Casey
Age: 41
From: St. Petersburg, Fla.
Occupation: Teacher and DJ
Status: Married with two kids
Jen's Take: Casey seems very nice -- talkative without being annoying, charming without being creepy, and interesting without being too much. He is a fifth-grade teacher and nighttime DJ with two sons and says his family is No. 1, with his love of music at No. 2. Living without both is going to be tough for him. He is also the oldest houseguest and the only houseguest with children. He is a little scared that his wife will be jealous while watching him and wishes he had spent more time talking to her about his game play. He has no set strategy, not because he doesn't know how to strategize but because there really isn't a way to plan anything without knowing the rest of his housemates. He probably will be a character, and people watching the show will like him. He has a good shot at doing well in the "Big Brother" game.
Lydia
Age: 24
From: Torrance, Calif.
Occupation: Special effects make-up artist
Status: Single
Jen's Take: Lydia is a fun girl who looks like she is really outgoing but is actually kind of shy and reserved. After meeting her for only a few minutes, I trusted her, and I think the other houseguests will feel that as well, if they take the time to talk to her. She hopes that her housemates will be open-minded, and doesn't like when people judge her or others. She loves music and will really miss going to concerts while living in the house. It is tough to read how well she'll do -- she wants to fly under the radar, but she has a lot to say. Among her many tattoos is a pawn on her finger; only time will tell whether she uses her housemates as pawns or becomes one herself.
Laura
Age: 21
From: Atlanta, Ga.
Occupation: Promotional model
Status: Single
Jen's Take: Laura is going in with a lot of gusto. She has been a big fan of the show since season 2 and says she is ready to go in and win. I think she may come across as a strong competitor to the other players, but that is not what she is concerned about. She is worried that her considerable cleavage will serve as a disadvantage, especially since she does not want to have a "showmance." She hopes that there are pushover-type guys in the house so that she can use her looks to manipulate them, yet she worries about how she'll be edited on the show. A self-professed "Big Brother" nerd, she has always loved to get all the details on the show and has spent considerable time on the message boards in the past. Laura may be the most cut-throat player this season by a long shot, so she'll either be out early for freaking people out or she'll last until the very end.
Kevin, aka Campbellicous
Age: 29
From: Chula Vista, Calif.
Occupation: Graphic designer
Status: Has a domestic partner
Jen's Take: This boy is good times. He's witty, stylish and loves girls, just not in that way. While on the show, he will miss his nine-year anniversary with his domestic partner. In his own words, he will fill the gay roll with "plenty of gayness" -- meaning, for "Big Brother" fans, he is more of a Joe than a Dustin. He hasn't planned much as far as strategy but says he does plan to hold back the fact that he is a former Jehovah's Witness, at least for a while, for fear that others will judge him. Previous gay houseguests have done well on this show, and there don't appear to be other housemates that would give him a hard time. He hopes that his parents, whom he hasn't talked to in years, will be told about the show and will watch him and maybe even be proud of him. I don't know if Kevin will win, but I think he'll make it to the jury.
Braden
Age: 28
From: Santa Monica, Calif.
Occupation: Surfer and model
Status: Single
Jen's Take: This was the one interview that was simply awkward. General consensus so far in the media is that something's up with this guy, but no one is sure what. The Santa Monica surfer boy comes across as cocky when it seems that deep down he's not. He started watching "Big Brother" when his friend Nathan was on season 4, and he thought he'd like to do it this year ... then bam! He is on. Braden's hobbies are surfing, which he's done all over the world, and talking to girls, which from my experience is a little surprising. Looks like Laura will have a guy she can use for the season. I don't really think that he will go far in the game, but people's in-house personalities vary widely from their interview personas, so who can really tell.
Chima
Age: 32
From: West Hollywood, Calif.
Occupation: Writer
Status: Single
Jen's Take: This super single girl, as she puts it, is full of life, fun and has a very positive aura. She is very bubbly, which will either be a great asset or her greatest downfall. She says she is going to downplay her energy for at least the first couple weeks so people don't think she's annoying. While she is excited to go in and play the game, she really hopes she doesn't get put on slop. If she wins the money, she will first pay off her school loans and then take a trip with her mom and grandma. Fully anti-showmance, she assures me that if there is a guy in the house she finds attractive, she will wait until after the show to pursue him. I'm not sure if Chima is mean enough to win the game, or has the will power to lay low when she needs to, but time will tell.
Russell
Age: 24
From: Walnut Creek, Calif.
Occupation: Real estate broker and MMA fighter
Status: Single
Jen's Take: This Mixed Martial Arts fighter seems to have a good handle on life and the "Big Brother" game. On my first impression, he seemed to be thinking two steps ahead, always planning for what was going to come next. Although that is great in this game, it's not great if people know that's how you are, so we'll have to see how he acts around his housemates. He really hopes there are no criers in the house, as he doesn't know how to handle them, and he seems to have a lot of life experience, which comes in handy in this household. He will likely make it at least halfway with his competitive drive and charisma -- that is, if he can lay off the fighting for a few months. He also hopes that he doesn't encounter his perfect person while in the game because he doesn't want a romantic relationship for anything but strategy.
Jeff
Age: 31
From: Norridge, Ill.
Occupation: Advertising salesman
Status: Single
Jen's Take: I vote Jeff as the houseguest most likely to get played. He seems too nice for such a cutthroat show and is going into the house wanting a fairytale romance. He thinks meeting someone under these circumstances would be an amazing story to tell. Although it sounds all nice and dandy, we all know that you don't move into the "Big Brother" house looking to date. If anything, you want to go in and avoid such a thing. Besides that deficiency, Jeff seems like a really genuine guy, even living by the motto, "Treat others as you'd like to be treated." Another positive is that he comes from an athletic background, so he has a good chance at endurance and physical challenges. Will that be enough to overcome his overwhelming niceness?
Michele
Age: 27
From: Pasadena, Calif.
Occupation: Neuroscientist
Status: Married
Jen's Take: Michele is sooo excited to be on the show. She is a super fan who has been watching since season 2. Besides that, Michele says, she has the brains to get to the end of the game. Although she may be right, I think that the second she tells her housemates that she is a neuroscientist, they are going to have her on their brains as someone to get rid of. She plans to hang out under the radar. That strategy may work when a rocket scientist shows up as her housemate. Here's hoping she gets away with being a super smarty-pants.
Ronnie
Age: 30
From: Belpre, Ohio
Occupation: None
Status: Married
Jen's Take: W.O.W. in the house. For those of you stuck on World of Warcraft, "Big Brother" is a great way to detox from the gaming life. I too was a serious gamer, and now I'm clean! Ronnie has a very gamer-type personality. Gamers are very good at gaming, but they also tend to be somewhat antisocial, and "Big Brother" is a very social game. Ronnie is also a national speech and debate champion, which probably means he is a good talker. And when I think "speech and debate," I think Eric (from "Big Brother 8") on steroids, so that will be fun to watch. Overall, Ronnie has a good shot of making it far in this game, if not to the end.
Natalie
Age: 24
From: Gilbert, Ariz.
Occupation: Blockbuster manager
Status: Single
Jen's Take: There are so many things to say about Natalie: She is a manager, which means she is used to having power over people; she is a poker player, which is helpful in this game, as any good poker player knows how to pick up on her opponents' tells; and she was also the bronze medalist in Tae Kwon Do in the Greece Olympics, which shows that she has determination. Overall, she has so much to offer in this game that I can only imagine she'll go far. That is, if she doesn't get trapped in a showmance -- she says she's not looking, but I think she and Russell have a ton in common, and if the chemistry is there ....
Jordan
Age: 22
From: Matthews, N.C.
Occupation: Waitress
Status: Single
Jen's Take: Jordan has to be the sweetest person of the season, at least from her first impression. She was one of the "Big Brother" recruits, which means that she had never seen an episode prior to a month ago. She says that not having access to the world won't be that big of a deal considering that she doesn't have Internet access or a computer. Jordan is really excited to move into the house so she can have her own bed, as she currently shares with her mom. I'm hoping she makes it at least to the jury house so she can have the full experience, and so she can win some money to bring home. That said, I think the only chance she has of getting anywhere in this game is if others notice her sweetness and use her to further their own goals. People will see that she is not a threat.
