Allison Grodner Interview: Twists, Rodeo Clowns, & A Battle Back?

With another evicted Houseguest vanishing in to the Big Brother mist we again had a chance this week to pose a few questions to Executive Producer Allison Grodner. After a top notch live show that delivered on the drama with a blindside we wanted to ask about this week’s drama there, how they prepare for these rapid departures, and just when we might see someone return.

There are times when twists don’t work out and then there’s this past week when the Pendant of Protection delivered its maximum punch at the Veto meeting. What was your reaction when you saw the stars aligning with Cody’s plans to target “protected Paul”?

Allison Grodner: Expect the unexpected is the best part of Big Brother. We can never completely predict how a twist will play out or when a critical game piece might be played. We have fun watching along just as our viewers do when a classic blindside takes place.

Christmas’s injury posed the risk of losing a 3rd HG before the first live vote. How does your team prepare for these sort of situations when “Expect The Unexpected” escapes the game and reaches the production booth?

Grodner: Big Brother is unpredictable and there is no way to prepare for everything. That being said, our houseguests’ safety is the most important thing and we have a lot of rules about what can and can’t be done in the house to keep people safe. We will now add “Do not ride the rodeo clown” to our list.

Julie Chen teased in a recent interview that she’d love to see Cameron back and didn’t know where he might be. Could there be a returning HG ahead of us this season and when might we expect to find out more?

Grodner: Stay tuned…

Okay, so no surprise that Grodner didn’t reveal specifics on a possible Battle Back, but she didn’t deny it either. I thought it was worth a shot especially considering we now know CBS has scheduled a special Friday night episode on July 21st at 8/7c. Sounds just like last season’s Battle Back, right?

Read more about spoilers on a possible Battle Back for Big Brother 19.