CBS Dan Gheesling, the winner of 'Big Brother 10.'
Ahead of the “Big Brother 24” premiere, season 10 winner Dan Gheesling spoke to Entertainment Weekly about his time in the “Big Brother” house and revealed if would play “Big Brother” again.
Here’s what you need to know.
Dan on How ‘Big Brother’ Has Changed
Gheesling made his “Big Brother” debut on season 10, where he took home the $500,000 prize. He later returned to the house for season 14, where he once again made it to the final two chairs, but this time he couldn’t convince the jury. He came in second place.
In his interview with Entertainment Weekly, Gheesling revealed he doesn’t watch the show as much as he used to.
“I try to watch as much as I can, but loosely translated, that means I don’t watch,” he told the outlet. “It’s such a commitment, and with three little kids, any free time I have, I spend it with them…So I don’t watch a ton. If something big happens, I stay informed through Twitter and social media. It’s usually if there’s something earth-shattering or a big move, people always tag me in it, which I appreciate.”
The father-of-three also spoke about how the game has changed since his time on the show.
“The last full season I watched was season 20 with Tyler. I also found that to be a very landmark season. I think Kacee’s a great winner, but it was the end of the era of being able to play the game in a way that may upset some people, but was not malicious,” he told the publication.
“I think you look at how Tyler played. He upset some people, but was not malicious, didn’t embarrass anyone, that kind of stuff,” he continued. “I felt like by him not winning, that was the end of the era in which you can win “Big Brother” in that fashion.”
“I just don’t think you can win the game that way anymore. And it’s been proven over time that juries are not rewarding that type of gameplay anymore,” he told Entertainment Weekly.
Would Dan Play ‘Big Brother’ Again?
In the interview, Gheesling revealed if he would consider playing “Big Brother” again.
The former winner answered definitively no.
“For me, it’s a non-option for a couple of reasons,” he told the publication. “The number one reason is my family. I’m starting to realize when people say it goes by fast, I can already feel that. And to be gone from my three kids for three months, I couldn’t do that.”
“If we were to boil it down to like two points, one is my family. And two is, to play the game, at least how I play the game, I have to have this intense drive,” he continued. “Both times, I was willing to do whatever it took. I was like training before the season. I was there. I was ready. And I can tell you right now, I don’t have that passion to play right now.”
Dan’s Funeral: Explained
Gheesling is known for his manipulation tactics in the “Big Brother” house. In “Big Brother 14,” he orchestrated one of the most famous game moves in history.
In a last-ditch effort to save himself and his ally, Danielle Murphree, from eviction, Gheesling staged his own funeral and invited all the houseguests to attend.
Gheesling gathered everyone in the living room and told them that he knew his game was done. He showered his fellow houseguests with compliments and expressed gratitude for getting the chance to meet them.
Once everyone was teary-eyed over Gheesling’s kind words, he threw them a curveball.
He told Danielle she was dead to him because of a mysterious incident that he would not reveal.
Danielle was obviously shocked her number one ally in the house was attacking her out of nowhere and she began to cry.
Dan’s plan, while crazy, was effective. His goal was to reduce the target on his back by making the houseguests believe he had no allies in the house. He thought they might keep him around if he had ruined his only relationship.
It turns out he was right. After the funeral had ended, Dan struck a deal with the current Head of Household, Frank Eudy, and the current Veto holder, Jenn Arroyo, to guarantee his safety in the house. Dan convinced Jenn to use the Veto on him and persuaded Frank to name Britney Haynes as the replacement nominee.
Not only did he save himself from eviction, he was also able to save his ally Danielle. Britney ended up leaving the house that week.
Stay tuned for more “Big Brother” updates.
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