Eric's interview with realitywanted.net:
For the first time in Big Brother history CBS will air a winter edition of Big Brother thanks to the LA writers strike, the new season starts February 12th on CBS. It feels like Big Brother 8 just ended, Amber was talking about being on Top Model, Dick was pouring tea on Jens head, and Americas Player was playing for himself, America, and starting a romance with fellow house guest Jessica Hughbanks. Since I had such a short time with Eric at the Big brother finale I called him up a few weeks ago to see what he was up to.
Q. Mark (RealityWanted.com): We all know you were a Big Brother fan, was Big Brother 8 the first time you applied to be on the show?
A. Eric Stein, Big Brother 8: I applied to the second season of Big Brother right after I turned 21. I have always been a big reality TV fan ever since the boom back in 2000.
When I originally applied to Big Brother Season 2, I assumed I would never hear back from anyone. I was about to head out of the country after graduation when I applied. When I got home I had messages from the casting directors but it was too late to meet with them when I got home.
For five years I talked about what could have been or what would have been had I been able to meet them and made it on the show. When the chance to apply to Big Brother 8 came about, my friends and family said “Eric please apply now, or shut up”.
Q. Mark: Isn’t it funny how you think you won’t hear back after you apply to a reality show? I applied to Big Brother 1 myself and also assumed I would never hear back, and two days later I got a call to come to LA, but enough about me. What did it feel like once you knew you were going to be part of the cast?
A. Eric Stein, Big Brother 8: It was absolutely insane. I was in the top 20 and couldn’t tell anyone about it. I was like, if I am one of the 6 out of 20 that don’t make it on the show I am going to lose my ****. At same time they told all 20 of us to get ready and prepare for leaving, but there was no guarantee we would make it on the show. I could not tell my friends and family but I was boiling over wanting to tell them since this was a dream come true.
Q. Mark (RealityWanted.com): I bet that has to be one of the hardest secrets to hold inside. Now that you have been home for a while, is life getting back to normal?
A. Eric Stein, Big Brother 8: It’s starting to feel ever so slightly more normal again but it’s still not what I would call normal really. I am not working right now and still staying up until 4am, plus I’ve been traveling a ton. Jessica and I have been all over the place since the show ended. We have been in CA, WA, TX, KS, and NY. It takes time to decompress when you return from an experience like this. I am still trying to get back into a normal rhythm.
Q. Mark (RealityWanted.com): Talk to me about Jessica, I know you visited her in Kansas and she just came to NY, what’s the word?
A. Eric Stein, Big Brother 8: Things are amazing for me and Jess. Who would have ever thought it would happen, neither of us came on the show looking for this - but we found something great in each other while we were there. Jess and I both came on Big Brother looking to play the game, but we were lucky to come away with so much more.
Currently Jess and I are dating and it’s awesome. We really found something fantastic from the show and we’ve been making the most of it ever since. She was just in New York for 10 days visiting me and my fam for Thanksgiving - we had the chance to do the whole NY touristy thing and had a blast as always. She’s the best!
Q. Mark (RealityWanted.com): Besides Jessica who have you been in contact with since the show ended?
A. Eric Stein, Big Brother 8: I have had limited contact with other cast members so far. I know everyone needs time to get their heads clear and decompress. We had, in my opinion the most brutal cast of any Big Brother season I can recall. I think we will be connected with one another, but in different ways.
Q. Mark (RealityWanted.com): What do you mean connected in different ways?
A. Eric Stein, Big Brother 8: For example, when you go away to camp as a child you make some very real genuine relationships; when you come home you may think fondly of them, but you don’t really stay in touch all that frequently.
Getting back to your original question though, Jess and I went out to dinner with Dustin and Jameka in NY a few weeks back and it was great. Just as fun as ever! They were always my faves, outside of Jess.
Q. Mark (RealityWanted.com): Who else do you think you want to keep in touch with?
A. Eric Stein, Big Brother 8: Jess talks to Zach and Jen frequently, which lets me feel like I am up to date with what they are up to. I’m sure I’ll get to party with them sometime down the road! I’m hoping to start getting in touch with some other houseguests soon, now that we’re settled back in. I did hear from Dick a couple of times right after the show, but we did not connect with one another.
Q. Mark (RealityWanted.com): So you have heard from Evel Dick. What are your thoughts on Evel Dick and Danielle?
A. Eric Stein, Big Brother 8: Dick brought a unique dynamic to the show for the BB viewers. He came to the show to play, played the game hard and he played the way he wanted to play it.
Q. Mark (RealityWanted.com): So are you and Dick are on good terms?
A. Eric Stein, Big Brother 8: I would never harbor any ill will on how anyone played the game. If there is any point of contention between me and Dick, it would be the ego factor.
Q. Mark (RealityWanted.com): Ah ha, you guys have an ego issue over how he won or if you could/would have won?
A. Eric Stein, Big Brother 8: Dick has been fielding a lot of questions since the show ended about how he may have gone home in week six had it not been for me and the America’s Player twist. I think Dick thought he and his daughter were the best players in Big Brother history, but I don’t see it that way at all. They were far from the best in our own season. They were not only protected by getting to play the game with a family member, but they were protected by America and in turn had one of the best players in the game protecting them (against my will, of course).
Q. Mark (RealityWanted.com): Interesting, I guess Dick must have been shocked when he watched all the prior episodes and how much the Americas Player twist played into the show’s outcome. Who knows, you may have won and/or we would have had an entirely different dynamic without that twist.
A. Eric Stein, Big Brother 8: I agree things would have been completely different. People have been asking Dick if I would have won if I was not America’s Player and I think it irks him. Dick and I will always have that competitive gamesmanship thing going on. I think we have a mutual understanding for what the other one brought to the game and we will settle the score on Big Brother All-Stars 2. It will be good fun, only Jess and I will be sitting in the final 2 next time around.
Mark (RealityWanted.com): I hope CBS is reading this, you both need to be on the next season of Big Brother All Stars, that would kick ass.
Q. Mark (RealityWanted.com): OK, let’s talk about another cast member you shared your summer with. I am sure you read and heard the Anti-Semitic remarks Amber made to Jameka in the backyard. What did you think about those comments and Amber in general?
A. Eric Stein, Big Brother 8: I honestly thought that most of what Amber said in the house was utterly embarrassing. Amber said time and time again she was the most popular person in the house and would be loved by America, yet here she was making ignorant and Anti-Semitic remarks. In her eyes she smelled like roses, but all the while she was lying her ass off and saying the foulest things.
Her comments were shameful and totally misplaced. She should have at least had the dignity to issue an apology for what she said. She needed to get off the ****ing soap box and stop grandstanding. At least Dick was upfront when he said this is who I am and I am not making any excuses for it - she masqueraded as being good, when she was actually the lowest person in the house.
Q. Mark (RealityWanted.com): I guess you two won’t be hanging out anytime soon right? She really went nuts on you about that little secret she said she told you, but she also told millions of people who watched the show.
A. Eric Stein, Big Brother 8: Yup - funny, isn’t it? What a fool.
Q. Mark (RealityWanted.com): I assumed you weren’t an Amber fan, hmmm wonder if there are any out there. What do you think about Kail? Kail and I spoke a few times during the show and she said her opinion of you changed for the worse after she left the BB House. Have you talked with Kail?
A. Eric Stein, Big Brother 8: Here is the way I see it. When you’re locked up in a house for months with 13 other strangers, all you do while you’re there is talk with and about one another - the houseguests were our only common topic amongst ourselves. We had nothing to do - no TV, no radio, no phone. We had jokers in the house looking for conversations, so we ended up bagging on one another. We were all ripped on, it’s part of the game.
I would say to anyone who was in the house that’s bitter now, don’t throw stones when you live in a glass house. She lied, she besmirched people’s names, etc. all the same. Kail has been quick to forgive other people in the house who said and did much worse to her than I did. Let’s not hold people to different standards, shall we?
Q. Mark (RealityWanted.com): I interviewed Robyn Kass this month about what it takes to properly audition for Big Brother. As you know, CBS is airing BB9 in Feb. Any tips for Big Brother 9 hopefuls?
A. Eric Stein, Big Brother 8: I thought if anyone was cut out to be on Big Brother it was me. I didn’t think the stress or boredom would bother me at all but the thing is, it drove me crazy.
So what I would say is, whatever you think you’re getting into, you really have no idea - haha, it’s insane. It was the best time for me but it was also very taxing. If someone is interested in being on Big Brother 9, I would say 100% go for it. Not to sound cliche, but you just need to be yourself - be honest, be blunt, be open. You need to be a horse of a different color to do participate in Big Brother.
Q. Mark (RealityWanted.com): Eric, thanks for spending so much time with us today. If you don’t mind I would like to check in with you during the airing of Big brother 9.
A. Eric Stein, Big Brother 8: I would love it buddy. Thanks.
