It's in the news today, but it was actually on TV Reload the podcast last week. They might 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,
plus the talent that we see on our screens. TV Reload reloads the shows that you were currently watching and gives you a better insight at our television industry and streaming services. Today. On the podcast, I have TikTok and music sensation Jac from Big Brother twenty twenty two. He has been eliminated from the competition and we're going to unpack his time in the house, plus to spell any
rumors that may have started during the series run. JC entered the house with Alisha and Johnson, and the three of them had an alliance like no other. The initial bond had them in a friend group that looked destined for the final three. The online betting odds had him as a leading favorite amongst the newbies to win the competition, and while he has lost that race, there is plenty to celebrate for this housemate who has a bright future ahead.
JC clashed with Drew, made alliances one challenges, and wrapped his way through the Big Brother experience, and we will talk about his new album, his secret or not so secret girlfriend, the way in which he processed the game post exit, and what he thinks will be in the finale of Big Brother twenty twenty two on the twelfth of July. Sadly, I don't think it will be a disco remix of Oates Ala Leila. However, let's get started with today's guest. I'd like to welcome JC to TV reload.
The show doesn't show two percent of what is actually happening. We've been through a lot together hood we I didn't feel like I was playing for the money this year. It's my twenty first birth day. I had to work on my social game. I had to really lean on some personality traits that I normally wouldn't lean on. And I've invited housemates both new and legendary, and I was playing a similar game to Marley. Will the experience be
enough to take on the next generation of Housemaids. The resilience that built from being on that show has made me a better person. This is Big Brother.
Hi JC, how are you?
What's up? How are we doing well?
Congratulations on your time in the Big Brother House. Was this experience anything like you expected?
Actually, it was so much more than I expected. I thought it was just gonna be. Yeah, we go in the house, there's only some fun games and there's only some twists and turns. But no, it's actually so much more. I learned so much about myself. I had so much personal growth fifty days in the house. It's like that's your world. You really live and breathe everything you're told and see, and those people in the house are like, it's family now, you know what I mean.
It's actually really strange that that does exist that way, because even the people you don't really like you end up so supportive of them on the outside world as well. Like you can turn around and say to your mates, oh, blah blah blah, it's a nightmare, but if they say that back to you, you're like, no.
You can never explain it. It's cool to have the show because they get an idea of everyone, but there is so much more that you can just never you know, it's between you and the house. You won't understand if you tell someone.
You to me though, strike me as someone who's a very together person. So when you talk about learning things about yourself, can you tell me a little bit more about that?
I want. The reason I did Big Brother was I wanted to show myself to Australia. People see me online making tiktoks or forming or doing music, and I wanted to strip those labels off me for a second and just be JC the human. And I quickly found that I really was latching onto those identities in the real world. I was latching onto those identities. I'm this artist, I'm this guy. And then when I was in the house, I was like, no, I'm just I had to work on my social game. I had to dig some stories
up from stories I've never told. I had to really lean on some personality traits that I normally wouldn't lean on. And being in the house just surrounded by so many big personalities, I thought I was a big personality. But then I'm like, Okay, maybe I need to take a step back and change my change what strategy I thought I was going to play.
Is there maybe a little bit of truth behind the ability to hide who we truly are? Or who you truly are. When you're on platforms like TikTok, they're highly edited. You can control what you want to put out there, and then all of a sudden, you're handing something like your entire identity over to something like Big Brother.
Yeah, I think control is the key word there. When you have control of the product, you can really do anything you want. Like, you know, I edit my tiktoks so and I can do as many takes as I want. But when you're in the BB houses, old, go, go go, and you just got to surrender to the process and let Big Brother edit it how he wants, put it up how he wants. And there's no takes in Big Brother. It's all on the fly. You don't know what's going to be on the show either, so you just got
to always show up. And I think the resilience that built from being on that show has made me a better person because every single day you've got to give it like one hundred and ten percent because you just don't know what's coming.
I think the currency for Big Brother and the way in which you need to connect with audiences and the other housemates is being your most authentic self. And you know, showing the good and the bad, and I think that's when people sort of connect to you. So yeah, I think that that game has forced you to do that in a way.
Hey, yeah, there was definitely some very triumphant moments, and I had some kind of funny moments at bad moments, as you would say, like the shopping challenge where I messed up, and then I had my great moment where the second chance challenge to win against Lara and Lulu, And yeah, there's there was many sides to my character on the show, and I think, yeah, I played a really great social game and I'm proud of myself for that.
I was really happy with your entire gameplay until we got to the eviction.
Like, I'm being honest, do I even want to stay here? I don't want to see Johnson's go home, and I don't want to see Alsia going because I want to lead you to win. Maybe I should just tell you, guys, oh that I don't want to be here anymore.
And I felt like, you're I don't want to be His speech was really shocking to me because You've given up so much to be there, you know, and then here you were saying no, I eliminate me. Was that how you really felt.
I think it's more so the fact that the people are sitting next to you know. I had Johnson, who was like my best mate in the house. I had Alisia, was another best friend in the house, and we came in the house together and we wanted to be the final three together. And I just knew that it meant maybe more to them. Johnson was a super fan, Alicia had this crazy backstory, and I felt like I did
fifty days in the house. Now I could. I could leave and be happy, but I know Johnson it would probably live with them a little bit more because it's his dream to do Big Brother. It wasn't so much like vote me out. It was just more so And it could have been strategy even at the time, because I was trying to organize a blind side on Elisha. At one point during the scramble, I was in the treehouse with Brenton and I was like, I need you
to put a point in Elisha. And I said it to Tarras, I need you to put a point on Leisha. It was very clear that people had their mindset. Brenton was like, yo, man, look, I can't do that. I have to put it on you, Like as much as I don't want it, I have to put it on you.
Reggie had a mindset. Tim obviously, Gabby obviously. I knew it was so obviously going to be me if Estale and Taras held their votes and I put one on Johnson and then miraculously someone to other people did or whatever I could have, I could have forced the draw but even if I forced the drawer, Tim's the one calling the shots. I kind of came to grips with it, and that's that's what that was in the eviction room.
So it has nothing to do with maybe your passion for the game lacking a little bit because of maybe that being a symptom of the way in which you were picked. I mean, Johnson is a super fan and Alisha I believe both of them applied the normal way where you know, producers found you.
Yeah, I mean there was a point a part where I didn't want to win them. Well, it's not that I didn't want to win the money, but I didn't feel like I was playing for the money, you know, I didn't. There was a part of me It's like, I'm not trying to win this thing. I'm not trying to do this. I know what I'm My thing is. I'm I'm a musician. I'm an artist. I'm a performer. That's really my passion. And I was like Johnson, the same way I feel about music is how Johnson feels about
this game. You know, he's watched every single episode and he's watched every single thing, and You're right, he had the passion for it. And I had the passion for the experience, and the passion for the tests and the challenges and just trying something new and bettering myself. But the passion to take it all the way to the end and go down as a Big Brother legend, not so much.
You know. I think it's a great answer. From the minute I heard that you were going into the show, you know, you were a recognizable person on the outside that we could google and we could already have seen in some capacity. And then I was curious about this whole Big Brother experience. I mean, how has been on Big Brother affected your music? You know, has been on reality TV added to your fan base?
I think it did what I thought it was. Well, you know what, what it's done has showed people another side of me. The fans that have been watching now feel like they know j Seymour. People know me now for JC, not just JC the artists. It's definitely opened me up to a new demographic. I don't think it's translated like like if there was a graph. It's not like Big Brother than Music, Spike. It hasn't really translated like that where I've seen massive waves of new fans
and new streams and all this sort of thing. I think it's just for the people that knew, they now know me more. It's a bit of credibility for my profile moving forward. But I quickly learned that I had to disconnect from the show because the show doesn't show two percent of what is actually happening. So I disconnected from the show, and I think the main thing was the experience I took, the person I became from it, and I completely forgot I was a musician when I
was in the house. To be honest, I couldn't remember any of my songs. I couldn't remember I couldn't remember anything from the outside world to do with music and to do with my career. It was just JC, this kid like I was one of the youngest in the houses. I was in the house. I was just in there, giving it my own and I was happy to be there. And once I hit that top ten, the fifty day mark, I saw you know, Tim, how he was playing. I
saw Reggie, she had every reason to be there. I saw Alisha and Johnson, who was a dream, and I just was like, I'm happy if they beat me, like I'm not trying to. I've gotten what I've wanted out
of the experience. And there's an exception of a few of the other housemates I would have I wouldn't have had the same feeling like I would have probably fought a little harder, but I knew that ultimately fifty days, I can be proud of myself at this point and I felt like I achieved what I set out to achieve.
What's it been like watching this back, my friend? I mean, there have been some epic blind sides and sneaky moves. The reason why I ask you this question is I wonder whether or not this show and you know, lying and cheating and stealing suited your personality.
I know I know what you mean the lying. I'm not a good liar and I don't really lie. I'm good at my social game is really good when it comes down to deals and stuff. I'm good at you know, I connect with people and people want me there. And I said it on the last interview, I think I played one of the best social games and it was a little underrepresented. You don't really hear a lot of
my dialogue. But there's a reason why I was in the top ten, and there's a reason why there's tears and there's all these emotions every time I'm in the picture, because I really had genuine connections and it wasn't some alliance deal stuff. It wasn't a shake of a hand. It was I just like this guy. You know. I made sure I went in there with a message to represent the underdog, represent the people that have a dream and they feel like the world's against him or whatever
it is. I really came in there with a message and I made sure to represent that. And I think the housemates resonated with that as well, because, believe it or not, every single head of house I went up and I did a speech, and I kept going up. I kept going up, and I eventually got it. In the end. I always got it.
Ah.
There was a few times where I was up for a viction and I won the second Chance challenge. You know, there was all these moments where people just resonated with and people respected, and that the show doesn't show a lot of that.
Well, I felt like you were kind of flying under the radar, you know, was that part of it?
Wasn't? Yeah, I definitely wasn't. I it was very clear from the start I was with the newbies, and it was very clear that I was quite physically strong, and people knew I was a threat and I was playing a similar game to Mali. People that people in the house would say that, they're like, oh, man, if you if you get through, you're playing a similar game to Mali. You know, everyone loves you and you haven't really caused
any Yeah, you don't really have any enemies. I think Drew was probably the only real like relationship that came across. As we didn't get along. I wasn't avoiding conflict. I wasn't avoiding anything. It's really just the storylines they went with.
That's a really good point when you bring up Maley, because have any former housemates influenced your game? I mean, did you watch some old seasons back to take notes? And obviously bringing Maley up now. You know, it makes me think maybe you did try and lean in and borrow some of the tactics.
Yeah, it's not that I borrowed it. Like, I definitely did my research going in. I put it down to one thing with this new format, the winner is always someone that people just like. The winner is always just a good person. The winner is never someone who's wheeling and dealing and lying and cheating, And so I was just like, that's perfect, because that's who I am. Anyway, So yeah, I definitely watched Maley and I watched this
season one winner. I quickly found out that I'm just gonna do what I do best and just be me and not shake hands with anyone too much.
Just actually, I'm going to go into something really quickly. You're talking also about your singing and not remembering all your lyrics and things like that in the house. But there was a lot of rumors going around that you sung a rap version of Oats Ala Leila, and there was a lot of fans watching the show hoping to see oats Ala Leila back. Was that true? Was there a moment in the house where you rapped a little bit of oats Salalila.
Yeah, there was. There were so many moments where I was making music in the house. Yeah, definitely, will jam and Oates, will jam me and terrass with jamming all the time. We're making drums out of the pillows. And one of the first episodes you hear Tim saying I'm sick of jay Z's raps and sick to the vent machine, and that was true. I was always just you know, jamming, even the steale me in her We're going back and forth rapping and stuff.
Yeah, well, I mean Estelle is a is a rapper. I mean she applied for X Factor back in the day because yes, she was wanting to get into her music. And when I did Big Brother with Estelle, she was wrapping every day.
Oh nice, I had no idea. She told me she freestyles and she does a few open mics.
You know, there's a real divide happening on the show that seems to have spilled out into the real world. You know what, do you think the real problem is behind the tension that seems to have been created after doing the show?
The real problem it is coming to grips with a show and the experience. That was one thing I had to really realize. It was like I was frustrated a lot of the time because I was watching it and just going, ah, that didn't happen on this. It didn't show this and this and this and this and this common to grips with, you know what, this is just a show. We're not watching what we did. We're just watching some characters and some We're watching a program, you know,
like it's a storyline. And I think there's a lot of a lot of confusion with that at the beginning, and people still had their head in their game. When the game was finished, people were still doing the same sort of you know, just digging and trying to find like just still playing the game. You know, Oh you told me this, you told me that. It's like whatever we said in that is like you just got to forget about now because it doesn't apply to the real world.
But yeah, I don't know too much about it too much, but I think from the housemates i've spoken to it, which is all of them, everyone was just a little kind of like they saw the show and they felt a way about how because everyone has their story in their head, you know, it's my story. This needed They didn't show this. They didn't show that, and everyone kind of felt a little a little way about not seeing their favorite moment or how an argument was cut up
or whatever. But that's it. That's show biz.
Do you think it's all going to settle down once the show comes to an end? I mean, do you think that that anxiety or that tension has built and is still there while the show is still playing, but then once it comes to an end, that it'll be put to bed.
There's some relationships that probably won't. I know that we got the final together and we're all going to be together again, and it's amazing what a few drinks can do and a good night out can do. So I don't think there's any long term grudges. I think we're all we can all talk it out, and I know some people a little more stubborn than others, So who knows.
It's just going to be a really big family reunion, and all family reunions there's always going to have some problematic and complicated relationships amongst siblings. Yeah, but it's so funny. We'll watch us watching a show the other day with my partner and it was, oh, it's like the Real Housewives and they went on this Ultimate Girl's trip, but they were all ex housewives and they finally were back together sort of sorting out their dramas from previous seasons
of the show. And about ten minutes into watching these confrontations that have happened, Ben said, this is like when you have your big brother housemates come and stayed out house and they have to say all this stuff. It's like, you.
Knows exactly like that.
It's yeah, anyway, you've got to have a sense of humor about it. But I'm glad to do. I'm glad that, you know, you told the housemates that you were single, and a lot of people talking about it in the media because it wasn't really true. But I mean, I haven't personally asked you or given you a voice to explain that, you know, what's the truth behind this secret girlfriend secret?
It's no secret anymore. I don't actually haven't seen anything on this. Yeah, So in the house, I was single, and it was a situation where you know, I had an ex that I was rekindling with and I still felt very strongly about. And the thing when you're in the house, you have a lot of time to think and reflect, like I remember laying in my bed at night and I would be like, man, I really miss Kristin, I really miss my mom, I really miss my best friends.
It's like it's like you're away at war, you know, like you're a soldier at war and you've got your photos on your bedside table and you're just thinking and you're just like, Wow, life on the outside world. So yeah, it's no secret any like there's no secrets here or anything like that. It's just that's my personal relationship life. And yeah, I just I actually haven't seen anything on this situation, on this topic. Even if I did, it's like that had nothing to do with my game anyway.
I don't even think I once spoke about like, oh this guy like in the house or anything like that. I was just playing a social game and I was just doing me.
Well. I am happy for you that you have got that relationship now. I think that's beautiful. And it's interesting that you even say this because the where I was coming from is in a history of Big Brother around the world, a lot of boys get back together with their ex girlfriends after their experience, and so I just thought it was a really interesting, yeah, very very common story in England and in America and Canada, a lot of boys get back together with their ex girlfriends. And
Daniel Gorench as another person. You know, he's he got back together with his ex girlfriend and they're still together.
You know, makes sense. It makes sense. You have a lot of clarity in the house and you strip back all the drama of the real world.
And you can just you just think, think, well, let's talk about this whole Drew situation, because a number of housemates have come out, and I must admit I didn't really notice that much of attention between the two of you watching the show, but a number of housemates have come out and said that there was a personality clash with you and Drew.
What happened between you, you two guys, because from what I know of Drew and what I can see from you, you guys have fairly chilled out guys. But you know, I think after this, you know, the eviction of you, there's a hashtag of justice for Drew, so obviously there's there's some tension there.
Yeah, you know, I think me and Drew got off on the wrong foot because we will we were friends through association. More so, he was very close with Johnson, and Johnson was my best friend, and he was very close with you know, just all the other newbies, but not so much me. But we kind of felt obliged to work together still because you know, well we had all the same friends. He knew that the thing with Big Brother, all it takes is one nomination point and
your perception changes on someone. So as soon as I think it might have been me, I fired the first shot, put a point on him. It just from that point on it just kind of went downhill, downhill, downhill. And because Drew was in the eviction chair so much, I would always just go, you know what, this guy needs to go. It wasn't anything personal. It was just more so like we have similar personalities, but I think I'm more creative and more He's really logical and I'm more creative.
Put it that way. So the way I would talk is more, you know, I use a lot of metaphors and a lot of year I analyze things weird and I see things in a different way, and he's really just like straight down the line. And we kind of he saw that maybe he's a bit ignorant, and he would kind of insult my intelligence a bit and I saw him as a bit of a party pooper, you know, a bit just like we didn't jail too much, didn't
share the same humor. You see that a little bit when he was like calling me a human meat bag, and was when I was doing the Second Chance Challenge, he was like do you have one brain cell? And all that type of thing. And it wasn't like a It wasn't to the point where we actually had an argument.
Oh.
Actually there was a few little blow up blowouts, but we didn't have that. We just didn't have that relationship and he was not on my priority list at all. We didn't have each other's back. Drew played a game that I it was just so different to mine.
Have you spoken to him in the outside world.
No, we haven't even spoken. Like we have a group chat and stuff, but I haven't given him a call or he hasn't given me a call.
Well, if you're spending lots of time in Melbourne, you'll probably go to some of his clubs.
Yeah, one like, if we see him, I'm sure it'll be like, we have a great chat and it'll be fine. It's just yeah, it's just we don't feel the urge to you know, it was a game, and what happened happened.
Sure, yeah, yeah. And then Johnson and Alisha have survived the elimination. Who do you think out of those two players have played the best game? Well, I mean, actually a good question to be to ask you maybe is who do you think out of all the newbies has played the best game?
Johnson's played an unbelievable game. What I think is Johnson's played the best OG format. He you know, he's really just been a genuine guy. He's made great relationships and he's done a bit of deal shaking and a bit of strategy, and he was the guy that like he had pegs in his drawer, he was crunching numbers when he was going to bed. He really thought it out, and you can tell he's watched a lot of Big Brother. Then you have someone like Tarras who played a great
new format game. He won a bunch of challenges and he played Under the Raider all the way to the top ten. I feel like they played it. I feel like Arras and Johnson played really great game. Alicia also, I'd like to see either one of them win.
Have you taken any money to sports Bet? Have you put any money down on it.
Yet apparently I'm up there as the most likely to win, so I might just better myself.
No, no, no, you know the outcome. You know the outcome, my friend, you can't do that. Don't bet on your side.
I haven't really done any betting on sports bet I probably should look at it.
Well. The finale is happening on the twelfth of July, and I it would be remissive me not to ask you. Do you have any inside goss on what we can expect to see in that finale?
Yeah, I don't know. There might be a few heated conversations like that. Actually, I think some gameplay is going to get brought up. Yeah, I can make it a little heated, spicy, little spicy.
Well. To celebrate Big Brother and twenty one years of being on Australian television, I've been asking the top ten questions that Gretel Colleen, who you might not know because you might not have been born when Gretel Colleen was hosting Big Brother, but she would these rapid fire questions, these ten questions everyone who leaves the house. So I'm gonna run through them with you. Yeah, what did you miss the most while you're inside the Big Brother House. Food nothing like being hungry.
Yeah, just hungry all the time.
Who was your favorite person inside the house?
Johnson, Alicia Tarass You got to pick one.
That's not fun when you say three people.
Yeah, I know it's not fun. Yeah, those were my people. Towards the end, Tarras was me and him had probably the best relationship.
Who was your least favorite person inside the Big Brother House?
Gabby and Tim? No, Gabby and Drew.
Pick one, you can't pick two? Drew. Who had the most annoying habit out of all the housemates?
Oh Gabby, so messy, so messy. My bed was next to hers and she had cups of milk and she had apple cores all around her bed and a clothes are everywhere she was. Yeah, Gabby.
And who was the funniest person inside the house?
Who I found the funniest? I actually found tarrass hilarious. It's quirky humor, and yeah I found it funny ass.
Yeah, a lot of people saying Tarras so and it's funny. We're not really seeing all of his jokes, Like, I mean, people aren't walking away saying that he's the funniest out of there, but a lot of housemates answering these questions have picked haresque who was the laziest person in the house.
I would say Gabby was the laziest, Like she didn't plange, she didn't do anything. I was cooking most most of the Knights, and I got voted the laziest house mate. But I was cooking most of the Knights. I was doing a lot. I think it was my attitude that came across lazy because I'm a chill guy.
They clearly don't understand the word lazy. They're taking out your chilled and.
I realized that what, how am I the laziest?
What was your greatest regret? Now the competition is over? Well, now that your game is over, what is your greatest regret?
Probably sending Lulu home? Well, putting a point on Lulu and not Sam.
It's so interesting, you know that I've asked these questions to everyone that's left the show. I think she's coming out as like miss congeniality after the show. I think that there's a lot of love for her.
There's a lot of love there. She Yeah, it was very sad when she went, yeah, I know the game is a game, but that was probably something that hurt the most for me.
Who will be out next? Not who you know will be out, but who did you think would be out following your house?
I know that sending me home has really shooken up the newbies because now Gabby has really proven that she's not playing with the newbies anymore. Gabby is all over the shop. She tells people what she wants to hear. She's I took her up to the head of how sweet with me and we would chat and she I'm not coming for you. I'm not coming for you. And now doing the move she did with Tim has shown the house who she really is. I think she's next.
Who do you think is going to win Big Brother twenty twenty two? Again, not what you know now, but like who do you think?
And I said this from the first week, I think Reggie is most likely just based on who she is this, Yeah, Reggie. Reggie is the most likable based on the show as well. Who do I want to win?
What?
Any of the newbies I'd be happy to win? I think it's it's a new experience and I think the Ogs have had that already their moment on the show and it would be great to see someone new take it out.
What is something something I ask everyone who joins the podcast, what is something from behind the scenes that this you know from your time in Big Brother that where's an audience didn't see and we won't see something of a like a behind the scenes secret on the makings of Big Brother.
The Challenge. Okay, so the actual challenge basement and the Challenge arena, they're like a bit of a drive away, so we would have to you know, jump out of the car withuse blindfold not blindfold, like be silent and just drive to this spot when do the challenges. And the actual elevator that you see isn't actually an elevator. It's just a room and you step in there and you just stand there for a bit and you walk out the door. Yeah, it's not it's a different places.
The house isn't that big. There's no elevator in the house.
In Big Brother VIP, Caitlin Jenner was climbing through event and they had you know, the sound of the event being popped sort of and the housemates going, what's that noise? And it just looked so much like you know.
No, no, no, But now it wasn't like that.
Well, look, there's been so great chatting with you. Your most recent project, which has come before the Storm, dropped on June tenth. If people want to go out and get that, what's the best way for them to get involved with your music?
Yeah, so just jc Ja y Cee, Spotify, YouTube, Apple Music you'll find it. Google it Calm before the Storm. It's a body of work that kind of symbolizes where I feel like I'm out in my life right now, is to calm before this big storm that comes in the storm actually being the best version of myself. So it's an inspirational tape. There's a lot of mixed messages that people can read a eat way. Then I'm proud of it.
I think it's an amazing idea as well. I mean it's the story of your life, you know, broken down into eleven songs.
You know.
I think that sounds like a great recipe for young people to get involved and appreciate your music. So yeah, I'm excited about that for you, my friend, and I wish you all the best.
And if they want to see it live and want to be in Sydney, Brisbane and.
Tazzy, I think so July third in Brisbane and the ninth YEP for Sydney and then you get seventeenth in Hobart.
Yeah, Jim, you've done your research.
Jason, I absolutely loved watching you in the show. You were so fantastic as a housemate. You brought a lot to it and yeah, well can't wait to see the finale and see where you go with your music.
Thanks, Ben, appreciate it.