Meg Maley outlasted many of her fellow Big Brother 17 Houseguests without ever winning an HoH or Veto competition, but when the end of the season neared the other side made their move and took her out during Thursday’s Double Eviction.
Now out of the game and on her way to the Jury House we posed a few question to Meg to find out about her Big Brother experience including her decision to keep Vanessa and why they weren’t more worried about the Austwins threesome.
What happened to Operation Trojan Horse? At what point this week did you decide to give up on campaigning?
Meg Maley: When I heard Austin tell me “this isn’t the time to split up the twins…I’m really worried about what’s going to happen to Liz and I in the outside world,” that’s when I knew that this was more than gameplay and it had become personal.
Do you still feel it was the right move to evict Shelli over Vanessa?
Meg: I feel I would be in the same situation if Shelli would have stayed in the house. All you have to go off of in this game is gut and I feel I made the right decision.
You received warnings about Vanessa, Austin, and the twins through the season, like Steve’s “Strong Fortress” comment, but seemed to discount them each time. Why were you not more worried about those HGs possibly working together?
Meg: It was never a question about them working together. It was the idea that they were people we could beat in the game. I saw Austin and the twins as non-threats because they weren’t big competitors and their social game was only amongst themselves. Vanessa, on the other hand, I did always see as a threat…the timing was just never right to take her out.
When Austin warned you that Vanessa would likely nom you and James, why did you decide to not share that with James?
Meg: Looks like I’m having a bimbo moment right now! James and I both knew one of us would be nominated as a pawn but I don’t recall any conversation about the two of us going up together.
Morning of Jackie’s DE eviction you joked that Steve would win, nominate your alliance, and then evict Jackie. Why do you think he ended up doing that for real?
Meg: Looks like I should never make a joke again! Looking back on everything now, I think that Steve had been working with Vanessa or Austin and the twins and that was their plan of attack all along. It was a way to break up James, Jackie and I which really was a turning point in the game.
How did your strategy going in to the game stand up with how you ended up having to play?
Meg: My strategy coming in was to lay low and make friends with everyone in the beginning. Then, I would try to make big moves later in the game. Within the house, there were a lot of people that started the game off way stronger than I expected so I felt like I had to adapt to this. I do feel like I succeeded in becoming friends with everyone and having a strong social game.
Fans have asked, were your knees an obstacle for you in competitions?
Meg: Honestly, I wanted to do my best to never have that come in play in any part of my game. I knew coming in, my surgery would be challenge but I’m a strong girl that really did my best out there.
What is the biggest mystery you’re anxious to have answered once Big Brother 17 is over?
Meg: The mystery votes at the beginning of the season. There was always one vote that was off. Also, I’m dying to watch Audrey’s blanket days!
Watch our preseason interview with Meg Maley to see how her game started out: