Big Brother Canada Season 12 got super spicy this week, as Donna Marshall became the first victim of a backdoor vote. Reality Tea Managing Editor, Daniel Falconer, got the chance to catch up with Donna and talk all about her 20 days in the BBCAN12 house. Donna also dished on her goodbye kiss with Todd, the not-so-successful girls’ alliance, and more!
Donna on being backdoored
Daniel Falconer: Now that you’ve had a tiny bit of time to reflect on everything, how are you feeling?
Donna Marshall: Honestly, I feel really good. It was tough in there and I really felt like I was getting ganged up on in the end, but I’m really proud of how I did.
Daniel: This was the first backdoor of the season, so there is some honor in that! Why do you think you were chosen to be a backdoor target, rather than a straight-up target?
Donna: Well, I think they know backdoors are used for when a player’s actually pretty good, and you’re intimidated that they can get themselves off the block by talking, or the POV. They didn’t give me much time and I honestly think that’s an honor in a weird way. Yeah I was backdoored, but it just means that they’re a little scared of me. Game-wise! You know, game-wise. Personally, I’m chill.
Daniel: At what point did you realize you weren’t going to be able to turn this around?
Donna: So I had two days to really campaign and then it was gonna be eviction day. Day number one was the film thing so we were busy creating movies, and I can’t really talk to them, we’re focused on our projects! Then I really only had one full day, because the night after POV I was a little sad and mopey. Then I had a full day, I did my work. That night, I was like, ‘man there’s something going on here that I don’t know about … I don’t think I can turn this around.’
The all-girls alliance and All-Stars arrival
Daniel: We saw an all-girls alliance formed right at the start of this season, but both evictions so far have seen women evicted! You worked hard for that alliance; is there any coming back for the women in the house?
Donna: I don’t think I would have been part of it, because I feel that they didn’t trust me. For them, their small group of women, maybe. It clearly wasn’t with me and it sucks because I worked so hard for these girls. They’re gonna watch it back and be like, ‘Wow, she never threw us under the bus.’ Maybe Lexus where I was a little standoffish … but she’ll notice I was in a room with all of the other girls and we were all questioning. So, that’s really it about that. Good luck!
Daniel: Going back to the start of this game, you’re getting ready to compete in your first challenge and then two All-Stars walk in! What’s going through your mind?
Donna: I was like, ‘This is crazy.’ I was expecting some huge All-Stars versus newbies, but now I’m like, ‘Oh there’s an Entourage! I’m not working against them, I could work with them.’ Luckily for me, I’ve watched both of their seasons, and I’ve watched the whole thing, I know exactly how they work. Anthony, you wanna be on his good side at the beginning. Don’t go against him because he’s a great talker. He might not win much, but he can win people over with that mouth!
On Spicy Vee’s decision and pitching Anthony
Daniel: You also said Dougy was a huge threat and pitched him to Vee. Is that something you regret looking back?
Donna: I’m here right now, so I kinda do regret a little bit of it. But do you know what? I think it was good because it showed Canada that I wasn’t scared to talk about the elephant in the room. Everyone else is avoiding it. I am a strategic thinker, I’m trying to plan for this alliance so if I think this alliance is all for me, I will dish out all of my thoughts [and] I will put my cards out there because that’s a sign of trust in this game. If you give your information it means you’re loyal and yeah, it backfired but I don’t regret sharing that information or that thought about Anthony at that time.
Daniel: You weren’t afraid to confront Vee and tell her what you thought about the move. How do you feel her game will pan out now?
Donna: Because she didn’t get to do a split vote, I think going forward the rest of that girls’ alliance are gonna definitely think that they’re cool with her. I think there are gonna be some cracks eventually. Because I really trusted her. If she was smart, she would’ve kept me for her personal game and not have listened to whoever else she’s working with, because I told her, ‘I am a ride-or-die for you.’ She should’ve taken me to Jury, gotten me out at Jury, and she would’ve known I would’ve voted for her, because obviously I can’t go home, watch what she’s done behind my back. I’m dedicated to her, she should’ve kept me until Jury, that’s all I’ll say.
What if things were different for Donna on BBCAN12?
Daniel: In an alternate universe where you stayed in the house and then won the next HOH, who would you be targeting?
Donna: That would be a very tough position because I know that they would be sucking up to me. If anything, I didn’t really know about anything else going on behind the scenes, so I probably would’ve stuck with the girls’ alliance and waited for them to turn on me again. I probably would’ve also had my brain saying, ‘Hello, they put you up once.’ I’ve watched the show before. You’ve seen the people that think they have this alliance. Their alliance puts them on the block, it happens again and takes a third time before they’re out before they’re like, ‘Oh, I shouldn’t have worked with them.’
Donna discusses a potential Todd romance
Daniel: We saw your kiss with Todd upon your exit from the house! Is that connection one you want to explore further on the outside?
Donna: Most definitely. I really do like him. We were friends. Maybe it was only 20 days, but it felt like three months in there, so we were really close. I just started to notice, maybe there could be a spark here. He’d flirt with me, eventually I’d let him hold my hand. On that last night when I thought I couldn’t sway the vote, I was like, I’ll let him kiss me. Because he would try and I would turn my head! But I would definitely like to see where it goes on the outside, for sure.
Daniel: Finally, if you had to make an early prediction, who do you think is making it to the final three?
Donna: You know what? I’m starting to think it’s a curse because Janine said me! If I say someone else, they’re going home! So I don’t even know if I wanna tell you who I think! But if this curse does not exist, I really think, if there’s a floater that’s gonna win, it could be Dinis, because he’s really sharp. As long as he’s not ganged up on like I was, then I think he really has a chance. My top three in there are obviously the ones who voted for me to stay. Todd, Bayleigh and Dinis.
Big Brother Canada Season 12 airs three nights a week. New episodes broadcast every Sunday at 9 p.m., Tuesday at 7 p.m. and Wednesday at 9:30 p.m. ET/PT.
This interview has been edited for conciseness and clarity.
TELL US – WERE YOU SHOCKED DONNA WAS BACKDOORED? WHO DO YOU WANT TO SEE EVICTED FROM THE HOUSE NEXT?
