ACTING IN REALITY. BRENTON'S INTRUDER STORY

It's in the news today, but it was actually on TV Reload the podcast last week a night. Welcome back to TV Reload. My name's Benjamin Norris, and on this podcast, I go behind the scenes with the biggest players in television. Each episode you will get a front row seat with content makers like executive producers, writers, editors, and casting agents,

I guess I wasn't.

I didn't come across as, in my opinion, a big player.

We've been through a lot together, haven't we.

Lasting first out, so I'm trying to get rid of me straight away this year.

It's my twenty first birthday.

I really wish I was there when Josh was there, and.

I've invited housemates both new and legendary.

It was definitely a choice being in the Big Brother house.

Will experience be enough to take on the next generation of housemaid?

She's not going to let me ever go on the show again.

Yes, he's Big Brother.

Hi, Brenon, how are.

You feeling good? Feeling good? I was evicted last night? Yeah?

Yeah, yeah, A bunch of dogs feeling good considering I was evicted, But honestly, regarding who's sitting there in the top three, I'm very proud and I would not substitute any of them for any of the other housemates.

Wow. And then my first question has to be this, did you really think that Trevor was Big Brother?

Not at all, Not at all.

I think like I came in on the back foot obviously, and I wanted to be the physical threat guy and maybe bully people around, like be that big presence. And as soon as they started saying you're the new goal, You're the new challenge beast, I took the back foot.

I'm like, okay, no, I don't know what a challenged beast.

I don't know what's big brother. So I kind of really pushed that card. And yeah, Trevor fell in the firing line.

There, But were you playing into something that wasn't really sustainable?

I think so. I think it was the last minute decisions to just play the dumb guy.

I think because the whole as you know, with intruders, that's they say, last in, first out, So trying to get rid of me straight away. So I had to, I guess, come off not so threatening and just just mom harmless, still good, keep me around guys, it's.

You know, take care of you. So it worked for a while for.

A while for you, I think, But I think the audience was like, what game is this guy playing?

Yeah, I don't think the audience liked it very much.

It was it's iconic. It's an iconic moment. I mean I don't think anyone has ever turned up in the Big Brother House pretending that they know absolutely nothing about the show, which led everyone online saying, how much did the producers tell you before you even went in there? Yeah?

I mean to be fair, like, I think I got three days notice. I was trying to get my affairs and my work and wife and everything in order, so I couldn't do that much research anyway, but it was certainly I kinda chose to play.

How did Big Brother come up for you? If it's such a quick turnaround? Had you applied through the normal process? Did they pick you on the street because you are ridiculously good looking? How did it happen?

I think I got the call about Survivor, who's obviously the same producers and the same production company, and I thought, you know what, Like I've been us to do a lot of reality shows in the last couple of years, I've always said no, like I'm a I guess because I'm a trained actor. I feel like I never wanted to go into that reality space, And as much as I find it entertaining, I try and stick to this lane.

But there's something about Survivor and.

Big Brother that I do love. You know, I play a lot of characters in my acting. You can't hide behind yourself. This is who you are and this is how you're going to be presented. And I chose to do a Big Brother because it was a huge challenge. It was a physical challenge, it was a mental challenge being away from technology and your family and stuff. And it's a good time in my life to do it, so I wanted to do it.

And you also didn't have to be in the desert or in a rainforest or have terrible conditions. They gave you a bed to sleep in at night, still no food, and still pretty horrendous.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I mean Tim Dillmer is probably just as bad as the Wild, But yeah, it was pretty pretty full on in there.

Good call, good cal. I guess it is an interesting thing to go through the pro thinking about being an actor and then doing reality television. Are you worried or were you worried about this reality TV tag now being attached to you? And do you think that that'll interfere with the way in which people choose you for roles.

It has been a bit of a fear of mine, but like my acting agent is because I'm now swapping. I'm about to go into a different agency, and they're kind of saying, why did you do really, And I was like, I know, I know, but the good thing is I didn't make it to the final three, and I guess I wasn't. I didn't come across as in my opinion, a big player like some of the other guys, Like, so I don't. I don't think it'll be a tag on my on my life. But it was just a bit of fun in the meantime.

Well, to be fair, there was episodes where you were barely even seen. I was like, he's flying under the radar, Like he isn't anywhere near the radar, He's gone, Like there was a lot of episodes that we really didn't see of you.

Yeah, those two episodes, I thought I was evicted already and then I just came back later in the week. But no, you're right, like there's a lot that as much as I wasn't a big game player like you know, Johnson or him, there was a lot of things, a lot of moments that I did have and I thought that might to get it. Even the tim diction, Like I was in there for three days. I didn't trust him, and I love him now because I've got to know him. But for ages, I didn't get to know him and

It just showed me having to cry and not knowing who to choose, and he be left.

And in the long run, it just means that, you know, you'll probably get cast in a movie with Eric Banner because no one will remember you as a big brother house.

Mate absolutely, or maybe I'll be like a tree in the background of Home and Away because I don't make much screen presence.

You've got I've got on my resume. I can blend into the background.

You know, Yeah, I can do nothing well.

But at the same time, you are you are an attractive man, you were a lovely man. We can see that you can clean up a hurricane in Yespiedos. Look, you're not the type of guy in my mind that lies under the radar in your real life.

No, in my real life, I'm very hands on.

I'm my hard work I'm very driven and usually the loudest person in the room, so.

It was definitely a choice being in the Big Brother house.

Like, as you know, there's a lot of big personalities in front of you and if sometimes if you're the loudest, that can come back to buy you. So in my house, the loudest personalities were voted out a lot quicker than I was.

So it was all a choice, a good game play.

So you said that you grew up you will, You said that you grew to love Big Brother as the time went on. Do you think that you might have won if you'd had been put in at the start?

I don't.

I don't personally think it would have made a difference, and you never really know. But for me, it was how I left and I did trass over really bad. It wasn't shown too much, but I convinced him to put up his best friend and alliance Aleisha, and before that he was going to take me to the end. We knew he was going to the end because he's a challenge beast, and if I had not put up a Leisha and blindsided him with Reggie would have taken me.

And how much you're beating yourself up over that at the moment.

Sometimes I think about it at night, like, wonder what it would be like if I was in the top three, just because it's it is just the funnest as you know, it's the funnest experience. But putting my acting career first, I don't want to have that big bron the tag. So I am grateful, like I just trust God. I'm grateful that I left what I did.

Why can't intruders win this show? I mean, this is Big Brother Series fifteen. I think we're up to It's been on television for twenty one years. Why do you think it is the biggest hurdle for an intruder to make it to the end and take the competition out.

I think the audience you'd probably know better than me. But I think the audience just they haven't got to know the intruder like they have the other housemates. They also the audience might see they don't deserve it because they came in halfway.

It's almost like when someone cuts in.

Line halfway down the line and you're like, why do they deserve to be ahead of me. So I think there's that that thing like coming in halfway and just sneaking towards the end.

Yeah, I think that that's a good point. You came in with Jewels, though, you know, what sort of a chance did you think that Jewels would have of taking the competition out.

I don't think Jewels made a smart move with going to the OG side because she's not an OG. You can fit in with them for as long as you you know, you're one, and they can use you as a point as a vote on their site, but at the end of the day, they're going to get rid of you first because you're not an OG.

So I don't think she had much of a chance from the.

Start vice versa in a way, you know, Drew going and making his alliance stronger with the newbies as well, you know, played the same way. You know you've for some reason because of this particular format, being that it kind of is OG's versus newbies, fans versus favorites. Should we say, you know, you kind of have to stay in your lane, stay in your category.

Yeah, and you have to own that as well as soon as you start picking and choosing and fighting around and doing that.

It doesn't work, Like you just have to own where you are and who you are.

Well, I kept thinking to myself, does Brenton believe if he goes up against Reggie and Tim in the finale? You know, did you really believe that you would stand out and win?

Now watching the season, you know play out, there's no way I could have beat Reggie and And I think I don't know if you've heard this yet, but we're all kicking ourselves because we wanted to take Reggie to the end. We wanted to be the heroes, to bring the fan favorite to the end and give her the glory and will win because we've done such a good move.

But now we're all like, why did we take it so far?

We could have got rid of her at the start, terrible with challenges and you know, all the running around and stuff, but we chose to carry us.

I was so silly.

But were you buying into Tim's speech? Because Tim's there selling it to you, and whilst you never really verbally confirmed into it, I don't think you know, were you believing what Tim was saying? And had Tim changed your mind?

Yeah? I did?

When Tim pulled me into the room and said basically laid out a plan for me and him to go to the end.

I did believe it.

We had some deep chats in the waiting room, and as much as he's manipulative, I really we do have a connection like he doesn't with.

A lot of the other housemates. So when he laid out.

The plan for us to go to the end and for me to take him, I believed it, and I knew that was my ticket to the end. So that's why I was really upset at the end of the episode when I had to choose between the weight to the end or my best friend, and so I was really upset and really torn.

Well, you had this knack of getting people to do all the talking, and that was interesting to watch in the scrambles. Was that a deliberate tactic or is that an editing? Is that a result of the editing.

I'd say the editing.

As much as people would talk a bit more than me, they really just the producers haven't shown a lot like there's there's really a lot that they've missed out on a lot of my tactics or moves or even you know, there was this whole like the day that we were tied to the pole, like we slept that whole night on the pole, you know, and.

Where there was like all these like hilarious stuff.

I guess it doesn't benefit the story, but you know, the next day I lost at someone in the kitchen and threw a pen and I was just angry and sleep deprived that I had to go to that challenge and I was wigging out and I fainted. Didn't say any of that, like there was this whole kind of thing that you just don't see in the end edit.

Yeah, it's so, it's it is really strange that we have missed out on some of that stuff because I think a lot of that would have made you know, really good TV. Yeah it is, I mean it is what it is. Well, A good question for you, because you very much are married and you had a child on the way. Do you think the Big Brother is

It's a good question. I think it's who you are as a person.

For me, it drove me to go harder because I'm doing it for my family, Like even the prize money, imagine how much I can provide for my family. But if I guess on the other side, like you could be thinking about your family life and make you sad, it can make you want to go back to that. I know we Trevor, like he was defeated in the end and he just wanted to go and see his kids. So I think it depending on who you are, can really help, will really hinder your role as a player in the house.

And now after meeting some of the victive players, or maybe not even meeting them, now seeing them, you know, on the TV and seeing which players were evicted, who do you feel sad that you missed out on spending time with him the house?

I wish I spent more time with Trevor. I was only with him for literally two nights, and.

We had some awesome conversations about family and values and stuff just laying on the lounge together. And he's just got a massive heart, as you know, Like he's an awesome dude, and I wish I've got to spend more time with him.

You did cross over with him, though, so was there anyone that you never lived with that. You were like, Oh, I wonder if that had been a better you know, I wonder if I had had a good relationship with them.

Yeah, I really wish I was there When Josh was there, the first house mate, he just looked like I would have had a lot of fun with him, causing a lot of ruckus, just throwing him in the firing line and using him as a bit of a gun and a shield at the same time, like he was ready, he was ready to do some damage that one.

Well, there's been a fair bit of drama with him. There's been a fair bit of drama with a lot of the housemates. After the show, What does your wife think about it all? When you're telling her about what's happening in behind the scenes with all this drama, does she just go, oh God, the show's more dramatic out of the show than it is in the show, Like, what's the conversation like being at home?

Yeah, what I share with with Beth my wife at home, some of the stuff that happens behind the scenes.

She's not going to let me ever go on the show again.

But.

She's just grateful that, you know, they don't show to the extent what they show because there are there is a lot of you know, it gets really full on behind the scenes, and it is a family show at the end of the day, so a lot of the stuff is hidden, which is good.

Yeah, that's not letting you out of the house ever again.

No, no, she's with me now I'm getting pulled by this leash. Good.

I love it. I love it. What about what was I going to ask you? Well, when it came to like all of these relationships that you've now had with all these people and the show technically over for you because it was made last year. You know, who do you think you'll walk away with having a strong relationship now that the show's come to an end.

Now it's come to an end. I think my best mates are Johnson and Tim.

I've got a really good, real relationship with these guys, and I'd love to carry out my future with them, whether it's your business or just getting branch or whatever it is.

I think these they're my guys.

I think that that's pretty amazing. Well, I've absolutely loved watching you on the show. I think that you've done so well. I think that's unbeenly maybe one or two intruders that have ever got as far as this, So that's pretty impressive to celebrate twenty one years of Big Brother and Gretel Colleen. Back in the day when Big brothers on Channel ten, she used to ask these top ten questions to everyone. So I want to ask you

It's gay.

What did you miss the most while you're inside the Big Brother House?

I missed my wife definitely.

Who was your favorite person inside the house?

Johnson?

We would wake up every morning and shave each other and he was just my best.

Maid in there. It got really weird, but I loved him.

Just a couple of yeties with the shaver.

Uh yeah.

Who was your least favorite person?

Probably Tim? I just for a long time, I just couldn't trust him. I thought he was so manipulived for my game.

Now he's one of your best friends. Good to know?

Yeah? Yeah.

Who had the most annoying habit?

Gabby by Fire.

She was absolutely revolting, disgusting, like there were she had so much food a lying around the bed. There was flies and insects, and Tim had a zoom next to his bed.

Of stuff he's collected. They were flying over like she was revolting to have in your bedroom.

A lot of people have said her, that's fine. Who was the funniest person in the house.

I think to us was the funniest. He's my kind of funny.

He's just so like soft and warming, yet he just says really outrageous and dark stuff.

I just thought he's hilarious.

Who was the laziest person in the house.

Reggie spent every day in bed. You don't see any of that.

Someone said she fell off one of the challenges, and so she had an ice pack basically attached to her and spent the rest of the series in a bed.

I just don't know if she was injured. She was just always in bed. I think she could just lay in sleep.

Everyone's been wanting to know what Reggie's been up to since she was on Big Brother in two thousand and three. Now we know she's in bed.

She was in bed for twenty years.

What is your greatest regret?

My greatest regret is not getting rid of to us sooner?

M very wise. And who do you think will be out next? I mean, well, I guess we're at the end of the competition, So you know, who do you think what's your order on the finale? Do you who do you think is gonna come first? Second and third?

I don't know it works as second and third.

I don't know if it is, but let's just pretend that that's the case. Sure, it was back in my Brenton, it was back in my day. So Estelle came out, then Laila then me.

So mate, your name was mean so many times during our season you were talked about every day.

What yeah, talk for every day? Mostly for the good really, but.

Yeah, because people had a big because we're always anxious and thinking more people is going to come in and everyone's like a better not be bed nors, Like.

People were fearful of you, like you're going to come in and like disrupted. I was like, Oh, who is this guy?

Who do you think is going to win? Out of the final three?

I think I really think it'd be Reggie, but I'm really hoping it's Johnson.

Okay. And then my last question to ask you is what is something from behind the scenes of Big Brother, something that we're as an audience did not see, that we will not see that is an interesting sort of behind the scenes moment from your time in Big Brother.

Taking a piss on the synthetic grass well structural pole.

Apart from creating a song and dance about this conviction, one of the things was I brought one of the cows into the diar room and tried to slaughter it because I was really hungry and I've got in trouble.

The vegans weren't happy with me.

It's been so good to be able to debrief with you about Brother. I will be there at the finale, so I'll get a chance to have a drink and have a chat with you. It'd be great to unpack the experience. You did a fantastic job and thanks for Thanks for your generosity with being here today.

Thanks for your time, look after youself.

Good luck with the rest of your interviews.

Yeah, thanks man, you too.