Big Brother Canada 6 interview: Derek Kesseler talks going from newcomer to threat
So what does Derek have to say about his game, and his overall experience, looking back? We take a further look at that in our post-finale interview with him.
CarterMatt – As someone who didn’t know as much about the show going in, how did you adapt to being a part of this crazy world?
Derek – I think for me personally, I’m a very quick learner and can adjust to a lot of situations on the fly. I was able to come into the house, meet a lot of people and understand a lot of different situations. I ended up being in a house full a superfans and I worked that to my advantage. They all came in with a plan and I really didn’t, so I was able to bounce around and learn how to maneuver myself with different people. I learned if I should win comps now or later or when to talk personally with people or when to game-chat, how to build the most trust with people … It’s one of those things where once you’re in there, you spend so much time talking with people. At the time Rozina went home on day 6 and we had our two new houseguests in Veronica and Merron, I remember being like ‘screw these two! We’re a family,’ and we’d only been with each other six days. Yet, we’re spending 24 hours a day together.
At the end of the show I feel like I’ve known Kaela for a year already. It’s crazy to adjust to it, but it’s a lot of fun.
Did you feel like you could win entering the finale?
I didn’t feel I could win — I knew I could win and that’s why I was fairly disappointed in myself that I couldn’t pull out a win in the final stages of the HoH. I had learned so much about the game and the biggest part of what I did was that as much as Kaela may have thought she used me, I used her just as much. She was my personal Big Brother encyclopedia. The two of us were a target all game long, but I was able to shield myself with her because she was so competitive, she couldn’t hold it back! Everyone was introduced to Slaela early in the season and although she didn’t win until week 6, she was loud, she was upfront, and she was competitive. She was creating this big, competitive personality and I just kind of held back. Why would I go out of my way to show my true colors of how competitive I am, when I can just sit back and be the lesser of two evils in this showmance?
Up until I started winning in week 7, Kaela was the bigger target of the two of us. For me, I knew I set myself up positionally very well. We were big targets and once we started winning, I knew we couldn’t stop winning and we didn’t. We won 9 out of the last 13 competitions together and I am so proud we did that.
I even surprised myself in the mental aspects of it. Entering the Big Brother house I thought there was going to be so much physical endurance stuff — I thought I could crush those competitions since I work out four days a week. I felt really good about those, but then HoH after HoH of solving questions, I realized ‘you’re smarter than you think, dude. Just sit down — you have all the time in the world to figure out what’s happening and study.’ I proved myself in all different kinds of competitions. Even in that Shaw Veto — I knew I wasn’t smarter than Maddy, but I was faster. I watched what photos she took and I just ran faster. It’s not always about being the smartest — it’s about outsmarting people, so I was able to adapt and move forward.
It sucks, because my jury management was also so good that regardless of if I brought Paras or Kaela. Paras would’ve been closer, but I think I would have won over both of them. Even though I evicted most people who were sitting there on the jury, I still had good relationships with them. I never burnt any bridges and I kept my composure all game long. Everyone was getting in short arguments … I let all of that stuff happen and realized that I didn’t want to be one of those guys. Everyone’s already doing it; they’re all destroying relationships with each other. I’m going to be the nice, small-town Alberta boy and get all of those jury votes!
How ready were you to have to go to battle with Kaela in the final two. Showmance aside, you two were also good friends in the game.
At the end of the day, we were both so similar as people. We have a very nice front, but we were so competitive and we both hate losing. We know that about each other — we knew that we could get to the end of the game because we could just keep beating each other until we get to the end of the game. That was the plan.
I knew that her jury management was really poor so I thought that if we got to the final two, I could beat her anyways. I just couldn’t get it done in the last few competitions.
What was the move this season you were the most proud of?
That’s tough. It’s a collection of things. Getting in a showmance with Kaela was one of the biggest moves. I joke about this because I don’t know what was shown, but on day one we were sitting around trying to figure out beds. I had about a 15-minute conversation and I knew she was a big fan and that she was a small-town girl. I knew based on who I was that I could get her to like me, regardless of it I like her or not. I knew where Kaela’s stuff was and which bed was hers, and I sat in her bed for an hour and a half so that nobody slept there. I was then like ‘hey, do you mind if I sleep in this bed with you?’ and that was kind of what spawned it. I slept in her bed night one.
That was one of my funnier, bigger moves that I solidified night one — I knew how important it was to be in that same bed with her. By the end of the week, she told me how she had a psych degree, a criminology degree, that she’s seen every American season, she’s a huge rugby player, and all of this stuff. I was just sitting there thinking ‘I’m going to learn everything from you. You’re going to win comps and I’m going to win comps.’
Even though it wasn’t a low-key move, I would say that one of my biggest moves was winning the triple [eviction HoH]. It was one of those things that people built their whole game around. It was talked about so much. I was able to get it done and I was able to send Johnny and Olivia out on that. And, I was able to send Ryan home so I evicted the most people this season. I was hoping I could evict one more in Paras, but I couldn’t get it done.
How eager now are you to sit back and watch all of this?
Honestly, I cannot wait! I keep talking about it with people and I keep just getting more excited about it. I want to see how badly people actually wanted me out and how great of a game did I really play versus other people.
I can’t wait to start interacting with some fans and see what they really thought — love me or hate me. First things first, I’m going to talk to my mom, my dad, my brother and sister, and have some good times. Then, I’m going to turn the lights off, lock myself in a room, and just binge-watch the season.
Related – Be sure to check out some more interviews with the other finalists!
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