‘Big Brother Canada 3’ exclusive: Bruno Ielo on jury question, strategy, overall game

Bruno Ielo was someone we felt brought a lot to the table all season long on “Big Brother Canada.” He had the potential to be a great player, and we felt pregame just based off our conversation with him like he was going to be someone to make it far. He was personable, had a good outlook on the game, and it felt like he knew that this was his big shot to fulfill a longtime dream.

For the most part, Bruno succeeded in making much of this a reality, and were it not for a sudden and shocking twist, may have made it even further. We had a chance to finally chat with him about the entire game on Thursday, and he offered up some good answers to burning questions. With that said, we should also include a small note here. We would have loved to ask Bruno why he asked Sarah a jury question when he was meant to ask one to Godfrey, but we got this information from Sindy after we spoke with him.

CarterMatt – So how’s it been since getting out of the house? Have you been surprised by anything?

Bruno Ielo – The past twelve hours have been pretty crazy. I think what I’ve learned the most is about Godfrey. I knew he was a smart guy, but I never would have guessed [everything he was hiding].

It’s funny, because Godfrey was really one of your closer allies. He was probably closer to you than anyone else in the house. 

Absolutely. Godfrey played a great game. The reason I voted for him was because he did so many [good moves], he’s a great guy. He’s the only person to call out an entire alliance, and he was the one sitting in the final two while the entire alliance was on the [jury]. He was a great player. His game was so good, but the problem was just that he was so under-the-radar that it worked against him in the end.

It’s got to be weird for you to go out of the house and have Arisa [Cox] say something like ‘Bruno, a lot of us thought you were going to win.’ It’s flattering in a way, but at the same time it’s a reminder you were so close. 

It kind of was! Then again, it was nice to here, because you don’t know how you’re perceived on the outside. We have no contact, we don’t know if people like us or don’t like us. But everything in the house, I would not change. I would use that Veto again and again if I had to. I had a strategy to go along with it, and it just didn’t happen [for me]. They caught me halfway through.

I’ve really started to think about what led to your demise in the house. Obviously you were a victim of a twist, but Sarah was really the one person who seemed to have figured you out. Was there a way you could have targeted her earlier, or did the argument you had with her after the Triple Eviction just accelerate things for you?

When I was HoH, I actually put up Johnny and Sarah side-by-side. Johnny was actually my target, but I really didn’t care if the house flipped. The reason why I put them both on the block is because while the HoH in ‘Big Brother’ always puts people up, the house votes for who to vote out. That’s what happened with the JP split. So I put up Johnny and Sarah, two good players, and I was showing that I didn’t care about putting them up, and I didn’t care if [the house] flipped.

As far as the fight with me and Sarah, I do think that accelerated things a bit, but I was ready to play. I had myself set up in a position where I hoped she still saw Zach as a bigger target, so if Zach was up she would vote for him. If he won, he was probably going to vote for her. But the fight did not help my game for sure.

In talking about the vote to get JP out, what was some of the stuff that you did specifically to ensure that you had the numbers to make that move?

You know what? Sarah and I always kind of wanted to work together in a way. We didn’t trust each other, but we knew we would have to come together to take out the other alliance. The hardest part for me was getting Bobby on board. Bobby was very loyal to the Chop Shop, it didn’t even exist at that point … Bobby was very, very loyal to the Chop Shop, I had to let him know that Zach has turned, that getting JP out was a big move, and this was the start of a big move.

Was getting rid of Graig better or worse for your game?

He was a wild card! I knew that as long as he was in that house, everyone wanted to get rid of him. He rubbed a lot of people the wrong way, which was great for my game. As long as there’s another target in front of me, I know I’m safe for one more week. All I need is time in the house. As long as I have enough time, I can always wiggle my way out of any situation in the house and set myself up. I needed Graig there, and as soon as he left, I pulled Bobby in because he was the next biggest target. Bigger physical threat, and everyone saw he was a beast in competitions even if he was throwing them.

Let’s talk about jury, because you said something that I think was really interesting during the show that you were still planning to play even though you were not in the game anymore. Was there a certain strategy in asking Sarah what you did about Willow and Brittnee?

You’re always playing the game of ‘Big Brother,’ even if you’re on the jury on finale night. I knew that question would upset one of them; it’s a tough move and I didn’t wanted to attack anybody, but it was a question I wanted to know and I think Canada probably wanted to know. I asked a question that nobody wanted to ask.

What could Godfrey have done a little differently so that people other than you and Bobby were aware of his game?

That’s tough to say, because I think he played a great game. If he may have won just one HoH and got a little bit of blood on his hands … I know he likes to say that he didn’t want any blood on his hands, but at the end of the day people like to see that. I think I would have liked to see him win one HoH, see him take out on of the showmances, and that may have brought him up another level.

One last question for you Bruno: If you were to be asked back to play again, would you go? [Most people say ‘yes’ automatically], but it may be different for you since you have family and other things to think about.

That’s a great question. I love the game so, so much; even to consider bringing me back, I would think about it. It’s tough because I do have kids at home; it’s almost like a one-and-done thing for me. I tried out this year; if I made it, great, if I didn’t, I wasn’t trying out again. It’s all so fresh, I want to talk with my wife and see what’s going on with the kids.

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