‘Big Brother Canada 4’ pre-game exclusive: Is Joel LeFevre the ultimate underdog?

Based on our conversation with “Big Brother Canada” contestant Joel LeFevre, he really wants you to think that he is an underdog. He’s got a few different things going on, he’s smart, and he thinks he can surprise people. Given that his job is in radio, it makes sense that he also has one of the best voices we’ve ever heard while doing a phone interview.

If you look below, you can see what Joel told us earlier this week about his gameplay, why he compares himself to Ian Terry, and how he hopes to surprise people in a few different way.

Tell us about yourself: Your name, where you’re from, your age, and what you do for a living.

I’m Joel LeFevre, I’m 33 years old, I’m from Edmonton, Alberta, and I’m a radio news anchor and an aspiring actor.

What made you want to try out for Big Brother Canada this year?

I think I’ve always been passionate about the show, I’ve always enjoyed the show. The basics of the show and the idea of the show appeal very much to me, and I think it coincides very well with my skill set, and I think I can go all of the way and win this.

So what’s your knowledge base? Are you a big fan of the show?

A very long time. I’ve looked into some of the big moves that have happened, I know the seasons very well, so I’m as well-prepared as someone can be for a season like this.

If you could compare yourself to someone from ‘Big Brother Canada’ or ‘Big Brother US,’ who would it be?

I would say the one person I connect with on many levels is Ian Terry, the winner of ‘Big Brother 14.’ He’s a little shy, he’s quirky, but he’s someone who was very passionate about the game and had a good sense of self-awareness as to when was the right time to branch off from the people he was with early on in the game. He knew timing-wise when to make a big move and when to start winning competitions to make it all the way.

What’s something about you that would surprise people?

Looking at myself, people don’t see someone who is a strong or athletic person, and I think that will be a mistake. I’m someone who has a lot of cardio training and has a strong athletic background. I’ve played soccer since I was five years old, and I think my athletic prowess will surprise people because when people look at me they see someone who is quirky and a little bit of a nerd, and that often doesn’t translate to somebody who is very strong athletically.

Do you have a specific strategy entering the house?

I don’t have one specific strategy that I’m going to stick to, because I know there’s going to be a lot of twists and turns that will be thrown my way. For myself, the best game I know how to play, and my plan going in there, is to start talking with people and start making as many connections as I can, and taking a general interest in what people do and what people are about. You can gather a lot of information that way, and I think it’s something I do on a daily basis. Working as a radio news anchor, you have to take a general interest in whatever story you’re covering. I hope my background in that will help me in the ‘Big Brother’ house.

What makes you think that you’ll be able to make it all the way to the end and win?

I’m always underestimated, and somebody who doesn’t fit the label of a huge physical threat or a huge social threat. I’m hoping people see that as ‘oh, this person’s an insignificant person. We don’t have to worry about this person right now. We can get rid of him somewhere down the line.’ Hopefully that can help me survive a little while while I start building relationships with other people who can help me get further in the game.

What do you think your biggest weakness could be?

It’s probably that I over-analyze a lot of situations. I think in my head, ‘this is the situation that I’m faced with right now, these are the pros, and these are the cons.’ Even if there are more pros and cons or more cons than pros, there’s always one or two factors on each side of the equation can sort of make you think about it a little bit longer and make you second-guess things. If there’s anything that could be my downfall in this game, it’s over-analyzing a situation instead of going with an initial gut reaction.

Other than winning the money, what’s the one thing you’re hoping to get out of this experience?

I’m hoping to learn something about myself. I’m a very strong-willed person and somebody who is tougher than people think; I’m hoping to be a little more patient and appreciate the luxuries that I have in everyday life that I’m going to be cut off from.

In closing, what do you want to say to Canada? Why should they be excited to see you this season?

I think because there’s never been someone like me on the show before. First of all, there’s never been somebody named Joel on ‘Big Brother Canada’ or the American version, for my knowledge. I think Canada will appreciate that there are not one or two things that stand out, whereas with other people they’ll say ‘this person is really strong,’ and not look at other attributes. I think I have a lot of attributes that are very endearing. It’s not just one or two things; it’s a long list. I think Canada will appreciate that I’ve got a lot of layers to my personality.

Overall impression – Joel is someone we’d probably get a long with in real life, since he actually reminds us of a lot of people in our own social circle. He’s probably super-nice and has a big heart once you get him to open up. His problem this season is going to be overcoming the fact that Ian and Steve Moses both won “Big Brother” recently, and anyone with a nerdy look could become a quick target.

 

Want to see some other “Big Brother” pre-show interviews now? Then head over here to check them out! Also, you can sign up now to have TV updates sent to you via our CarterMatt Newsletter. (Photo: Global.)