Big Brother made it's return on the 8 October after a five year hiatus, and it's already as chaotic as ever. With hectic challenges, fights about the food shop and big personality clashes, a lot can happen in just a few weeks.
For Zak Srakaew, the second evictee of the series, his time was cut short when his fellow house mates put him up for eviction and the public voted him out. We spoke to Zak after he left the house to find out about his experience, why he thinks he was evicted and whether the love triangle between Matty, Jordan and Henry is as it seems on TV...
GRAZIA: Tell us what it was like inside the Big Brother house?
ZAK: When I was voted out I was quite gutted to be fair. I felt like I had a good time in there and I wish I could have stayed in there just a little bit longer to showcase to the world a bit more of my personality. Nevertheless, it went really well and it’s a shame it’s over. I’m enjoying the life out here, enjoying the freedom, not having to wake up when you have to wake up and listening to music.
G: What did you find hardest about the experience?
Z: The hardest part was not knowing the concept of time and not being able to listen to music. We weren’t allowed to sing famous songs either and I always got told off because every morning I’d wake up and sing a bit of Ed Sheeran or Tracy Chapman and I always got told off.
G: And the best part of being on Big Brother?
Z: Sharing my experience with everyone in there. Meeting people from different backgrounds and cultures and different characters. In my friendship group I’m one of those guys, I’ve got quite a big personality and I’m quite out there. But being in that house there was a lot of big characters. They’re just the type of people that you wouldn’t find yourself meeting in the real world, you might be from different places and you might be into different things so putting everyone in the same place was amazing.
G: Why do you think you were evicted?
Z: I managed to catch up on some of the episodes. I didn’t have a clue what was happening in the house. I was speaking to Chanelle, I was speaking to Jenkin, they’d make me a brew and say, 'Good morning Zak'. Even Hallie was like, 'How’s your day going? Are you alright? How was your sleep?'
Everyone seemed so genuine but watching it back, every time I turned my back people were talking about me. But obviously it’s a game show and a lot of people in there were probably playing games.
G: Some of the comments you made about women rubbed viewers up the wrong way. How do you feel about that?
Z: Like I said, being in such a small environment and such a compact house, I feel like a lot of small things can get taken out of context. Believe it or not, after all that commotion with Liv and Trish and saying 'two women attacking one man,' I said it was a joke. I’m just one of those people who likes to wind people up and we had a laugh with it.
Dylan was like, 'Woah woah, two women against one man, this is not on'. To me that doesn’t seem really sexist in the sense that it wasn’t what we were aiming at but we were just being lads and it got taken out of context.
I love women. I was brought up by women, my mum raised me, my sisters raised me. I respect women so much. So it might have upset people, but I instantly apologised. On TV it can be made out to be a lot bigger than it really is.
G: What about that moment on the sofa with Noky that caused controversy with viewers?
Z: If you watch the clip back, Noky was laughing with it. She pulled me upstairs and said, ‘Regarding what happened with you and Olivia and Trish, and what’s just happened with me, I don’t want the public to think what’s been said or done will affect your nominations or eviction. Zak, I know the type of person you are and I don’t want this to affect you.’ ‘I said, 'Woah Noky this is not your fault, you don’t have to apologise.’
G: You've said before that you think Hallie may have sabotaged you. Why do you think that?
Z: Every night I’d say, 'Goodnight Hallie, good night my love, I hope you have a beautiful dream'. Obviously looking back at the clip, she was saying 'No one can be that nice, I don’t get why he’s being so nice to me. I think he’s playing a game and is being nice to keep people on his safe side.' That’s the reason they voted for me, because they thought I was being too nice.
On the night of the eviction, Hallie came over to me and said, 'Zak I just want to apologise, I’ve actually been spreading rumours about you around the household.' And I said, 'Listen Hallie, you don’t need to apologise for calling me a game player. I understand you thought it because I’m nice to everyone and not everyone in the world is nice to everyone, but that’s just the way I’ve been brought up.'
G: Do you think you were unfairly edited?
Z: At the end of the day, there’s going to be a narrative to the show. It is a bit true because I had so many moments with Jordan and Yinrun – she cried to me and we shared so many experiences together. I gave her a lot of advice and she gave me advice, watching it back they didn’t show any clips of me and Yinrun together. They might have wanted to show that Yinrun is on Henry’s side, so can’t be on Zak’s side as well.
I did feel like they didn’t show many of my softer sides, that’s all. They can’t show me being nice to everyone! I cant be mad at it.
G: Who do you think is playing a game?
Z: I feel like potentially a lot of people could be playing a game. I feel like everyone is in it to win it. Who doesn’t want to win it? I have a feeling about Chanelle and possibly Kerry. Kerry’s playing a mother role to the youngsters in there so that they avoid voting for her. Chanelle is always avoiding confrontation unless she’s whispering to Tom or Jenkin and when it comes to nominations that’s when she starts mentioning certain names.
G: Who are your favourites?
Z: I was tight with Dylan. I’ve got friends in the real world who are like Dylan but they’re showing him to be this angry, boring guy. I’ve read people’s comments about Dylan but he is a top character. I also love Trish, she’s one of those girls who’s not afraid to say it how it is and a lot of people in there are intimidated by the realness.
Hallie is a lovely girl. I said to her, 'Make sure you use this platform right, I feel like you could go so far in life. Enjoy the show but don’t make yourself look stupid'. Two minutes later she’s saying, 'Zak ate Noky's cheese, Zak’s a game player.' I was so surprised!
G: Who do you think will make the final?
Z: Noky, Jordan definitely, and Yinrun. And Dylan if he’s there. Yinrun is such a sweet, innocent little girl, she reminds me of how I was when I first moved to England. Jordan is one of those guys he makes everybody laugh and Noky is very real, very genuine. She was one of those characters that you can trust.
G: Any thoughts on the love triangle?
Z: I always caught Jordan and Matty spending quite a lot of time together. Sometimes I came in to join the conversations and the conversation would always change. Maybe they were having a little flirt.
I always thought it wouldn’t go anywhere because Matty is one of those guys, he’s respectful and he’s got a partner and he’d never do anything to embarrass his boyfriend in the real world but then I found out they were in an open relationship. So you never know what the outcome is going to be! I really don’t know, we'll have to wait and see.