Krista Stegall from 'Big Brother 2'
Have you ever wondered what became of your favorite houseguests from Big Brother?
Over the past week, I've had the pleasure to interview a handful of former Big Brother contestants and will be posting a new Q&A session each day, leading up to Tuesday's two-hour finale of Big Brother 11.
Today, Krista Stegall (Big Brother 2) is featured. Krista lasted 47 days in the house, and was evicted by a unanimous vote of 3-0. In the interview, she shares her thoughts on season two winner Will Kirby, her strategy in the house and relationship with Mike "Boogie," that infamous "toilet seat" incident, and much more.
MICHAEL LANGSTON MOORE: How did you go about becoming a contestant on “Big Brother,” and what made you want to be on this specific reality show? Did you watch the first season?
KRISTA: I applied for the show only because someone made a statement to me that I wasn't good enough and I knew he had applied, so being a person that has to prove a point, I applied [with a 24-hour window to get my video in] and low and behold I beat him out.
I did watch the first season for a few episodes but never thought of applying till that moment. Big Brother 2 was nothing like season one. I had been doing a lot of local television and modeling and always wanted to be on MTV's The Real World. It took proving a point to get me to apply.
What was the actual casting process like—from required testing to being sequestered before the show began?
The casting process starts with a two minute video and a head and body shot of yourself. Then you wait to get a call. Once you get a call that you made it to semi- finals, they reveal the time and place where they would like to meet you. Silence is the key--you don't tell anyone.
Once there, you get taped again by casting directors asking you some pretty blunt questions. From there you go home and wait for a call from them. That's the call [saying] you made it to the finals and your flight information [is also provided]. It is made very clear that no one is to know what you are doing or where you are going!
Once you leave for the finals you are not allowed to speak to anyone. You are given instructions and an address to go to. Once there, you are assigned a person that watches over you. These people are called handlers--they take shifts and usually you have the same two [handlers] throughout the process.
In your instructions it states be prepared for a seven day stay. You then start the process of taking an IQ test of some kind that if I remember correctly took about five hours. You also have to go through a doctor for medical reasons, and then you meet with a psychologist a few times. During your stay you have pool time [and] meal time, and a handler is always with you. You can pretty much see who you're up against because the others have handlers as well. The handlers wear ear pieces like spy agents. When you see people leaving around day four, you realize they didn't make the cut.
Next you get your pictures taken by a professional photography company and get interviewed a few more times at the hotel. Once you make it to the finals, you are loaded into a van and taken to the official building and you sit in a board room, with [around] twenty other contestants. You're not allowed to talk at all. One at a time, you get called into a room and meet the big dogs. Once you enter that room there is silence, [with] a chair in the middle of the room [and] a light and camera on you. The other three chairs are filled with the president of the company, head producer, and vice president of the company. There are around twenty people from casting on couches in the back of the room, just observing. That's when the questions begin.
After that, you are sent back to the hotel and they come into your room and let you know that you made it to the final twenty. Silence is still your best friend.
So once again, you wait for the call. If you make the show you will be notified and told to prepare for three months away from home. It is an extremely long process, but if you want to get on you will take it with a grain of salt.
Did you go in expecting “Big Brother 2” to be easy? Was it harder than you expected?
Yes, it was a lot harder than I thought it would be. You have to me mentally strong , if you're not you will break.
What did you think of your fellow houseguests in season two, especially Dr. Will Kirby who won the entire show?
I enjoyed something about every houseguest on my season. As far as Will, he is a great guy and makes you laugh. Will is a guy that you have to adore even if he is lying to your face. He is fun, witty, and did just what he said he would do--lie! You would have to respect that.
You voted for Will to win the $500,000 prize, despite his blatant strategy of lying to everyone in the house. What made you choose him over Nicole, and how did you separate any personal feelings you had for Will from his strategy and gameplay?
Yes, I never held any hard feelings towards Will. I enjoyed his gameplay and I would have never put him up. I haven't seen a player that even comes close to Will's gameplay in Big Brother.
Nicole is just that...Nicole. Let's leave it at that.
You formed a close bond with Monica on the show, who made it to the final three. During the show’s time on the air, the tragedy of September 11th occurred, which directly affected Monica and her family. What was your relationship with Monica like once the show ended, and do you still share a close bond today?
Monica and I had a close bond in the house and when I was evicted, me and Mike [Boogie] went to New York for the MTV Awards and Monica's family picked me up from the airport. They welcomed me with open arms while Monica was still in the game. As we all know, 9/11 had a very strong impact on the world as we knew it, so my heart nearly dropped when I heard the news. I was on my way to the Latin Grammy [Awards] and we immediately landed and were walked off the runway. I called Monica's home and just waited to hear the news. I have a very close friendship with Monica and I love her and her family dearly. I even have her on speed dial.
How did you handle the isolation while being on “Big Brother 2”—being cut off from radio, television, cell phones, friends and family?
Isolation is very hard. You have to be of strong mind and will, but at the same time you learn to appreciate the little things in life that you took for granted before entering the house. Like a washing machine!
What’s something that you can reveal about being a contestant on the show that most people wouldn’t realize from watching the series on television?
You need to pay close attention to the clothes that people are wearing because something you said on day two could be played on day thirty on the show. It makes it look to the average viewer that you have formed a new alliance or a new romance. Editing is tricky. Very tricky.
“Big Brother” is the ultimate "fishbowl" game—where people can peek in and take a look at what you’re doing 24/7. How did you initially handle that, and were you truly able to forget that the cameras were watching?
It takes a while to get used to the cameras, but after a few weeks you just forget about them. I started off taking a shower with a bathing suit but after a competition where oatmeal is wedged in every crack of your body you just say 'oh well' and finally let go of the whole camera in the shower thing. Same goes for the bathroom. You think in your mind that the camera people are watching a little monitor but the funny thing is, they are looking at HUGE screens--freaky.
On finale night, Mike “Boogie” Malin—who went on to win “Big Brother All-Stars”--proposed to you on live television. Was that a legitimate marriage proposal, or was it staged for the cameras? And what was your relationship like with Mike once the show ended?
I can say that Mike "Boogie" is a very legitimate businessman and I respect him so much. Mike opened my eyes and my heart to a lot of things. When the show ended, we stayed together for a few months after but our lives were very different [at that time]. As far as our relationship today, "Boogie" is also on my speed dial. I look up to him and am extremely proud of all his accomplishments. We will always remain close--not to mention he's a hottie!
What did you think of your fellow houseguest Shannon Dragoo, who at one point got so upset at Hardy that she scrubbed the toilet with his toothbrush?
Shannon is really a great person. She is so fun to hang with. We hung out after the show as well. As far as the toothbrush thing, well, tensions were high and I think her and Hardy buried the hatchet on that long ago!
Your season was the first to usher in the concept of “Head of Household,” but you still played a full season with no “Power of Veto.” Had the POV competition been part of “Big Brother 2,” do you think you would’ve gotten farther in the game?
If we had the Power of Veto in our season, it would have changed everything. Being on the block next to your friend sucks, and having a chance to save yourself makes the [eviction] week feel hopeful. POV is wonderful--it's like hitting the triple word score in Scrabble.
You lasted 47 days in the “Big Brother” house. What do you think was the flaw in your strategy that led to your eviction? What was it about your strategy that allowed you to last as long as you did?
I am a watcher and listener by nature. I think my gameplay was fine, [though] I let emotions get in the way and my own lack of pushing the key farther [on the sliding board during a pivotal HOH competition] was crucial to me staying. So I blame myself.
Do you feel that you were portrayed accurately on the show? Do you feel that you received a fair edit?
No. I can say I was shocked about how I was portrayed. The whole Bayou and Swamp thing was a bit much. Not to mention the music. It was funny. Whatever helps the ratings, lol.
How paranoid do you get while playing the “Big Brother” game?
You can't read someone's mind and you don't really know these people, so the paranoia is magnified by 100! Your mind can take you to places you never knew existed!
A lot was said and done in “Big Brother 2.” Is there anything that you said or did that you regret? Is there anything that you wish you could have done that you didn’t?
I have no regrets. Now that [so] many seasons have [been] played, we all have a guide book to look at, [which] would make for an easier game than my season.
Do you hold any resentment against anyone’s actions in the house?
No, not really. [There are] some people in your everyday world you would hang out with and others you wouldn't. I talk to everyone but Kent and Nicole, some more than others. When it comes down to it, we shared those moments together and we set the bar pretty high!
Click here to read PART TWO of my interview with Krista Stegall.
Upcoming Interviews: Diane Henry (Big Brother 5/Big Brother All-Stars), Jen Johnson (Big Brother 8), Michelle Costa (Big Brother 10) and more.
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