Paul Abrahamian – Big Brother 18 Runner-Up Interview

September 22, 2016 Matt Big Brother, Big Brother 18 67

BBN: You told Nicole if she blindsided you at the F2 that she’d lose your vote.

Paul: Absolutely. I put her in check and told her she wouldn’t have my vote and probably wouldn’t have Victor’s vote.

BBN: Did she end up saying anything to you after the Feeds went down and going in to the finale show that was was considering a flip against you?

Paul: Oh yeah, she did say that. She did say she was thinking of taking James, but I definitely had to do some convincing to at least secure myself a little bit. But I knew it and called it from weeks before, that if I wanted to get to F2 I wanted to win myself there and I did exactly that. I thought that no one would take me because they didn’t stand a chance when standing against a new player who escaped the Block six times and won all these comps. I didn’t think anybody wanted to be sitting next to that.

I had to do something because she was a strong mental competitor, but clearly not better than me! (laughs jokingly)

BBN: After the incident in the backyard where you heard someone shouting that James and Nicole had a F2 deal, did that give you concern over letting those two stay together in the game?

Paul: Honestly, I take everything like that with a grain of salt. I think it’s unfair so I didn’t really let it influence any of my decisions. That was kind of a bunk move to have someone shout things in to the backyard. It could be true, it could be not. I didn’t want to make a mistake based off something I didn’t know to my own knowledge.

I wouldn’t say it was a mistake. If I had kept Corey in the house then I’d be up against a couple and had to work even harder.

BBN: What was your very best move of the season?

Paul:: Getting Corey out of the game.

BBN: Why do you think the newbies let the Vets stick around. Out of starting with 4 Vets half of them made the F3! Why did you try to get them out right away?

Paul: Cause they’re stupid! These guys have experience. Now as I could consider myself a Vet if I ever went back in the game I have exponentially more experience and my game would be so much stronger. I thought that was clear for most newbies to see, but I guess some newbies backed out or some newbies were afraid or some were superfans or whatever their excuse was.

BBN: What’s going to be your favorite memory of the entire season?

Paul: I would say a really, really good memory for me would be when I won that insanely weird close HoH comp to secure myself in the F3. It was the weirdest. I was only eleven seconds off [in the tie-breaker question] after my ride or die had just been clipped. It was a very crazy moment.

BBN: Congratulations on getting to the F2 and thanks for all the entertainment this summer!

Paul came close, so close, to winning Big Brother 18 but ended up losing by just one vote. Although he doesn’t think it right now, I do believe he would have won handily against James. His fear that Day would have voted for James over him didn’t match what she said last night in her backyard interview. Then Nicole told us even she would have voted for Paul and wouldn’t have been bitter. Hindsight is 20/20 and our vantage point lets us see things the Houseguests can’t so these mistakes can happen easily if they’re not careful.

Overall I am disappointed that Paul didn’t win as I found his game much more dominant to the season’s storyline, but he definitely had to work harder and perhaps that’s a testament to the approach employed by his F2 opponent who instead tried to lay low and avoid what she could. Maybe we’ll see Paul back one of these days though.

What do you think of Paul’s take on his Big Brother 18 experience?

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67 Comments

  1. I was 100% in support of Paul winning BB 18 until he made the biggest mistake ever: Not taking James.

    So, he deserves to lose for making such a dumb move.

    • Same, called it right after comp 3 that if he was dumb enough to do this, nicole will win and he lost my support.

    • You could have had all the support you wanted for Paul to win, but when you really think about it Paul would have lost to James also. Big Brother definitely wanted to make history so they could keep their ratings up. Remember it’s still just a show and they have to do whatever than can to keep it on-air, but Paul really didn’t need to win 500k anyway. Now that the show is over a bunch of his fans are going to buy his deadskull apparel and go see his band play so I guess that makes him the real winner! If anyone deserved to win it would have been Victor homie works at a gym and still lived at his parents house, but at least he did get AFP.

    • Plus he’s such a sore loser! Like you said he only has himself to blame. I’d be darn grateful to win 50k!

      • How is he such a sore loser? I didn’t see that in any interview or anything (so far anyway) where he was acting like a sore loser. Can you please point out something that lends credibility to your statement? Thank you.

      • Paul Abrahamian: That’s what I’m preaching, dude. I thought that was impressive by itself, but clearly not enough. I was high when I needed to be high and I was low when I needed to be low. I was in your face when I needed and not when I didn’t. In the end I cleaned house and won all the competitions, but I guess that just wasn’t enough for this sweet, sweet Jury.

        To me that just sounds like he’s whining.

      • He was stating the truth which I found the other hgs failed to do because they are so bitter and say they are not.

    • My mouth was open for last like 3 minutes after he sent James out that door. Instantly I had a sick feeling he would lose. I can’t believe he did that. I had taken like a 8 yr break from BB, now I remember why. The show is bananas. Not in a good way

  2. Don’t break your arm patting yourself on the back Paul. Obviously you’re not the better player because you lost. And Nicole would of voted for you if you evicted her because she plays a strategic game and not bitter. You would of deserved that win over James. But saying you wouldn’t vote for her over James is another bitter vote. Not game. You just contradicted yourself by saying James didn’t deserve F2 but then you would of voted for him. Guess you deserved 2nd based on that comment.

  5. I’m glad he didn’t take James…just as I’d have been glad if Nic had the chance, she wouldn’t have taken James. He was an unworthy opponent. He had no right sitting in that chair. Just as Liz had no right sitting in that chair last year.
    Again, as with Nic–great interview Matt.

    • ok this mentality is exactly the kind paul had, and im also not in disagreement, but its also exactly why paul lost. its not about whos worthy of going to f2 with you its about whos going to ensure you the win. I also was for paul winning, but when he did the dumbest thing I ever have seen in this game He didnt deserve that win anymore. I even said it the moment he won HOH, if hes stupid enough to take nicole he deserves to get beat by her, cause he will be beat by her, and obviously so.

      • Chris, I totally see where you’re coming from. I do. But, I’m not so sure Paul WOULD have won even if he had James sitting next to him. I think it would have worked against him. When Matthew asked, “Did you ever consider that maybe you needed to take James to the end to win?” Paul said, “…Knowing what I know I think I would have lost to either of them no matter what I did.” I think he’s right. I think the Jury already had picked their winner—dependent, of course, upon who made the F2. For Paul, even though he played a brilliant fricking game, it was a lose-lose.

  6. So glad this rediculous summer is over! I didn’t think either one of them ‘deserved’ to win. Just the way things went this summer. Paul keeps bragging about all these wins he made. Funny he won against very little competition. Not like Victor’s wins. Paul hid behind Vic’s coattails, won nothing the 1st half of the summer. He also keeps bragging about all the times he sat on the block, kid go back & watch the shows. You kept offering to be a pawn! Also all of the times, he was never the target & he knew it. Just a spoiled douch who never showed an ounce of class all summer. Anyone who calls a women the C word on national television, is a born loser. I’m sure they’l be haters who disagree. I wish them peace…

  7. It’s true that men usually play a more ‘dominant’ game while the women being less physically threatening play a more subtle game, except for Day of course.
    Is there really any way to compare which style of gameplay is superior to the other?
    The guys are a lot of fun to watch, winning comps, arguing and just being guys, while a woman’s more understated gameplay isn’t exactly thrilling to watch at times. Since it does work for women that doesn’t make it an inferior style of gameplay.
    Nicole’s superior social game defeated Paul’s rather lacking social game in the end.

    • I agree that if a woman comes out aggressive, winning comps, etc, she will get clipped early. Unfortunately, a woman has to play a different, more lowkey game, I think. Guys who are comp beasts are threats and big targets but usually there is a cadre of others willing to hide behind him and propel him further and protect them, with the intent of cutting him later. How many BB winners bulldozed comps early on?

      Maybe one time they can do it so that EVERYONE who doesn’t win HOH is on the block and fights for POV and the POV winner votes out who he/she wants. That might push folks to work hard on the first comp, when it is such a temptation to throw comps. But eventually most everyone will throw a comp at some point (or at least not try too hard). That’s part of the game, too.

  8. Whatever gets him through the night I guess. He’s fooling his self if he thinks he wouldn’t have won with James.

  9. Paul did a great job as a newbie. He’s right he was a target and managed to stay in the game without hiding in a bed for weeks. He had his faults as did all of the other HG’s but he gave me more entertainment and fun this season than pretty well all of the others combined.Wish him all the success in the future. I know he has a friend for life with Vic and has earned many fans in the BB community

  10. I congratulate Nicole even though I can’t stand her. She did a decent job of knowing when she had to make moves. I would have given it to Paul though for sure. When Paul came into the house, I was taken aback by his beard and his brash attitude. But he and Victor ended up providing most of the fun I had during this season. I thank Paul for the memories, and maybe he’ll be back for an All Stars season or something. And yes, it hurts him to admit it, but he would have beaten James.

  11. “BBN: After the incident in the backyard where you heard someone shouting that James and Nicole had a F2 deal, did that give you concern over letting those two stay together in the game?

    Paul: Honestly, I take everything like that with a grain of salt. I think it’s unfair so I didn’t really let it influence any of my decisions. That was kind of a bunk move to have someone shout things in to the backyard.”

    Okay, everyone knows I don’t think much of Paul’s obnoxious, cheating, racist, and sexist personality traits, but I appreciate what he said right here. And I’m happy he refused to let it taint his game.

    • Please. There was nothing the HGs could do about not keeping James and Nicole at the end.
      One of them had to go in order to keep America from continuing with the conspiracy theories and coming back next season.

      • Not true. It’s very clear that their deal was that if anyone made it to the end they were both going to get paid. I expect that deal is still in place. I’m sure that the check from Nicole to James is already in the mail.

  12. Sorry I don’t agree, Paul was very abusive and a bully and that’s what put me off not wanting him to win! He said it himself it’s who he is, maybe it’s time for him to change…. who knows??

  13. Dear Paul,
    I hope you get to read this some day. In all 18 seasons of big brother I have never felt such disappointment as I do now knowing the most deserving person to win… didn’t. I truly hope to see you play the game again one day. This season has changed my opinion of the game I have loved for more than half of my life. But one thing I will forever appreciate about this season is that out of all the WTF’s (the individuals of the house I question being cast this season which is almost everyone) 2 very bright, promising individuals shined on through and made this season bearable for people like me who take this game serious. You came into the house not knowing anything about the game, a target from the start. You teamed up with yet another target, and you both formed “The Sitting Ducks”. I have to admit at first you annoyed the crap out of me with your loud and obnoxious way of being, and you said friendship to much. But now I catch myself very often using that term, and I grew to love you as a game player. So much crap I question about this season, lots of f*** ups by production but that’s neither here or there anymore. My purpose behind writing this in hopes you see this is this…… THANK YOU PAUL. Thank you for being true, and not changing or being fake or phony for the cameras. Thank you Sitting Ducks for keeping my love of this game strong for the time being. In my eyes your the real Winner, and although im sure everyone can say money is important, to me its not. 500K could never amount to your value. The way I see it Nicole got paid for all her “between the sheets”

    • Thanks Paul for making this season what it was. You actually played the game from day 1 and didn’t spend the first sixty some odd days laying in bed with Corey.

  14. I wouldn’t have minded if Paul had won, but I don’t see how surviving the block six times is more impressive than avoiding the block all season. I think Nicole’s ability to align with the right people and convince HOHs to keep her off the block far outweighed Paul staying in the house just because there was a bigger target those weeks.

  15. Paul worked the hardest this season and while we are disappointed that he didn’t win this season, he will always be the winner in everyone’s mind.

    He made this season entertaining by not only being the most intelligent player but also most strategic and funny.

    Production wanted Nicole to win from the beginning. That was one obstacle that nobody but Nicole would
    have been able to overcome. Congrats to this season’s MVP! He’s definitely a class act.

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