Big Brother: All Stars has bid farewell to its first contestant. Keesha Smith was evicted from the CBS series on Thursday night, after every single other housemate voted to give her the boot.
After becoming the first Head of Household, Cody Calafiore put Kevin “KC” Campbell up for eviction, alongside Keesha, who failed to form alliances prior to being voted out unanimously. Kaysar Ridha and Janelle Pierzina meanwhile earned immunity from the Safety Suite.
As she left the house, Keesha addressed the remaining contestants, wishing “most of you” luck in the remainder of the series.
360aproko spoke with Smith before she entered the house, as she discussed the “so surreal” experience of returning to Big Brother 12 years later.
“To think about going on this show now, after all these years — I’m a little nervous,” she said.
The 22nd season of the popular series kicked off with a two-hour move-in special on Aug. 5, which saw the 16 cast members coming together amid extensive health and safety precautions, due to the coronavirus pandemic. Several fan favorites returned for the season.
The premiere featured challenges including rolling a ball inside a giant wooden maze and walking across wobbly platforms. Longtime host, Julie Chen Mooves, also revealed this season would feature new rooms, including the Safety Suite.
The drama-filled first episodes come after Kevin Campbell told 360aproko that the season was going to be a “volcanic mess.”
“I’m going to play all the strategies [to win,]” Campbell said. “It is going to be a war. I am ready to fight. Float? No. Fight? Yes. It’s going to be a battle of all battles.”
Due to the pandemic, the show is operating differently this year, with measures like having no live audience and getting groceries delivered to contestants, after being disinfected.
House guests quarantined in advance of the series premiere, which means intimacy is permitted as they likely form various alliances in the hope of bagging $500,000 of prize money.
“They’re quarantining by themselves in homes that we’ve rented for them,” Chen Moonves previously told 360aproko. “They’re getting tested every few days. They will go in once they’ve been clean and clear for at least 14 days and then even once they get in the house, they’re still going to be tested. They have no contact with anyone.”
“If you ask me, once you’re in the Big Brother house, it might be one of the safest places to be,” Chen Moonves added.
