Heavy is the head that wears the 12 medals.
Ryan Lochte, a 12-time Olympic medalist and arguably the biggest physical threat in Celebrity Big Brother Season 2, was evicted from the house on Monday night despite his best efforts to stay.
Going into the episode, Tamar Braxton and Dina Lohan were on the block, but neither were Head of Household Kato Kaelin‘s intended target. Those three, along with Tom Green, Natalie Eva Marie and Joey Lawrence, played a live Veto competition Monday night called “Worldwide Rollout.” The game required the houseguests to roll a ball across a globe and land it into slots with million-dollar figures. Whoever landed his or her ball in the slot with the highest number wins. In a tie-breaker shootout with Tamar, Tom won the Power of Veto.
Going along with the HOH’s plan, Tom used the Veto to take Dina off the block. This left Kato to pull off his initial plan: backdooring Ryan. Ryan was put up on the block and received eviction votes from everyone except Joey Lawrence. TV Guide caught up with the Olympic swimmer to discuss why his friend Dina didn’t vote to keep him, where his game play went awry and who he hopes could win the season.
You didn’t seem too shocked last night.
Lochte: Oh, no. I saw that coming. [Laughs]
So you didn’t have any hope that the house might choose to vote out Tamar instead?
Lochte: Of course I had the hopes that they wouldn’t have voted for me because I wanted to play the game. I was having fun and I wanted to stay and play the game, but it was a 70-30 chance.
We didn’t see too much of this in the show — how much were you talking to people and trying to convince them to keep you?
Lochte: After Jonathan left, it kind of dwindled down. I was still trying. I was still talking to people, trying to form an alliance, but everyone was being quiet and not saying anything and waiting until after this Veto challenge and eviction happened. I kind of lost it there.
I was expecting Tamar to get votes from both Joey and Dina. Were you surprised that Dina voted with the house?
Lochte: Yeah, I was surprised. I thought she was going to vote for Tamar, but I guess Kato talked to her and Dina wants to play the game, so I understand. When it comes down to it, it’s not about friends or anything, it’s about playing the game the best way you can.
Looking back, is there anything you would change about your game play?
Lochte: Yeah, I think so. I think I should have stuck with my gut. I knew the girls — when we started forming an alliance in the very beginning — were being shady to us. I had the power of putting Lolo up multiple times and I didn’t because she was my friend and I didn’t want to do that to her. I probably should have. Yeah.
From a viewer perspective, you and Jonathan felt they were being shady and they felt you and Jonathan were being shady. No one was on the same page!
Lochte: Exactly! But they were definitely being shady to us. And they got us. They got us good.
So would you change who you aligned with if you could go back?
Lochte: I think our game plan would have been different, yes, 100 percent. I think we would have went to Kato in the beginning or someone else instead of Natalie and Lolo [Jones]. I think Natalie and Lolo were the two masterminds of the women.
Do you think becoming the first HOH put a target on your back?
Lochte: Stepping foot into the Big Brother house, I put a target on my back just because I’m a 12-time Olympic medalist. Automatically, I’m the most ath-e-letic person there… yup. That’s a huge target.
I have a theory that you didn’t put Dina on the block because you were worried you were going to say her name wrong.
Lochte: No, not … no. But it took me a couple days to actually get her name right. I was like, “Diana?” Oh my gosh. I don’t know why I was having such a hard time. [Laughs]
You had the endless pool in the yard, but was there any part of you that was nervous about keeping up your training for the 2020 Olympics while in the house?
Lochte: Once I found out the show was going to put an endless pool, I was like, I can do this. I won’t get my same training that I would when I’m home, but I can do this for this short period of time and still maintain somewhat physical shape and not to really lose much for my training for 2020.
So what was the hardest thing about being in the house?
Lochte: So many things. I’m not a liar. I have a big heart and I don’t backstab. I will tell you straight up; I’m nice to everyone. I’m not used to the scheming and the manipulating. It was really hard for me to get ahold of that concept. That was the hardest part. That and the sneakiness, I wasn’t used to. I didn’t understand that at all.
What’s crazier: the Olympic village or the Big Brother house?
Lochte: Oh, Big Brother house 100 percent. It started getting to the point in the Big Brother house that it was so negative. From the girls. They’re just arguing and yelling and threatening each other. I was just like, that’s not me. Being negative, it’s contagious.
That’s why I thought you had a chance of staying.
Lochte: Well, that’s what I thought, too! I was friends with everyone; I didn’t yell; I didn’t hold a grudge with anyone; I was nice and polite to everyone, so I thought I had a chance, but at the end of the day I guess I was still the biggest threat.
So who do you think is going to be evicted next?
Lochte: Joey. If Joey doesn’t win HOH, I think he will be on the block for sure.
Because of his alliance with you?
Lochte: Because of his alliance with me, of course, and I think everyone thinks he is the next threat because he’s very ath-e-letic.
Who do you think has the best chance, right now, of winning this season?
Lochte: I would say Kato.
And who do you want to win?
Lochte: I want Joey to win for sure. I mean, that’s my boy. But I really think Kato has the best chance. He was an ath-e-lete and he’s smart. He plays poker a lot, so he can read through the BS.
(Disclosure: TV Guide is owned by CBS Interactive, a division of CBS Corporation.)
Source : TVGuide
