They had visions of $750,000 in their heads. However, these dreams were gradually cruelly dashed when the players were evicted from the Big Brother house. But the six most recent candidates who were ousted merely moved from one house to another.
Cameron Hardin, Cory Wurtenberger, Blue Kim, America Lopez, Cirie Fields and Felicia Cannon make up the first six members of the Big Brother season 25 jury. They will be joined by another member – either Matt Klotz, Jag Bains or Bowie Jane – who will be eliminated during Thursday’s live two-hour season finale.
Before these judges pepper the final two with questions that will help them choose the winner of Big Brother, we wanted to ask them a few questions to get a feel for what life is like while they wait. to fulfill their reality TV task. What’s the best thing about being in the jury box? What’s the worst? Which member of the preliminary jury would have preferred to be there with you? Who would you choose as your permanent roommate? And most tellingly, which judge do you think played the best game?
We briefed the first six jurors on this – although Felicia couldn’t answer the first two questions because she hadn’t yet reached the jury house – and you might be surprised by some of the answers. Read on to find out what the Big Brother Season 25 judges had to say, including how host Julie Chen Moonves feels about finale night and the chances of making it to the final three.
The jury of the 25th season of “Big Brother”. CBS
What’s the best thing about being on the Big Brother jury?
CAMERON HARDIN: I would say the best thing about being in the Big Brother jury house is like a mini vacation. I can take short breaks, there is a nice pool, a hot tub and lots of food. There is a home cinema. I mean, this place is just terrible. It’s the worst place to hang out and rest. So yes, the best thing about staying in the jury house is definitely the peace and relaxation.
CORY WURTENBERGER: For me it’s definitely the lack of cameras. I mean, I’m someone who really values my privacy and likes to have time for myself. And even if you spend time alone in the Big Brother house, share that time with the thousands watching live broadcasts from the cameras. Not having that makes me feel like I can finally breathe, and I can’t emphasize enough how amazing that was.
BLUE KIM: Personally, I love being in the jury house. I feel like I’m on vacation. I can say whatever I want. There are no cameras. Me and the other jury members can actually talk now – no game talk, no paranoia. Personally, I love the aspect that I can be my true authentic self without any strategy.
AMERICA LOPEZ: The best part about being on the Big Brother jury is definitely Cory. I missed him a lot the week we were apart. Since I’ve been here, we’ve been inseparable. It was so much fun to spend time alone with him, away from the cameras, away from all the pressure of the game. It’s definitely my favorite part. I love being here with him. I love spending every second with him and just relaxing.
CIRIE FIELDS: The pressure of being in the house is over.
Cameron Hardin, Blue Kim and Cirie Fields in the 25th season of “Big Brother”. CBS
What’s the worst thing about being on the Big Brother jury?
CAMERON HARDIN: The worst thing about being on the Big Brother jury is the fact that I’m so close to being home. I miss my Stevie Rae so much that I can almost taste the finish line. The worst thing about being here is being so close to home but not really being home yet.
CORY WURTENBERGER: The worst thing is that you don’t have much to do. There’s TV, music, books and everything, but I’m just sitting here alone and thinking about the game. And I don’t want to think about the game, but that’s just not how my brain works. So you have a lot of time with your own thoughts and after an experience like Big Brother you have so many thoughts. Even when I should rest or take a nap, it’s just difficult to turn it off. But it’s gotten easier, especially since America’s here.
BLUE KIM: I think the worst thing about being on the jury is the fact that we’re so close to being done with the game. I’m actually no longer in the game, except for another vote near the finish line. I want to see my family, I want to see my friends, I want to see my cat, girl. That’s the worst thing about being in the jury box. It’s the fact that you’re almost there and you realize that you’re almost there.
AMERICA LOPEZ: The worst thing about being on the Big Brother jury is not being in the game. It sucks and I still blame myself. I really wanted to win this. I really wanted to get beyond sixth place, so it’s just a shame that I’m not there. I’m still thinking about the game, and it’s still floating around, and all those regrets and stuff are still in the back of my mind.
So yeah, I think that would be the worst. But otherwise it’s great. Here we have Netflix, Spotify, maps and unlimited outdoor time which is great. You won’t realize how much you miss being in the sun until you’re prevented from doing so five days a week. So I love it here.
CIRIE FIELDS: The stay in the house is over.
Cameron Hardin and Blue Kim in the 25th season of “Big Brother”. CBS
Which person voted out before the jury do you think would be in the house with all of you and why?
CAMERON HARDIN: The person voted out in front of the jury that I wish was in the house hanging out with me would probably be my buddy Red. He would definitely give me a pretty smooth run for my money on the pool table at that we play, enable. He’s a good pool shooter and we’d just throw him out. We’re from the same area, so I’d like to take a walk down memory lane and go through some old country songs with him. Nobody in the house really likes my kind of music.
CORY WURTENBERGER: It’s difficult because most of the people who were voted out before the jury were voted out for a reason. It wasn’t the most pleasant time to spend with them. Reilly was relaxed. Me and Jared got along well. I say Jared. I developed a really good bond with Jared. Obviously it would be nice for Blue to have Jared in the house. We would host this cute little double date retreat for couples… plus Cameron? That sounds like a great time.
BLUE KIM: Okay, let’s be honest: If I could choose one person for the house in front of the jury, my only boo thang would be Pooh or Jared. I’d like to have him in the jury box. I would like to relax by the pool, enjoy the hot tub and maybe have a glass of wine. But obviously he would be my first choice as a member of the pre-jury house.
AMERICA LOPEZ: Honestly, okay… So I don’t miss anyone who was eliminated before the jury. I won’t even lie. I didn’t get close to any of them, and I think that was for the best. There was a reason for that. Anyway – they went out in front of the jury, I don’t miss them. It will be fun to see them all on finals night and see everyone’s faces. I mean, they’ve certainly seen the show, so it’ll be interesting to see how they feel now after watching the show and being away from everything for so long. But yeah, I don’t miss her. I’m not interested in her. Excuse me.
CIRIE FIELDS: Surely you are joking. Of course, my boy Jared. Because I love him. I’m his mom.
FELICIA CANNON: I wish Mimi had been in the jury house. Mimi is the only person I completely trust in this house and I hope I wasn’t wrong about that. I heard a few things, but I liked Mimi. Mimi kept her cards with her. She didn’t repeat as much as I did, but she really was a wonderful young lady, and that’s why I would have liked to have been in the jury house with Mimi.
The American Lopez and Cory Wurtenberger in the 25th season of “Big Brother”. CBS
If you had to live with one of your fellow judges all the time, who would it be and why?
CAMERON HARDIN: I would probably choose blue. Blue and I just have this really cool, just fun connection. We basically sit in the same room and read books, which is pretty cool. She’s a damn good cook and I’d love to hang out in the kitchen with her and help her cook. And I’m her sous chef. That being said, there are probably differences in a few shows we watch, but we also watch the same things. That’s why I’d like to hang out with Blue.
CORY WURTENBERGER: Yes, this is a tricky issue. So at the moment I’m kind of between Blue and Cirie, but you have to weigh the pros and cons of both. I would hate to choose one over the other, so it would have to be either.
BLUE KIM: If someone had to be my potential roommate…surprise, surprise. I’m actually going to choose Cory. I think he and I, both in terms of hobbies and interests, fit together very well. We watch a lot of the same shows. We love cartoons and animations. We have many of the same hobbies. Even though we didn’t get along particularly well in the BB house, Cory Wurtenberger has the edge as a potential roommate. But his food preferences are where I draw the line, so to speak.
AMERICA LOPEZ: So it may come as a surprise, but I would love to live with Cory. He is my sweetheart and I think we are a good couple. We got along really well in the shared bedroom in the Big Brother house, and here in the jury house we share a bedroom and are doing great. If I could stay with him longer next week, I would like to.
CIRIE FIELDS: I’d have to say Cory, and the only reason is that I think Cory is smart enough to leave me alone when I get tired of his ass.
FELICIA CANNON: It would be Cirie. I would live with Cirie. She and I got along really well.
Blue Kim and Cory Wurtenberger in the 25th season of “Big Brother”. CBS
Of all the judges, who played the best game and why?
CAMERON HARDIN: Oooooh… which of the judges played the best game? I would currently have to vote for Cory. Please don’t tell him I said that. He’ll get a big head. I think he played a pretty solid mental game. He has the mental strength for this game, whereas many of us struggled in some aspects. I know I did it myself. He had seen through much of it down to the smallest detail. If he had had just a little more of a physical competitive component to his gameplay, I think he would have been a little more of a problem. So I think he probably played the best mental game in the house.
CORY WURTENBERGER: I will exclude myself from the answer. I just want to be clear: I think I am, but I’m a terribly arrogant person and not particularly confident. Sometimes I think it was probably Cirie or America. I mean, the truth is that I think Cirie is probably a stronger player than America and Blue, but America and Blue were at least capable of winning the game. They could have won some competitions and brought this thing home where Cirie really had no chance.
That’s why I just say America because she made it to the final six. If she wins this HOH, she actually has a pretty good chance. Cirie, it was never really a world where she could win this thing, depending on who was left. So I say of course, then probably America.
BLUE KIM: I think the person who made the best game has to be Miss Newcomer herself, Miss Cirie. Obviously she was there the longest compared to all of us, but I have to say that from a strategy perspective alone she played the best game. And the fact that she didn’t even have to win competitions to get where she is now is, in my opinion, a testament to how well she played the game.
AMERICA LOPEZ: Oh my god, I’m such a friend. I think Cory played the best game for sure. To be honest, I still blame myself for talking to Blue and being the reason we were thrown out together. But I think Cory had played the best game up to that point. He was very methodical and very strategic with every single move and I think he played the best game. He was in the blockade on the first day and managed to get out of it. He was in danger during Hisam’s HOH in the second week. He made alliances, made deals, broke promises, lied – all of those things that are just classic Big Brother.
I think as a viewer it would be my favorite by far. He played the best game and gave his best until the last day. We were next to each other on the block and he had a great campaign. It was so great that I was even hoping it would work a little bit. Honestly, he made up all these lies to tell Bowie Jane to try and get her to change her tune. I think it’s just classic Big Brother. I think this is great gameplay and I think he is the best player here.
CIRIE FIELDS: Again, I have to say Cory because Cory was able to manipulate a number of houseguests to get his targets out of the house – multiple targets that he wanted out.
FELICIA CANNON: I think I played the best game of all the jurors sitting in this house. And that’s why I say this: because I think I really tried to play an honest game. I tried to really be myself throughout the game. I never played a role. It wasn’t like you were leaving the house, now you’re going to see the real Felicia. I was the real Felicia for 96 days. I trusted that God would carry me and I showed that I wasn’t afraid to show that my faith went beyond the game. And that resonated with people, and I think it might have made even more people think more about a higher power. And that meant something to me.
I built good relationships because I didn’t just talk to people when they were in power or when they were in power. Every day I made it a point to have conversations with everyone based on who they were, what their personality was, and whether they were on the block, off the block, HOH, or just sitting downstairs with the rest of us.
I felt like you have to treat people the way you want to be treated. And there were a lot of these people in the house who had to deal with you depending on when you were in power, when you were HOH, whether they thought you were going home – all those things. And they were getting more and more sneaky. I’m not saying that’s wrong, that was their game, but I think that’s why they left the house before me. So I think I performed the best out of the judges there.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
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