COVID, and there was
Speaker 2: a thing called botom and isolation and quarantine. And I
Speaker 2: was being very very honest throughout my social medium media forums,
Speaker 2: and people were screenshotting my funny things. And I'll give
Speaker 2: you an example. When I wasn't flying, I moved back
Speaker 2: home and I was a forty year old girl living
Speaker 2: in a bedroom where there was glowing the dark stickers
Speaker 2: on my wall. And I went back in time and
Speaker 2: all of a sudden, I was fifteen. So I was
Speaker 2: quite active and open with what I was, you know,
Speaker 2: how I was feeling in those you know, uncertain times.
Speaker 2: And someone screenshot at it to the right people and
Speaker 2: they were like, we would like to put her on
Speaker 2: Big Brother, would Chip be up for it? And I
Speaker 2: was like when in Rome, like, you know, put nothing
Speaker 2: else to do. Isolation is not happening for me right now.
Speaker 2: And hey, they've got a poll in Spa and they've
Speaker 2: got people to play with, so isolation just got better.
Speaker 2: So that's why.
Speaker 1: So they contacted you. So they'd seen you Instagram and
Speaker 1: being fabulous and they've contacted you. So no application process, well.
Speaker 2: They had to do still do that because what they
Speaker 2: wanted to know is they wanted to tell me why
Speaker 2: I should apply. And they did not talk to me
Speaker 2: about strategies and gameplays and lies. They were just like,
Speaker 2: we think that you could be different for the house.
Speaker 2: This could be, this could be new, this could be
Speaker 2: you know, like you could change things. And I was
Speaker 2: excited because I was thinking, I've got a bigger Instagram
Speaker 2: Facebook called the Big Brother House. I can I can
Speaker 2: share share my humor and funny stories, you know, on
Speaker 2: a on a bigger stage.
Speaker 1: But did you watch much of this new incarnation of
Speaker 1: Big Brother. I mean, we all know that Big Brothers
Speaker 1: had a bit of a glow up and it's no
Speaker 1: longer you know, Sarah Marie making fish and chips in
Speaker 1: the kitchen. Had you seen that it had like a
Speaker 1: complete change?
Speaker 2: You know what. It's a it's a funny thing called hindsight,
Speaker 2: and I wish I could turn back time and do
Speaker 2: a little bit more research. However, I while I was
Speaker 2: in isolation waiting to go into the house, I watched
Speaker 2: a few clips and I was like, oh, you know,
Speaker 2: there's it's a bit different. But I still believed that
Speaker 2: because everyone that I'd spoken to you know, leading up
Speaker 2: to it, like you know, producers and things like that.
Speaker 2: They were like, yeah, mall, that's your tactic. You are
Speaker 2: very relative, and they kind of made me believe that
Speaker 2: that was a secret weapon, like being a friendly person.
Speaker 2: Oh wow, you've got it. I didn't have it, And yeah,
Speaker 2: I wish I kind of got a little bit more
Speaker 2: secret weapons other than just a friendly personality.
Speaker 1: But you live yourlyn I think that your kind of experience. Though,
Speaker 1: even though you've come out and your personality probably doesn't
Speaker 1: lend itself as much to that sort of competitive process,
Speaker 1: I think the integrity of who you are is still
Speaker 1: quite protected. I think you've come out of this experience
Speaker 1: and people have got a fair whack of who you
Speaker 1: are as a person.
Speaker 2: The housemates expected you. Now I think I've got to believe.
Speaker 2: It's called high energy and loud loud, loud volume. But
Speaker 2: I am a lover of life, tornado of happiness, but
Speaker 2: mostly I'm so kind.
Speaker 1: I could feel like the positivity coming out of you
Speaker 1: and washing over me. What did Sonya say to you
Speaker 1: as well when you were going in?
Speaker 2: Oh, she said, I was you know, she could feel
Speaker 2: the positivity radiating, radiating, and you know, that that's that's
Speaker 2: an unforgettable moment also that I think about and I
Speaker 2: smile instantly. But yeah, you know what I all I wanted,
Speaker 2: like as in, once I understood that I was in
Speaker 2: you know, like no offense, but like I've been thrown
Speaker 2: to the wolves, my purpose was greater than ever because
Speaker 2: I just didn't want to be known as someone that
Speaker 2: went out of their way to you know, cause trouble
Speaker 2: or you know, saything bad about others. And my mum's
Speaker 2: quotes kept on coming into my head in this game
Speaker 2: preparation where I'm trying to be fierce and strong, and
Speaker 2: it's like, if you don't have anything nice to say, Melanie,
Speaker 2: don't say anything at all, and treat people how you
Speaker 2: want to be treated. So I'm like, oh god, how
Speaker 2: do I do this without disappointing so many people? So yeah,
Speaker 2: it was tricky, but I must admit I did stay
Speaker 2: true to myself, and I have been bombarded with such
Speaker 2: beautiful messages saying that it was beautiful to see me
Speaker 2: stay true to myself and not get caught up in it.
Speaker 1: So well, you've just well I see it this way.
Speaker 1: I think you just transported who you are on the
Speaker 1: outside world and you've picked it up and put it
Speaker 1: into the Big Brother experience, and that integrity has stayed
Speaker 1: the same. I mean you have so many I mean
Speaker 1: you're very well connected in Melbourne, you have famous connections
Speaker 1: everywhere all around the world, and so I think it's
Speaker 1: a good thing that you've been able to go in
Speaker 1: be who you are and come out with your own integrity.
Speaker 2: Thank you so much, I guess. I guess what really
Speaker 2: made me believe that, you know, like, there is this
Speaker 2: can do attitude in me is when I got asked
Speaker 2: to look after the Rolling Stones music group. Once again,
Speaker 2: the humbleness was in me and I got asked and
Speaker 2: I asked my parents if it was okay, and my
Speaker 2: parents were like, oh, my goodness, Nolanie, of course take
Speaker 2: that opportunity and da da da dah. And then my
Speaker 2: mom was like, oh, you know, tell them you've got
Speaker 2: a boyfriend. And I was like, I don't think they would. Yep, okay, yep,
Speaker 2: cool moum no raies, no raes. And whilst I was,
Speaker 2: you know, you know, being their hostess of the mostest
Speaker 2: on their Hunter Valley tour, I was so amazed that
Speaker 2: I nailed it, but also they couldn't believe that someone
Speaker 2: like me that you know, hasn't had that experience before
Speaker 2: except you know, being a flight attendant, like memorize their
Speaker 2: diet requirements, memorize their you know, their itinery. And they
Speaker 2: were just like, you've made this effortless like it could
Speaker 2: have been like, oh, you know, we don't connect with
Speaker 2: this girl. It's you know, like she's not approachable. And
Speaker 2: then after the tour, I remember, you know, the band
Speaker 2: said to me, if you ever feel in doubt, which
Speaker 2: you know that does happen. I am human. Remember you
Speaker 2: wowed the Rolling Stones. So having that moment and going
Speaker 2: into the house, I was like, come on, I wowed
Speaker 2: the Rolling Stones. I can wow my housemates. But yeah,
Speaker 2: great experience that I am blessed beyond belief that I
Speaker 2: you know, can share that story.
Speaker 1: So what happened and what was the anticipation like waiting
Speaker 1: to go into the house because I know that they
Speaker 1: can do things like they might leave you in the
Speaker 1: car for five hours or I mean they're trying to
Speaker 1: create like a certain tension before they put you in.
Speaker 1: What happened and what was it like before you went
Speaker 1: in the house.
Speaker 2: To me, it was the unknown like I normally, you know,
Speaker 2: like I normally have my phone on me, and I
Speaker 2: was didn't have my phone on me, and we have
Speaker 2: a watch, and I didn't know what the time was,
Speaker 2: and I didn't even know how long I'd been sitting,
Speaker 2: you know, in the car for And then next minute,
Speaker 2: Mariah Carey Fantasy came on and I just was like,
Speaker 2: you know what it's gonna be. Okay, Mariah Carey's talking
Speaker 2: to me through the radio. We've got this, And I
Speaker 2: couldn't stop dancing. And even the driver, who was meant
Speaker 2: to be so poker faced and look at me through
Speaker 2: the rearview and be like he even snirked at me
Speaker 2: and went, yeah, this is a good change, you know.
Speaker 2: And yes, so yeah. It was the build up and
Speaker 2: the anticipation and the unknown feelings. But when you hear
Speaker 2: a familiar song, like you just all those butterflies go away,
Speaker 2: like Miley Cyrus, you know, like hands, yeah, I won't
Speaker 2: sing because it's not a good thing, but you know
Speaker 2: what I mean, Like, I just think you find that
Speaker 2: joy and you hold on to it and it gets
Speaker 2: you through a little bit more of those nervous feelings.
Speaker 1: I Marian Carey has also saved me, by the way,
Speaker 1: and probably probably a lot of other people. You know,
Speaker 1: Big Brother is back with the Ogs, and we have
Speaker 1: some very iconic players back inside the Big Brother House.
Speaker 1: If you had known that the format was going this
Speaker 1: way and that these ogs would be in the house
Speaker 1: with you, would you have signed up?
Speaker 2: Definitely? Not like like like you're noticing, I didn't really
Speaker 2: have a lot of knowledge on the show. All the
Speaker 2: concept of the show. Putting myself in a situation where
Speaker 2: they've done it before and it's my first rodeo knowledge
Speaker 2: is power. They're coming in with an understanding of what
Speaker 2: it's like to have gone through those emotions and you know,
Speaker 2: had you know, the moments where they were without their normality,
Speaker 2: And I went in you know, like pretty much blind. Sorry,
Speaker 2: reg but I just went in thinking that like I
Speaker 2: had these newbies and we were all thinking that we
Speaker 2: were on the same page and we could all relate
Speaker 2: to each other because it was our first time and experience.
Speaker 2: And then next minute I find out they've done it before,
Speaker 2: and also they know what to expect and they know
Speaker 2: how to prepare themselves for what you know, they're like
Speaker 2: last experience was and what they could do better where
Speaker 2: I thought there was a hair dryer, Like, I was like, oh,
Speaker 2: I miss the hair drying brother looking in the cupboards
Speaker 2: and they're like He's like, no, there's no hair dryer,
Speaker 2: and I'm like, oh, what do you mean. I'm gonna
Speaker 2: have wet puppy dog drizzling hair and everyone's gonna think
Speaker 2: that I don't know how to do my hair properly.
Speaker 2: So yeah, I would have done things differently for the
Speaker 2: fact that knowledge is power, and they surely have knowledge
Speaker 2: because they've done it before.
Speaker 1: Well, they don't have hair dryers because you can't be
Speaker 1: hair drying your hair because you might miss out on
Speaker 1: some you know, juicy dialogue from one of the other housemates,
Speaker 1: you know with the OG's playing this differently to how
Speaker 1: we saw them the first time round. Had they changed
Speaker 1: the way in which Australia knew who they were? Like I.
Speaker 2: Watched it last night, you know, I've still got PSD
Speaker 2: because it was quite scary. The fact that you know,
Speaker 2: Tim and Reggie use the words if you don't vote
Speaker 2: for us, so if you don't vote against mal Lulu,
Speaker 2: We're coming at you. I was like, oh my goodness,
Speaker 2: I couldn't imagine Readie talking like that a long time ago.
Speaker 2: You know, I knew Tim was always prank star, and
Speaker 2: you know I did see him take to Hans whatever
Speaker 2: the curling thing was, Traitna or whatever, but he never
Speaker 2: had that viciousness in him. And then there was words
Speaker 2: like we saved you in the first eviction, Lulu, you
Speaker 2: owe us, and I was actually like, my mind was
Speaker 2: blown that it turned into a vicious environment. But also
Speaker 2: I think it was more cutthroat than Survivor episodes that
Speaker 2: I've seen this year. And I watched Survivor religiously sad
Speaker 2: friends on it and they messaged me last night and
Speaker 2: they actually said to me, I feel for you, Mel
Speaker 2: because all you wanted to do was do what you
Speaker 2: do on a daily and just ease people's worries and
Speaker 2: make the day go quick by spreading joy. But they
Speaker 2: had their eyes on the prize, and you know, eyes
Speaker 2: on the prize means we will throw anyone out of
Speaker 2: the house literally to get what they want.
Speaker 1: Is it a long term goal though, because no matter
Speaker 1: how you play the game throughout the show, and you
Speaker 1: might make it to the end by wheeling and dealing
Speaker 1: and being very cutthroat. Australia is still going to have
Speaker 1: to pick a winner. So, no matter what these people
Speaker 1: are doing to keep themselves in the show, is it
Speaker 1: a long term game, should they maybe being more mindful
Speaker 1: of their integrity of how they're playing the game one.
Speaker 2: Hundred percent, Because we're in twenty twenty two and it's
Speaker 2: not black and white anymore. It's there's there's a beautiful
Speaker 2: color called gray, and sometimes, you know, the viciousness and
Speaker 2: that fight can kind of make people think you're not,
Speaker 2: you know, as kind or as nice as what they
Speaker 2: once thought you were. And we all have an idea
Speaker 2: of how you know our person that we've been watching
Speaker 2: for years, and they disappoint you, it would be really
Speaker 2: really you know, sad if they lost respect to Reggie
Speaker 2: last night when they went in for the attack. But hey,
Speaker 2: like you know, or like hopefully it doesn't happen. But
Speaker 2: I'm just saying that with me, if I was to
Speaker 2: see my person that I've always thought was amazing do
Speaker 2: something that kind of made me think, well, that's new
Speaker 2: to me, it would take me a little bit to
Speaker 2: just understand that that's that's the new Reggie, that's the
Speaker 2: new team in this game.
Speaker 1: Two point zero, two point oh, Tim two point oh,
Speaker 1: Reggie two point oh. I think both of them, knowing
Speaker 1: them as well as I do, they have been watching
Speaker 1: this Channel seven version and they know that they actually
Speaker 1: have to be cut throat to make it through the game.
Speaker 1: Who was more trustworthy the newbies or the ogs?
Speaker 2: Oh? Newbies for sure, for sure. Like even though Gabby
Speaker 2: you know, did what she had to do and Lulu
Speaker 2: did what she had to do, they What I felt
Speaker 2: is that it wasn't frightening to have a conversation with them,
Speaker 2: or to see them have a conversation with others, like
Speaker 2: when Tim and Reggie want something. Oh. I was trembling
Speaker 2: watching it last night. I was like, Paul, Lulu, She's like,
Speaker 2: let me think about it, and like, what do you
Speaker 2: mean let me think about it. I'll come back to you.
Speaker 2: And she's trying to like deflect the situation because she
Speaker 2: knows I'm around the corner and I don't miss a beat.
Speaker 2: Like I actually can see myself going, oh, that's interesting
Speaker 2: that those three are in the you know whatever that
Speaker 2: area is called. I think Tim came up with a name.
Speaker 2: But my PSD is sort of blocking me from actually
Speaker 2: remembering most of the house. But the point of the
Speaker 2: story is that even two people confronting one person is
Speaker 2: an ambush, and that to itself isn't like Reggie and
Speaker 2: Tim because they normally, you know, would probably have a
Speaker 2: conversation one on one with people because it's a little
Speaker 2: bit more gentle. But the word gentle isn't in Big
Speaker 2: Brother twenty twenty two. It's a cutthroat and you know,
Speaker 2: it's a game and feelings are forgotten out. And I
Speaker 2: learned that watching myself in the eviction jet.
Speaker 1: You know, Mel from my perspective and watching it, you
Speaker 1: seem to be talking people up and you seem to
Speaker 1: have divided your time away from strategy. Did you choose
Speaker 1: that or were the housemates inside the house just not
Speaker 1: involving you in you know, the deals and the contracts.
Speaker 2: That's a brilliant question. Thanks for asking that, because a
Speaker 2: lot of people that I've spoken to is like, God,
Speaker 2: now you dropped the ball, and I was like, but
Speaker 2: I didn't get the invite to RSVP, Like I didn't
Speaker 2: know that things were going on. And also, you know,
Speaker 2: with the person that I am, like, I get so
Speaker 2: caught in the moment of being present with whoever I'm
Speaker 2: talking to. If I'm hyping them up. If I'm telling
Speaker 2: Dave you know that we can distract him with a
Speaker 2: memory game instead of coffee, or I'm doing something that
Speaker 2: you know at the time feels really relevant, I don't
Speaker 2: know that there's a conversation going on in another room
Speaker 2: plodding against me. So yeah, it was a bit a
Speaker 2: bit of an an eye opener for me that I
Speaker 2: wasn't involved in a lot and I'm thinking to myself,
Speaker 2: how did I not get the invitation? But yeah, it
Speaker 2: is what it is. I think that you're right, and
Speaker 2: thank you for acknowledging that, you know, I was hyping
Speaker 2: others up and I was missing vital, vital, vital conversations.
Speaker 2: But yeah, I don't know that answer rather than I
Speaker 2: wasn't invited or I missed that I could see them
Speaker 2: lingering and walking over to that room where the conversation
Speaker 2: would be held. Yeah, rookie era.
Speaker 1: You know, before I even did Big Brother in twenty twelve,
Speaker 1: someone who'd done the show before said to me, housemates
Speaker 1: are like vampires, and they will drain what they need
Speaker 1: from you, and once they've got it, they move on.
Speaker 1: And so the way I did the show was I
Speaker 1: made sure that they were never taking everything from me.
Speaker 1: And yet while you were doing the show, I think
Speaker 1: you are one hundred and ten percent. In the real world,
Speaker 1: you are one hundred and ten percent. Do you think
Speaker 1: maybe that you gave yourself up to these people too much,
Speaker 1: not leaving yourself with enough.
Speaker 2: I wish I knew that analogy before I went into
Speaker 2: the house, because now I understand why so many people
Speaker 2: did come to me with their problems, because maybe they
Speaker 2: were distracting me. And you know, like I guess the
Speaker 2: old saying is, they were probably taking everything out of
Speaker 2: my tank, so I didn't have anything left for myself.
Speaker 2: But you know, in this beautiful world called you know,
Speaker 2: you put out what you get back. And I'm proud
Speaker 2: of the fact that, you know, Alicia was having, you know,
Speaker 2: some down moments talking about some personal things, and I
Speaker 2: flipped the script for her. I made her laugh and
Speaker 2: things like that, and you know, like I had some
Speaker 2: heartfelt conversations with Josh that even you know, convinced him
Speaker 2: to stay. And he's like the most stubborn person I've
Speaker 2: ever met. So I have to understand that, yes, the
Speaker 2: sunshine and this positivity girl has different sides, and the
Speaker 2: depth is really really powerful, and I hope that the
Speaker 2: conversations I did have in the house were meaningful as
Speaker 2: much as what they meant to me.
Speaker 1: You know, people inside this particular social experiment can be
Speaker 1: very different to the way they act in real life.
Speaker 1: I mean, I again was told by a producer before
Speaker 1: doing the show that you an extroverted person can be
Speaker 1: become introverted, an introverted person can become extroverted, So people
Speaker 1: inside this experiment can be very different. Were you surprised
Speaker 1: that some people have been vastly different to who they
Speaker 1: were inside the show? Inside the house, I don't know.
Speaker 2: How to be anything other than myself, So I guess
Speaker 2: I take pride in the fact that what I've watched
Speaker 2: is exactly what I'm like, you know, on an everyday basis,
Speaker 2: except you know, the conditions are very very different. But yeah,
Speaker 2: it's it's interesting to think that, you know, like, we're
Speaker 2: all so different in our own ways, and that's great.
Speaker 2: While we all can't be the same, because otherwise the
Speaker 2: world will be different. But I kind of have connected
Speaker 2: to the people that I've connected with because I guess
Speaker 2: they choose me, and they choose me, choose me loudly
Speaker 2: and they choose me proudly and other people haven't chosen me,
Speaker 2: and that's okay, But it's interesting because the real conversations
Speaker 2: that I did have with them in the house, I thought,
Speaker 2: you know, they would never put me in positions that
Speaker 2: I was in. So yeah, to answer that question, I
Speaker 2: expect the unexpected. Everyone's surprising me lately. Everyone.
Speaker 1: Side note. The other day when we were at the
Speaker 1: launch party in Melbourne, You're launch party four, Big Brother,
Speaker 1: I said to you that you have a double ganger,
Speaker 1: and I think I've worked it out. Is it a
Speaker 1: mashup of Cameron Diaz and Anna Faris from you know
Speaker 1: scary movie?
Speaker 2: Oh please please do not say that. So Cameron Diaz,
Speaker 2: I love that's That's that actually sits well with me.
Speaker 2: The Anna one not so much because she pulls a
Speaker 2: lot of crazy faces and she is crazy in most movies.
Speaker 2: So yeah, you're probably right, damn you.
Speaker 1: So we saw some hilarious antics of yours, which we've
Speaker 1: seen on the extras Channel seven mainked and you know
Speaker 1: we've seen it on the socials. What's a storyline that
Speaker 1: we didn't see on the main channel that we that
Speaker 1: maybe you think as an audience, we've been robbed.
Speaker 2: Well, yeah, I guess my purpose of like really really
Speaker 2: wanting people to understand is like I got barely bullied
Speaker 2: in school from grade one to y're a because you know,
Speaker 2: I had thick, thick glasses because I had astigmatism in
Speaker 2: my eye and you can't wear cool glasses when you've
Speaker 2: got such damaged eyes. But I think also I just
Speaker 2: wanted you know, the public to understand that even the
Speaker 2: hardest times that I went through in school, when they
Speaker 2: were really really difficult, like in high school, I think
Speaker 2: I got called a surfboard every minute of the day
Speaker 2: because I believe it or not, I didn't have a
Speaker 2: chest and now I do when it's real and spectacular,
Speaker 2: just in case anyone wanted to know. But the point
Speaker 2: of the story is life goes on and you do
Speaker 2: still get some joyful, joyful times in life after you
Speaker 2: know such a you know, heartaching time of my life.
Speaker 2: I wanted kids today to understand and believe and have
Speaker 2: hope that just because things happen to you when you're
Speaker 2: younger for all different reasons, doesn't and it's all you know,
Speaker 2: doom and gloom, you know, like there you can you
Speaker 2: can overcome it and I am still the bubbliest person
Speaker 2: in the room when I have every reason to to,
Speaker 2: you know, to lose faith in in in humans and
Speaker 2: to you know, be be disappointed in how I was treated.
Speaker 2: But instead I love fiercely as you could see, and
Speaker 2: I love freely. But I also you know, want everyone
Speaker 2: to be seen and heard and accepted. And if I
Speaker 2: could just you know, give one message, it is that
Speaker 2: when this is happening to you, it's not you personally,
Speaker 2: it's whatever that person you know is going through at
Speaker 2: the time. But also it's doing you a favor because
Speaker 2: it's got it's eliminating you from people that aren't your
Speaker 2: your tribe. It's it's creating another tribe for you that
Speaker 2: is bigger and will understand you, you know more, because
Speaker 2: you know, you don't want to be around people that
Speaker 2: you know, say all those nasty things about you.
Speaker 1: I think there was a lot of positivity about who
Speaker 1: you were on the show. But I want to know
Speaker 1: from you watching it back, what's your favorite moment. What's
Speaker 1: something that happened in the series that you're glad that
Speaker 1: Australia got to see?
Speaker 2: Uh in the deleted scenes? Yeah, but you mean on
Speaker 2: the show on the show. Well, the snippets that I saw,
Speaker 2: there was always me, you know, consoling someone like Estelle
Speaker 2: got nominated and she was crying and I gave her
Speaker 2: a kiss on the cheek because I just don't hold
Speaker 2: back with affection. It's a good thing and a bad thing.
Speaker 2: And also, I guess I was always me. I was
Speaker 2: always trying, you know, to just radiate the joy that
Speaker 2: we all need sometimes. And yeah, I the scenes that
Speaker 2: weren't shown were my favorite, and that's the getting to
Speaker 2: know your housemates the most. I just thought that that
Speaker 2: was the most joyful scene, not just because of the
Speaker 2: tap dancing, but I like, we actually thought Estelle could
Speaker 2: play violin. Like we were just so you know, excited
Speaker 2: and so happy that we were doing something, you know,
Speaker 2: in that joyful moment that no right or wrong or
Speaker 2: like whether or not there was talent, it didn't matter.
Speaker 2: It was just we just saw so much in it
Speaker 2: that everything just got blurred out, like we thought that
Speaker 2: we were all talented because I guess we were just
Speaker 2: in that moment.
Speaker 1: Well, we're going to check that out.
Speaker 2: Now.
Speaker 1: We're going to play a little clip from what is
Speaker 1: being played on the extras. This is something just a
Speaker 1: little bit extra that people might not have seen, and
Speaker 1: you can catch up on seven Mate and on the
Speaker 1: social channels.
Speaker 3: Are you looking forward to opening a delivery from home?
Speaker 1: I am?
Speaker 2: I really am.
Speaker 4: Well, now there's something a little different about your package.
Speaker 4: Oh how so instead of your box containing a personal
Speaker 4: item special to you, it's not actually yours. Big Brother
Speaker 4: has a secret mission for you. Your task is to
Speaker 4: open the box and convince your housemaids this random item
Speaker 4: does indeed hold a special place in your heart. You
Speaker 4: must come up with a believable story on the spot
Speaker 4: and sell it hard. You cannot see it, yeah, until
Speaker 4: you get out there.
Speaker 2: So when I was a little girl, I got really
Speaker 2: badly bullied and I used to watch movies and just
Speaker 2: want to be like everybody else because that mean I
Speaker 2: didn't have to live the life that I lived. If
Speaker 2: I could just tap, maybe I could be someone else
Speaker 2: for a day.
Speaker 1: So how beautiful?
Speaker 2: And these tahoes really got me through some really hot
Speaker 2: can you tap for us? Oh? Is they gonna fig
Speaker 2: me out? Like? All right, I'll give you a shuffle.
Speaker 1: One thing I like to say to people when they've
Speaker 1: come out of Big Brother is you know, yes, we've
Speaker 1: all gone on the show to you know, win two
Speaker 1: hundred and fifty thousand dollars and take the title, or
Speaker 1: you know, I don't know, you know, get a job
Speaker 1: on Totally Wild or whatever. But I always say to people,
Speaker 1: whether we or lose, you always get something. Do you
Speaker 1: think that this Big Brother experience came into your life
Speaker 1: for the right reason? Do you think it's put you
Speaker 1: on a better path?
Speaker 2: Oh? Definitely. Everything happens for a reason. And I believe
Speaker 2: that we gravitate to where we're meant to be or
Speaker 2: you know, what we should you know, you know, try
Speaker 2: or learn about self. Reflection is a big thing for me.
Speaker 2: Like I learned a lot about myself watching myself and others,
Speaker 2: and it is that I still am very sensitive and
Speaker 2: as much as you know, I've done a lot of
Speaker 2: work on myself and therapy and therapy and therapy to
Speaker 2: you know, to become the person that I am today.
Speaker 2: You know, growth is a dance, like it can be
Speaker 2: triggered and it happens. It's not a light switch. You
Speaker 2: don't just forget about things just like that. Like it's
Speaker 2: it's tricky. So I think the thing is with me
Speaker 2: is what will be will be and there's a lot
Speaker 2: of closed doors in the world. You better have an
Speaker 2: interesting knock. My interesting knock is on Male of Melbourne.
Speaker 2: And yeah, I'm proud of everything I brought into that
Speaker 2: house because I can honestly tell you I sleep very
Speaker 2: well at night knowing that I'm magnified everyone's greatness and
Speaker 2: I made everyone feel like they are a somebody and
Speaker 2: they've got a lot to offer.
Speaker 1: So something I'm gonna do to say to celebrate Big
Speaker 1: Brother twenty one years is I'm going to go back
Speaker 1: and ask Gretel Colleen's top ten questions to all the
Speaker 1: eliminated housemates. So we're going to go, what did you
Speaker 1: miss the most inside the Big Brother House?
Speaker 2: Please don't say mobile phone, Please don't say mobile phone.
Speaker 2: I miss conversations with my mum. My mum's a very,
Speaker 2: very wise lady, and I actually was quoting a lot
Speaker 2: of her quotes in the house that even Tim recited
Speaker 2: a few times, which was mind blowing because I didn't
Speaker 2: think I could have impact on him, considering apparently, you know,
Speaker 2: I was trying too harder on too much. But anyway, Yeah,
Speaker 2: I'm my mum. I have really really deep conversations with
Speaker 2: my mum, and she's my role model.
Speaker 1: Who was your favorite person? Who was your favorite housemates?
Speaker 2: Dave? Definitely Dave. Oh how could we not? How could
Speaker 2: I not say Dave?
Speaker 1: Who was your least favorite person inside the Big Brother House?
Speaker 2: Wow? I don't really like to answer these questions because
Speaker 2: it's not mal friendly. The least person, I'm sorry, Tim,
Speaker 2: was you because I was very intimidated to like really
Speaker 2: have honest, vulnerable chats.
Speaker 1: So who had the most annoying habit inside the house?
Speaker 2: Uh? Oh, Alicia. One day she picked up all her
Speaker 2: nails and left them on the you know, the lounge
Speaker 2: room table for days. And I know, and I like
Speaker 2: couldn't believe that, like it was okay, like like she
Speaker 2: didn't think that that was a bad thing.
Speaker 1: Who was the funniest person in the house.
Speaker 2: Oh Dave for sure. Definitely Dave. Oh, Dave is hilarious.
Speaker 1: Who was the laziest person in the house?
Speaker 2: Oh, poorly shut But she admitted it. She said that
Speaker 2: she didn't really have the like she didn't she didn't
Speaker 2: really know how to participate in cooking and stuff like that,
Speaker 2: because you know, like she just it wasn't her strength.
Speaker 2: So still, Alicia, because I don't think I yeah, no
Speaker 2: one actually omitted it except her.
Speaker 1: To me, what is your greatest regret?
Speaker 2: Ah, my greatest regret was probably I didn't And I
Speaker 2: don't like the word regret because regret haunts me. And
Speaker 2: I'm so okay with with everything that's you know, happened
Speaker 2: and the experience. However, the male that's a flight attendant
Speaker 2: is fierce, it's unstoppable, and I just I didn't think
Speaker 2: I showed that, or I didn't really think it had
Speaker 2: time to come out yet, because you know, I was
Speaker 2: so about joy, like my motto is never postponed joy.
Speaker 2: Because we had those two years of uncertainty, I just
Speaker 2: don't want to add to someone's worries. I want to
Speaker 2: ease them and I want to make them laugh and
Speaker 2: I want to make them smile. And me concentrating on
Speaker 2: that lost the role model I am in my workplace
Speaker 2: that you know, nothing's below me, nothing's above me. I
Speaker 2: make things happen. But also I think out of the
Speaker 2: square and I've got so many proud moments where people
Speaker 2: have gone, WHOA. I didn't think she had that in
Speaker 2: her and I didn't show that. And that's the regret,
Speaker 2: because there is so many different sides to me, depths funny,
Speaker 2: you know, like the joy and everything like that. But
Speaker 2: whoa mate? I am unstoppable when I put my mind
Speaker 2: to something, didn't get to see it.
Speaker 1: But who do you think is going to be out
Speaker 1: next week? So who do you think is going to
Speaker 1: follow you out of that Big Brother house?
Speaker 2: It'll be the Als. It'll either be Leila or Lara,
Speaker 2: because when I was involved in conversations their names came
Speaker 2: up a bit.
Speaker 1: Who do you think will win? So when you finished
Speaker 1: up at the competition when you did, who did you
Speaker 1: think was going to win the show?
Speaker 2: I want Dave to win so bad, like I've got
Speaker 2: a big Dave crush. But it's not even that, Like
Speaker 2: I just I give credit where credits to and Dave
Speaker 2: is a phenomenal human. However, he's also like someone that
Speaker 2: inspires me greatly because his charity, Rough Track, is doing
Speaker 2: so much good for people, and he would do wonders
Speaker 2: with that money. But also he knowing that he won that,
Speaker 2: I think it would just mean the world to him.
Speaker 2: And if that's going to make him happy, I'm all
Speaker 2: about it.
Speaker 1: Well, there's some great answers there. This is something I
Speaker 1: ask everyone that joins the podcast, What is something from
Speaker 1: behind the scenes that we didn't see that we won't
Speaker 1: see from your time inside the show, something from behind
Speaker 1: the scenes of Big Brother, from your experience.
Speaker 2: This is? This?
Speaker 4: Was this?
Speaker 2: I wish I wish this got aired because I in
Speaker 2: the moment of you know how I was feeling, and
Speaker 2: I was still able to bring some humor to that
Speaker 2: eviction chair is I Drew looked at me and he
Speaker 2: was like, emt with you know you okay? And I
Speaker 2: was like, I just hope it's not another pillow toss.
Speaker 2: And he fell off his chair and he laughed so loudly.
Speaker 2: I've never seen Drew actually laugh uncontrollably, like he was
Speaker 2: off his chair crying. And I just remember thinking to myself,
Speaker 2: anytime you can bring humor to a difficult situation, you win.
Speaker 2: Because I forgot that I could go home. Seeing Drew
Speaker 2: laugh uncontrollably just made me think I do have a gift,
Speaker 2: because Drew doesn't really really let loose like that. Drew
Speaker 2: doesn't like he doesn't bally laugh no, no, bally laughing. Well,
Speaker 2: I've never never seen him do that. And I was like, Okay,
Speaker 2: I'm gonna be okay, if I can still bring humor
Speaker 2: in even like the most you know, serious sad moments
Speaker 2: that I'm you know, going through right now. So yeah,
Speaker 2: I just think about Drew falling off the chair laughing uncontrollably,
Speaker 2: and just thinking I can make Drew laugh, which it's
Speaker 2: it's not always an easy thing because he does have
Speaker 2: a stronger exterio, thank you, because some words don't come
Speaker 2: easy to me unless it's male friendly dialogue than I
Speaker 2: talk about every day.
Speaker 1: What is so your Kruger doing when that stuff is happening,
Speaker 1: you know, I mean she's interrogating everyone. So when you
Speaker 1: know you're making Drew laugh and he's rolling on the ground,
Speaker 1: what it's so on your Kruger doing at that point?
Speaker 2: Well, I remember being brother kept on saying because this
Speaker 2: is when it was everyone's going to you know, say
Speaker 2: their final votes and everything like that. It was serious
Speaker 2: quiet time and very serious quite time. And it was
Speaker 2: like being in school when your teacher says, don't say anything,
Speaker 2: and you just have to say and then you're get
Speaker 2: in trouble. But yeah, it was it was the quiet
Speaker 2: time that wasn't allowed to be you know, displayed the
Speaker 2: way it was. But I remember looking at Sonya and
Speaker 2: I think Sonya even went. But yeah, I just wish,
Speaker 2: I just wish the timing was better and I could have,
Speaker 2: you know, made true laugh like that whilst we were
Speaker 2: allowed to, you know, on a normal you know, on
Speaker 2: a different day.
Speaker 1: Well, mal Mail from Melbourne. I just want to say
Speaker 1: thank you so much for your time on the show.
Speaker 1: It is time for you to go, and I think
Speaker 1: Australia has really enjoyed getting to know you and moving forward.
Speaker 1: I think people can follow you on social media and
Speaker 1: they can be in your audience because I can tell
Speaker 1: you now I will forever be in your audience. And
Speaker 1: you know you're a part of the Big Brother family.
Speaker 2: Now, oh what you don't even you'ren't even reading a script?
Speaker 2: Like how are you just so good with articulating your words.
Speaker 2: I've got a lot learn from you. I'm so glad
Speaker 2: that the experience has happened. You know, it's once in
Speaker 2: a lifetime and I'm a very very lucky girl to
Speaker 2: have experienced that and have met so many wonderful people
Speaker 2: and you know, have got some good friendships that you
Speaker 2: know that will be remaining for a very long time.
Speaker 2: But also I just have been loving the fact that
Speaker 2: like I'm holding a microphone, like this is new to me.
Speaker 2: Everything's so exciting. Yeah, thank you, Ben. I really appreciate
Speaker 2: all your kind words. And you know, what a great
Speaker 2: what a great way to finish me well, pardon the pun,
Speaker 2: but what a great way to end such a beautiful podcast.
Speaker 2: What you do matters and I'm a big fan. You've
Speaker 2: already won me over. Please don't see Mele of Melbourne