- 8 hours ago
Ross Matthews sits down with THR's Brian Porreca to discuss 'Celebrity Big Brother' and Omarosa backtracking on her Trump comments.
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00:03Hey everyone, thank you for tuning in to another episode of In Studio. I'm Brian Perica, and today
00:08we have Ross Matthews. It's a big deal. How did you ever get this booking? I know, it's such a
00:13big
00:14deal. Everyone here is excited you're here. I'm excited to reunite with you. Yes, yeah, I saw you
00:19right before I walked into the Celebrity Big Brother house. Yeah, it was a fun day. You remember
00:24that, our interview? Yeah, it was great. Can I ask you, what did you think in that moment? Did you
00:27think this is someone who's going to win the game? This is someone who's going to make it
00:31to the finale? Did you think that about me? Compared to the other interviews, I kind of
00:35thought, not that I hoped you weren't going to win, but because you were such a super fan,
00:40I thought you had such a leg up over everyone else, so I kind of thought. That's right. You're
00:45right. Yeah. You're very observant. Yeah, but I thought you would win, but it's boring to
00:49see someone so good at the game and then win, but you completely were different. Okay, I'm
00:55going to let you interview now. Sorry. Okay, cool. No, that's good. You take it now. Turn
00:58the tables. I'm used to doing that, so I just did it. Ah, we have so much to talk about,
01:03so, but first, but first. But first. But first. But first. Hashtag but first. Ah, what
01:08is it? Four days since you've been out of this little Big Brother house. How have you
01:11reacclimated to the real world, to life? I've been fine. It was odd to come out. Everything
01:17moves very fast, and like, as soon as I got out of the house, my assistant was trying to
01:21give me my phone, and I was like, oh my god, I do not want my phone. No, which is
01:25funny,
01:25because, you know, the first few days, first week, all I wanted was my phone. I'm adjusting
01:31better than Marissa is, because Marissa and I talk 18 times a day. Oh, you do? And she
01:35goes, I just want to go back in the house. That's what she said to me yesterday. Really?
01:40I go, go see your therapist. What has been, I guess, the toughest part of adjusting? The toughest
01:44part is the stimulation. I mean, like, I haven't really even turned on the television, and usually
01:48I have the TV going with playing a game on my phone, and the internet on my iPad. You
01:53know, it's usually just stimulation, stimulation. So, um, I just have really appreciated calm.
01:58Like, on the drive here, I didn't, I didn't look at my phone. A silent drive. I just sat
02:02and looked out the window and watched things go by. No music either? No! Which, I don't
02:06know. I don't, I actually kind of like it. I don't know if I'll, yeah, if I'll go back
02:10to the old way. I don't know. That's good. That's like, you're a whole new Ross now. It
02:14is a whole new Ross, yeah. Very focused and thinner. Um, so you, you came in second
02:18place on Celebrity Big Brother, and you also won America's Favorite Houseguest. Well,
02:20now that's the most important one. Yeah, it's a pretty big deal. This, it's a huge
02:24deal. Because I, I voted for Omarosa. For Omarosa? I'm joking, I'm joking.
02:29I was, okay, cut. No. Um, I, I, I'll tell you, because I played this game as a superfan.
02:34Yeah, exactly. I knew the jury would be an issue. I believe
02:35we even talked about this, the fact that the jury was not sequestered like they usually
02:38are during regular seasons of Big Brother, but I couldn't care. If, if you played the game
02:44worried about the jury seeing everything you said in the diary room, then you
02:48weren't really playing Big Brother. So I just wanted to play, I wanted to be on as
02:51many episodes as I could, last as long as I could. So finale, huge. Final two, bigger.
02:57No. America's Favorite Player, the, the biggest of big. Yeah. Uh, speaking of bitter kind
03:02of jury, do you think Shannon was the one to kind of flip everyone against you and vote
03:07for Marissa? Probably. Can you talk, can you talk about that? Well, it surprises me that
03:11Shannon took it so personally. No. Inside the house, and then especially outside the
03:16house with some perspective. I just assumed if I had been able to backdoor Shannon, which
03:20I was, I was going to do, I had the votes to do it, but Keisha wanted to go home
03:23to be
03:23with her baby. No. So I let that happen. But if I had done that. It was a noble thing.
03:27It
03:27was a noble thing to do. It was the right thing to do. But I had it set up to
03:29backdoor
03:30Shannon. Had I been able to do that, and then we did get her out the next week, I really
03:33thought Shannon would turn to me and say, awesome move. Good game. Good game. You did the
03:38right thing getting me out. Now go win. That didn't happen. That didn't happen. Um, I love
03:43Shannon. I think she has an amazing heart, and what she does for animals is an extraordinary
03:47thing. That's great. I just thought as a superfan, she wouldn't take it like this. I kind of
03:53want to like buy her the box set of seasons one through nineteen so she can rewatch the
03:56show and remember what it's about. It's about building alliances. It's about crossing alliances,
04:01and it's about saving your butt when you're on the line. Now one thing I asked you and Marissa
04:04if you would go back into the house and you both said, hell no, absolutely not, I'm not
04:08doing that again. But Shannon said she would do a regular season of Big Brother. Do you
04:11think she would do well in that, and what kind of do you think of that? If Shannon did
04:15a regular season of Big Brother, she'd certainly have to get thicker skin. You don't survive
04:19the Big Brother house being that emotional. She has a beautiful heart, and that's my favorite
04:25thing about Shannon. Outside the house, I am so in awe of her. But that house is tough.
04:31No. You can't take it personally because it's not personally. It's not
04:33personal. You're a number, and you're either a winner or you're a loser in that house. There
04:38is no in-between.
04:40Now one thing you did after the show wrapped, something you guys kind of all talked about
04:44in the live feeds, was go to Marissa's Barbecue. Can I tell fans what went down that day?
04:49Well, there was so much to talk about that like, you know, you're on camera 24-7, so
04:53there is what's happening and what you think about what's happening, and then the stuff
04:57you can't talk about because it's just like, uh.
05:00Please don't talk about production.
05:02A little bit of that, and a little bit like, Omarosa, when we're out of this house, I want
05:06to know if you were lying about Chuck. I want to know, like when it really doesn't matter
05:09in the game anymore, I want to know everything. So we always talked about going to Marissa's
05:12for like a barbecue the day after we got out, and then that night when we got out, we were
05:16like, that is not happening.
05:17It's not happening. But it happened, and it was Omarosa, Ari, Ariadna, Brandy, Marissa, and myself at Marissa's house.
05:24It was a fascinating conversation. We took phones and threw them in the corner, so Omarosa felt like she could
05:30talk freely about some White House stuff and things like that. I promised I'd never tell.
05:35Um, now you're the one to kind of get Omarosa to spill from secrets.
05:41Kind of get?
05:42No, no, no, to actually get Omarosa the scoop.
05:45The scoop?
05:46Where's your Pulitzer Prize?
05:47Where's my Pulitzer Prize? Give me an Edward R. Murrow Award something. Listen, I'm fascinated by Omarosa in general. I'm
05:54fascinated as well that she has been in the inner circle of this, the most historical presidency, well, other than
06:00Barack Obama, of our lifetime. Really, it is crazy.
06:04Um, I had to ask her some questions, because I've seen her interviewed, like, on Good Morning America. You all
06:09saw that. I felt like they were clearly talking points.
06:11Let's go by Felicia.
06:12Yes, by Felicia, by Robert Roberts. I thought there were certainly talking points on that interview, things they wouldn't talk
06:17about, couldn't talk about. But I never agreed to any talking points with Omarosa.
06:21So I thought, let me ask the question that I think people really want to know. After the drama, after
06:27the gossip, after all of that, they really want to know, are we going to be okay?
06:31Yeah. Whether you're a college kid, or you're a parent, you want to know, am I going to be okay?
06:35And she said...
06:36She said no!
06:37Yeah.
06:38What the hell? It wasn't the answer I was looking for.
06:41Well, I guess, was that the most shocking thing she said about jumping the White House well?
06:46Yeah, she also said she'd never vote for him again.
06:48No.
06:49She said a lot, but that, the answer, are we going to be okay? No. I thought it was also
06:53interesting when she talked about the Vice President and saying he's scarier.
06:57Yeah.
06:58It's something like you could sort of deduce, but for someone who worked for them to say it, it's just
07:05scary. It's not what we were all looking for.
07:07Now, going off that, on Wednesday night, she appeared on Stephen Colbert and kind of backtracked those comments.
07:12You reacted to it on Twitter and said Big Brother can release the actual full footage of it.
07:17What's your reaction to how she's kind of backtracking and why do you think she's doing it?
07:20Well, I appreciate Omarosa. I do have a deep appreciation for what she does. I'm in awe of her and
07:24I respect what she does.
07:25And we actually were on good terms and she actually texted me that morning. She was going to, I think
07:31it was the night before, she was going to Colbert and said, I'm nervous.
07:33She hasn't texted you since, though.
07:34No, she hasn't. I said, just be you, be real, and be honest. That's what I said.
07:39So, when I watched the clip and Colbert was asking about that conversation I had with Omarosa and she was
07:45saying we're not going to be okay.
07:46Omarosa sort of backtracked on Colbert and said, we were talking about DACA and the Dreamers, and that's the reference.
07:52And that is incorrect. We were not talking about DACA and the Dreamers. We had that conversation later, like a
07:57week or so later.
07:59But that conversation that she saw the clip, that conversation was strictly about President Trump.
08:05Are we going to be okay with him in office? And so I tweeted, no shade, but Omarosa, you're mistaken.
08:10The conversation is that. I've heard through the grapevine she's not thrilled with me.
08:14But I just wanted to keep it real. Just like she would keep it real for me.
08:18Well, yeah, it's important. You can't make those comments on the show and, first of all, not want to talk
08:21about it and then backtrack kind of what you're saying.
08:24And this stuff that Omarosa is talking about and I'm talking about is way bigger than Big Brother.
08:28It's way bigger than any reality show. We're talking about the President of the United States.
08:31And someone who worked with him inside the Oval Office said we're not going to be okay.
08:35And she can't backtrack from that.
08:37You can't.
08:37Because we're talking about lives here. We're talking about jobs here. We're talking about business and the economy.
08:42You cannot backtrack from that.
08:43Now, one thing that we kind of talked about at the finale, too, was, I mean, what's your take on
08:48having this reality drama about the White House and, like, having the political lines?
08:54Well, I'll tell you this. There should not be questions in the White House briefing room about things that happen
09:00inside the Celebrity Big Brother house.
09:01Those lines should not blur.
09:03I love pop culture, and pop culture especially includes politics, so I follow it very closely.
09:09But it shouldn't be this way.
09:12There should be silly, fluffy, funny entertainment, and there should be the jobs of the economy and keeping us going
09:19and running the government.
09:20And those two things shouldn't blur. We shouldn't be living in this world where it's like this.
09:23It's silly, it's ridiculous, and it's unhealthy. I don't like it.
09:26I don't like it.
09:27It's crazy.
09:28Right, it's crazy. It's not good for us.
09:29Crazy, crazy, it's not.
09:30That being said, it was fascinating.
09:32You got the scoop.
09:33Who?
09:34You got the scoop.
09:34I did.
09:35Matthews with one T.
09:39We have some questions from Twitter.
09:41Go.
09:41Some Big Brother related ones.
09:43From at Caleb B. Sanders, when in the BB house did you ever wonder if anyone you'd know, like Sal,
09:50Salvador.
09:51My partner, Salvador.
09:52Was watching the live feeds in that moment, or did you often forget they were on?
09:55You often forget they're on, even though you never forget they're on.
09:59It just becomes the new normal, you know?
10:01And we never really knew who was watching, if anyone was watching, if the show was a hit, if anybody
10:07cared, if we were wasting our time in there.
10:09But you had to just not care.
10:11I just wanted to play the game and play it hard.
10:12And then I was thrilled to find out it was a hit when I got out of the house.
10:16But we had no clue.
10:18Next question from MichaelHorne23.
10:21Looking back, do you still think you could have beaten Mark at the end?
10:25Or were people like Shannon and Omarosa so set on you losing that they would have voted for Mark?
10:30I don't know.
10:31I think I would have had a really good shot beating Mark.
10:33I would have loved that finale because I could have said, like, look, one of us played the game.
10:37And I love Mark.
10:38One of us played the game, though.
10:39He's so great.
10:40Mark is great.
10:41Yeah.
10:41But I would have said one of us played the game and one of us...
10:43Was a camper.
10:45Got here.
10:45I took a vacation and got here, okay?
10:47But I knew when Marissa won that final HOH and I was going to the finale with a woman,
10:51there was no chance I was going to win.
10:53No.
10:53Because I'd been told since day one by every woman in the house that they wanted a woman winner.
10:56So I made peace with it right away.
10:58I was happy.
11:00I was good.
11:00But it was no surprise to me at all.
11:02Did you see it when Shannon was kind of talking to everyone and they were, like, whispering?
11:06Yeah.
11:07That was ridiculous.
11:08You know, um...
11:10Julie tried to put a stop to it, but...
11:12Yes, Julie is wonderful.
11:13She knows the truth.
11:15She's a fan of mine.
11:16I'm a big fan of hers.
11:18You know, it's silly.
11:19It really is silly.
11:21Listen.
11:22Who did the best in the game?
11:24No.
11:25That should be the sole reason how you vote.
11:30I thought Ari did really well as well, but she didn't make it, obviously.
11:34No, but I mean, look at competition.
11:36No, no, yeah, it was you.
11:37Yeah.
11:37And look at who shifted the house.
11:39Yeah, it was you.
11:40Yeah.
11:40And, like, who saved himself every time.
11:42Every time they were on the block.
11:43Omar also put him on the block.
11:44Uh-huh.
11:44It's crazy.
11:45Yeah.
11:46Not for nothing, but I'm just saying, I'm just saying, I'm a fan of the show.
11:50You deserve to win.
11:51You vote for the person who does the best.
11:52Ultimately, you would call the jury bitter.
11:55Like, that's, like, a good description.
11:56Uh, what would I call them bitter?
11:58I would call them, I would call them, bitter's harsh.
12:01Bitter, um, let me say this.
12:03I am happy with the outcome because America's Player was more important to me than the title
12:07of winning.
12:08I think it's clear how they, why they voted how they did.
12:13It was for personal reasons.
12:14Yeah, it was totally personal.
12:16Yeah.
12:16Um, who, I guess, in the house, obviously, you and Marissa are close, but who else in the
12:20house are you, do you see it having the closest relationship with you?
12:23Tonight, I'm going to-
12:24And whose relationship kind of surprised you?
12:26Uh, my relationship with Mark surprised me because I just adore him.
12:29No.
12:29And, like, we just were messaging, tonight I'm going to dinner with Ari, Marissa, and
12:33Brandy.
12:34I mean, we are, we've gone through something that nobody else in the world will ever understand.
12:38And we went through it together.
12:40And it was really challenging and tough.
12:43And, um, I, I, it sounds kumbaya-y, but, like, it's a bond I don't think will break.
12:49Which is great.
12:50I mean, you guys stuck together mostly for the whole entire game.
12:52Mm-hmm.
12:53Which is great.
12:53What's next for you?
12:55So you're still on All-Stars Drag Race?
12:56Yeah, so we have All-Stars Drag Race airing now.
12:58And then-
12:59What can you tease about that?
13:00Oh, it's so good.
13:01It's about to, you don't even know what you don't know.
13:02Yeah.
13:03It's that good.
13:04And then season 10 starts right away after that.
13:06And season 10 might be my favorite season ever.
13:08That's awesome.
13:08Yeah, it's really good.
13:09And then you have your new show, Nat Geo Wilde, from the red carpet, premiering Sunday.
13:13Thank you so much.
13:14Yes, so, you know, I'm no stranger to the Oscar red carpet.
13:17This year I'm doing it a little bit differently.
13:19I'm interviewing some of the biggest stars in the world, but I'm doing it on Nat Geo Wilde.
13:23So we're talking to animals like Meryl Sheep, Mahershalama Ali.
13:28This is actually so funny.
13:30Cat Damon and Jimmy Kibble get into a fight.
13:34Dame Judy Stench, I have the honor of interviewing her.
13:37She's a skunk, of course.
13:38And the actors play their voices and talk back to me.
13:42And it is a show for the whole family.
13:44So on Oscar Sunday, Nat Geo Wilde, 7 p.m. on the East Coast, 4 p.m. here on the
13:48West Coast.
13:49And it is, we should win a prize for how many puns we can fit into one show.
13:53Oh, that is too funny.
13:54Yeah, so I get to produce this along with Nat Geo Wilde and host it.
13:57That's awesome.
13:58It's really good.
13:58Now for the actual Oscars, what are you looking forward to most watching this year's show?
14:01This year I will be watching the actual Oscars at home in full head-to-toe elastic.
14:07And I'm looking forward to that because it's been over 16 years since I've gotten to actually watch the show.
14:14So I'm exhausted and I really look forward to doing not a damn thing.
14:18I'm going to print out the ballot, make my predictions, and enjoy the show.
14:22What are your predictions so far?
14:23Oh, you want to talk predictions?
14:24Let's do it.
14:25All right.
14:26Three billboards because it won the SAG, it won the BAFTA, it won the Globe.
14:29People say Shape of Water, it could happen, but I don't know.
14:32Directing is going to be Shape of Water.
14:33It's going to be What's-His-Face for the movie with the chin, the double chin.
14:38Gary Oldman.
14:38Gary Oldman for that, for The Darkest Hour.
14:40It's going to be Frances McDormand.
14:42If you're going to see a surprise, it's going to be in Supporting because Sam Rockwell's won everything,
14:45but watch out for Woody Harrelson because he's beloved in that character.
14:48It's more empathetic, more empathetic towards him.
14:50And then it's probably going to be Allison Jerny, but if there's a surprise there, it'll be Laurie Metcalf.
14:55There you go.
14:55Awesome.
14:56Now what do you want to say to your fans before we go?
14:59Matthews with one T.
15:02You know, I've always been the super fan that won the golden ticket that got to come here,
15:06and that is getting to go in the Big Brother house is no different than that.
15:11I felt the same way.
15:11I felt like I had to play for you guys.
15:14I'm the super fan who they let in.
15:17So I felt you all throughout.
15:19I would do moves, and I think I can't let down the people who love this as much as I
15:24do.
15:25So if there were people playing a watered-down, muted version of this game, I wasn't going to do that
15:30for you,
15:31and I wasn't going to do it for myself.
15:32So thank you for making me be even better than I thought I could be at it.
15:37We did it together.
15:39Now I'm tired.
15:40I mean, I've literally just walked out of the house and been talking for the past four days.
15:43I'm so tired.
15:44I want to turn everything off.
15:45I want to get under a helicopter with my dogs.
15:48Just do it.
15:48I might eat.
15:49You deserve it.
15:50I might actually eat a full bag of Doritos because Marissa never let me do it in the house.
15:54Has to have a full bottle of wine because Brandy never let me do it in the house.
15:59On that note, thanks for watching, everyone.
16:02Mwah!
16:02See ya.
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