Following on from her eviction from the Big Brother Canada house, Risha Denner speaks to Female First in a new and exclusive interview ahead of her chance to make it back into the game.
First out of the house, do you feel like you've wasted a big opportunity?
Absolutely not. The opportunity to be on Big Brother is a once in a lifetime chance and as a huge fan, just being able to walk through those doors and sleep in the Big Brother house whether it was on the floor, or in the pantry, or in the bed, I would never consider that a waste, I would consider it a huge blessing.
What did you make of the first big twists this season?
Well! (laughs) As a fan I think that they were amazing because no season ever in Big Brother have they started out with the whole house being Head of Household and nominating and then moving directly to a PoV competition within the first half hour, and putting someone on the block immediately.
As a person who was nominated and on the block and fighting in the PoV? Extremely difficult, extremely challenging, trying to stay composed - you're on camera. I mean, that PoV contest was really, really difficult, it was physically exhausting, the puzzle was - I mean, I'm really good at puzzles, but it was very, very challenging. So, it was tough. It was definitely tough.
How differently would you play the game if you were to go in again?
I had to change my strategy due to the twists and the circumstances that I was put in. I went into survival mode. I had to fight to be in there, I wanted to fight to show that I deserved to be in there, to the other houseguests.
Going back into the house, I would continue to play hard and continue to be myself, keep my social game strong, keep my relationships with everybody strong. Ideally, I wanted to be the big sister in the Big Brother house. I wanted to be the person people would feel comfortable going to and confiding in so, I would continue with that strategy and play it to the best of my ability.
Do you have any highlights from your days in the house?
Yeah, absolutely, I mean the first real day that we had woken up and had slept in beds and had food in the house, out in the back yard I was throwing the ball around with the boys and, started talking about dinner and how to cook pasta and then, getting in the kitchen with Zach, and Graig, and Bruno, and making dinner, and sitting down together at the table as a group, it really hit me, and it became to feel like I was actually a part of the Big Brother family and in the house and living in that moment. It was a real dream come true, so it was really amazing and really touching, I feel really blessed.
Who did you bond with right off the bat and do you think you'll keep in touch with them outside the house?
I bonded with Sarah right off the bat. Her and I, I looked across the room at her and saw that she was wiping her hands on her dress. We both have sweaty palms when we get nervous and we kind of bonded over that. And then she was also the very first person, and the only person actually in fact after the PoV contest, she stood behind while everybody went over to congratulate Sindy, and was there for me and hugged me and told me it would be alright, and that really touched me. That was a really tough moment for me and I was trying to hold it together and it was really nice to have a person there concerned for me and how I felt, so, I definitely know that I will be speaking to Sarah outside of the house when everything is all said and done.
Make an early prediction - who will make it to the final three?
Well that's a tough call right now! The first week to say who will make it to the final three isn't easy, especially since a lot of people are playing a strong floater game right now.
Ashleigh is a big floater, she's not playing any game. Kevin's a big floater, he's not playing any game, he wouldn't talk game with me at all, no matter how many times I tried to flirt with him or joke around. JP or Jordan, he basically said to me when I confronted him about voting for eviction, he said straight up, 'I am gonna vote for whoever the house tells me to vote for, I'm not going against the house', so he's playing a real strong floater game.
It's tough. I would have to say though right now, final three if I had to guess would be Zach, he's strong physically, he's strong socially, everybody loves him.
Graig, he's also physically and socially strong, and he's older, he's smart, he's cooking for the house every night and feeding all the people that don't know how to cook!
And Naeha, she's really smart. She's calculated, you can see her, she's always looking around and listening to conversations and watching people - her and I, both being from Toronto - when we first started that balloon comp, we started chatting and getting really to know each other. But when it became evident that people were not gonna vote for me to stay, she sort of slowly avoiding conversations with me and becoming more closer with the group in the house that was voting for Pilar to stay, so... I think that she definitely is a strong player and knows the game really well.
Who would you like to see walk out the door next?
Well, I would have to say that is gonna be Godfrey. He did start the pact during the PoV comp to keep whoever didn't take themself off the block - to go home - so that really kind of messed my game and put me in a bad situation.
But he was talking a lot of different stories to a lot of different people in the house and was very discrediting to himself.
And he also sleeps a lot, and there's not a lot of sleeping allowed in the Big Brother house! So that put a big target on his back and I know that he's definitely the target for next week, and he'll go next.
Catch the next episode of Big Brother Canada and find out who is the new Head of Household this coming Sunday, at 7pm ET/PT on Global.
Would you like to see Risha return to the Big Brother Canada house? Let us know your favourite houseguests below.
Tagged in Big Brother