A lot of tears inside the house this week.

One of the misfortunes of winning a cash prize during the first week of a competition-based reality series is that you give your fellow players a reason to eliminate you – and I believe that’s what happened when Monet snagged the $10,000 prize during the first challenge. Whether or not that was the sole deciding factor for the House’s vote of 7-2 to eliminate Monet is uncertain, but it clearly gave Rachel and her fellow Housemates an excuse to hang their hat on.

I spoke with Monet after last night’s show and she’s in pretty good spirits despite the elimination. I think walking away with the $10,000 prize in hand definitely eases the pain. She did touch on how emotionally draining this past week has been for her and her trusted ally Britney. She also emphatically stated that she has no regrets for the trash talking seminars she and Britney held in the backyard. Those are two ladies I would never want to tick off.

I asked Monet if she had any parting advice for Britney and I was genuinely surprised by her answer. She suggested that Britney’s lifespan inside the house could be extended if she were able to team up with their rival, Rachel. A surprising but intriguing strategy if Britney could pull it off.

Now, let’s talk game play! Clearly, Matt had the move of the week by putting himself up as a pawn. WOW! An absolute risky move at this early stage of the game, when alliances are still fresh and can easily be broken and replaced by new ones. Whether or not his roll of the dice proves to be advantageous down the road is yet to be seen. He’s obviously playing both sides of the house and I personally think he took a hit when Rachel called him out during the House meeting. At the very least, he’s officially put a target on his back by announcing that he’s a player who is willing to lie and cheat to get to the end.  EVERYONE DOES IT…JUST DON’T GET CAUGHT.

Coming out of last week, I was honestly starting to wonder what was wrong with Kristen. She was literally the quietest Houseguest I had ever seen. I’m glad to see her show some fire this week when she stood up for herself. Maybe laying low is her strategy, but I hope she wakes up and starts asserting herself a bit more. My gut tells me she has the potential to be a sleeper in this game. Maybe her secret “showmance” will spark some new life.

Speaking of “showmance”…which “showmance” do you think will last longer inside the house? The “Love Nerds” or Hayden and Kristen? Let me know your thoughts below.

I think the Brigade still holds the power in the house based solely on numbers, but Rachel and Brendon could prove to be a powerful alliance.   I know I said it last week, but both are strong, both are bright, and if they stick together they might make a run at this. On the other side of the spectrum is Britney. Miss Arkansas could be in serious trouble depending on who snags this week’s HOH — or maybe she’ll adopt Monet’s advice and partner up with Rachel.

This is usually about the time in the game that we start to see a lot of scrambling inside the house and this upcoming week should be no different.

HERE ARE SOME GENERAL INSIDER FACTOIDS FOR BOTH THE POV AND HOH COMPETITIONS:

On the POV Competition:

* The dollar bills that the Houseguests were getting slapped with were over 8 inches long and the serial number on the Big Brother dollar bills was 19811450.

On the HOH Competition:

* The giant wave wall was 65 feet long and 12 feet high!

* The surfboards that the Houseguests balanced on were 8 feet long!

* The surfboards could be lowered to a 40 degree angle, increasing the difficulty of balancing!

BEST QUOTES OF THE WEEK:

Enzo: “It’s like Alcatraz with palm trees. I am about to go ‘Shawshank’ and spoon my way out.”

Rachel: (When I asked her if she would choose the half million dollars or Brendon?) “Brendon is a once-in-a-lifetime thing. I would have to choose what’s best for me and Brendon.”

Matt: “Take it away Chenbot.” (I had to throw that one in there.)

WARDROBE QUESTION OF THE WEEK:

I received some questions regarding my wardrobe for last week’s LIVE show. Thanks for those. I was wearing Thierry Mugler last week and in case you’re wondering, last night’s outfit was Max Mara.

Thanks to all of you for the support. We have a great season on our hands and it only promises to get better.

What the BEEP! Oh, “Big Brother Saboteur,” we barely knew you! Sad to see our “Saboteur” leave the house tonight…I was eagerly anticipating a summer full of crazy Big Brotherfan-inspired sabotage.

I think Annie played the game well, but she may have shot herself in the foot by playing too hard too soon. After tonight’s show, she told me that the moment she entered the house she started playing her game, while most of her fellow Houseguests sat back and let the game come to them. She also admittedly didn’t handle being put on the block very well and reacted too aggressively. Whatever the reasoning, her HouseMATES delivered a resounding eviction vote of 10-0. Not one vote for Rachel – THAT had to sting!

She also expressed that the game was much harder than expected and that the realization that she could not trust someone she was sharing a room with was emotionally draining. I think she was also a bit embarrassed for being the first to leave, but overall grateful for the experience.

I do give her kudos for the bold yet failed attempt to save herself by calling out Brendon for lying about his profession. That move only strengthens the disdain the “Brigade” has towards the swim coach. And she even snuck in one last sabotage before walking out…tune in on Sunday to see what she did. A “Saboteur” till the very end.

Once Annie left the studio, I was standing on the stage thinking that the “Brigade” would maintain their control of the house, but then a curveball in the form of a red-headed “Have-Nottie” snatches this week’s HOH. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? <—- LMFAO. ILUJULIE

Rachel goes from tag-along to leader in the blink of an eye. That’s exactly what I love about this show. Do you think her “showmance” continues or does she use her power in the game to snuggle up to a more secure player? Comments, please!

Now that the “Saboteur” has been ousted and with a new HOH in place, here are my thoughts on the current alliances inside the house. I’ve ranked the alliances in order of strength:

1) The “Brigade” Alliance (Hayden, Enzo, Lane and Matt): Despite Rachel’s victory this evening, I think they’re still running the show. But on the flip side, their moniker could be one of the weakest in 12 seasons.

2) The “Love Nerds” Alliance (Brendon and Rachel): This season’s inaugural “showmance” is hot and heavy for the time being. I think it’s safe to say that Brendon is camping out in the HOH room all week. Rachel’s victory tonight moved them from third to second place in the rankings. Both are very strong players – physically and mentally – and as Annie stated during her plea before being voted out, we could be witnessing the emergence of this season’s Jeff and Jordan.

*A quick dating tip for Brendon and all future love birds on this show — it’s probably never a good idea to ask one of your fellow Houseguests out on a date (once the show is over) while you’re still living inside the house. You never know where this game is going to take you.

3) “Arkansas’ Finest” Alliance (Britney, Kathy and Monet): Yes, I know Monet isn’t from Arkansas. I understand the regional bond between Britney and Kathy, but I’m still trying to figure out Monet’s association. Does Britney remind anyone of a younger Kathy without the badge? I predict this is the first alliance to break up.

4) Kristen and Andrew: One of the most peculiar pairings so far in my opinion. I’m still waiting for Kristen to pipe up a bit more, but maybe that’s part of her strategy. And are we starting to see hints of a second “showmance” forming between Kristen and Hayden?

5) Ragan: Poor Ragan. Either he’ll continue to be an outsider in this game or play the role of the all powerful swing vote at some point.

INSIDER FACTOIDS:

* We all learned during tonight’s HOH challenge that there was 330 gallons of sticky “goo” in Sunday night’s “Sweet Tooth” challenge. But did you know that there was over 1,300 pounds of popcorn!

* My personal favorite “fan-submitted sabotage” was one that suggested the “Saboteur” throw all the Houseguest’s food over the Big Brother wall. That’s called playing to win…depriving you and your fellow competitors of nourishment. I wish we could have seen that one played out.

GENERAL THOUGHTS:

* I love Kathy, but she really needs to lose that “Rub for Luck” shirt or at least wear something else. Wonder what her fellow officers back in Arkansas think?

* Enzo, no more sunglasses inside the house! If you’re using it as a tactic to avoid eye contact when you’re lying through your teeth that’s one thing. But I get the sense, the “Meow, Meow” simply thinks it’s cool. Love ya Enzo, but we’re not at the World Series of Poker.

* I’m not sure who was more emotional this week, Annie or Brendon. I understand Annie’s tears, but Brendon needs to man up a bit if he’s going to stay in the house.

* I’m guessing America decided Kathy was the “Saboteur” the second they saw her taking a siesta during the “Sweet Tooth” challenge. I’m not saying I could have done it either, but she may need to showcase a bit more physicality to stay in the game.

That’s all for this week. I can’t wait to see how the shift in the HOH impacts the game. Do Brendon and Rachel keep love alive; will we see a second “showmance” between Kristen and Hayden emerge; will Ragan jump into an alliance? Let me know your thoughts.

ANYWAY! RENNY edition!!!!! Check it out!

1) The number of house guests is likely to stay in the same range as previous years, some where around 12 to 14.

2) This year it will be more difficult than ever before. Allison commented that in order to keep the game interesting for the fans and challenging for the house guests, things will not be quite the same as previous years. Expect the unexpected, things will be less predictable.

3) The theme of the show this year will be a “Beach Theme” keeping with the idea of summer camp.

4) Allison also took the time to debunk the latest rumor that next season of Big Brother will be the last. Allison is looking for the same kind of success the show experienced last season to have it renewed again after this season and looks forward to a rosy future for Big Brother.

5) Allison truly embraces the fans. She confided that yes she does surf the different web sites to verify things and stay in contact with fan opinion.

6) One of the most interesting nuggets to come out of the interview is this season a number of house guests will have different backgrounds and personalities than we have ever seen before.

Wait! It’s over? It’s done? Yes, my Big Brother friends, the season has come to an end. Phooey. Granted, I’ve got some stuff going on (Baby ChenTot is on his way…well, soon!), but it’s always a bit sad when I say the final goodnight at the end of each season. Sigh…what a season it was!

BUT FIRST… (Chenbot lives on!)

FINAL H.O.H. PART ONE:
First round of HOH: “Log Jam”
WINNER: Kevin

Set-up: The Houseguests stood on a log while keeping contact with their key. As the seasons began to turn, so did the log. We threw wind, rain, leaves and snow at them. Jordan fell first.

Cut to…Natalie thinks Kevin is good on his word to take her to the final two and jumps off the log roll 10 minutes or so after Jordan fell (she was having a shower when it happened). WOW! As I watched, I couldn’t help but think…“You get to the Final 3 and you believe anyone??” Sigh. I’m not going to lie…Natalie played a good game, but, that was a stupid move. I’m sitting at home screaming at the television, “Stay on the damn log!” Not because I’m partial…I just couldn’t believe she’d be that big of a gambler! Having said that, she may not have been the dominant force in our Big Brother competitions, but she ultimately got herself far in this game. Natalie haters, think it through. It’s a GAME, she played it good enough to get her to the Final Two.

SIDE NOTE: Folks, I know some of you think there was some sort of conspiracy with this challenge…Natalie didn’t break any rules on this. I do appreciate the passion, though…thanks for caring!

Natalie to Jordan: “What the hell was that white stuff?”
Jordan: “It’s snow, Natalie.”

DID YOU KNOW?, PART ONE:
The Big Brother pets this season were fish – Tiger Barb from Sumatra and Rand Garra Algae Eaters from Borneo.

HOH – PART TWO: “Heads Will Roll”
Winner: Jordan

Since Kevin won Part 1 of 3 for the final H.O.H. competition, Part 2 was between the ladies of the house.

Natalie and Jordan took turns (while the other was in lock-down, unaware of the end result…Kevin was sweating it out, also in lockdown, somewhere in the BB house). One at a time, each stood at the base of a ramp with the names of former Houseguest printed on balls which they then needed to roll up the ramp in order of this season’s H.O.H. reign.

Jordan won (Natalie: 5 correct; Jordan: 9 correct).

DID YOU KNOW?, PART TWO:
There are 52 cameras used in the Big Brother House.
There are 95 microphones used in the Big Brother House.
There are 119 one-way mirrors in the Big Brother House.
It takes approximately 230 laps in the pool to equal a mile.
There are approximately 200-300 hours of footage shot to produce one episode!!

H.O.H. COMPETITION PART 3: “Jury Rules”
Winner: Jordan

Talk about a nail-biter. It came down to a tie between Kevin and Jordan and up to…the chalkboard. And a question about the total votes cast (including tie-breakers) this entire season. I thought Kevin had it. He was counting on his fingers while Jordan seemed panicked. Readers…we all under-estimated Jordan. The correct answer was 51…she wrote 50. Well. Done. Jordan.

FINAL HOUSEGUEST QUOTES:

Jeff to Lydia during the Jury House Debate: “I might as well talk to that plant!”…It’s like talking to a road cone!”

Jeff to Jessie during the Jury House debate: “This room doesn’t fit your head, and we’re outside!”

Lydia (while casting her vote): “Jordan, I love a good blonde.”

I (and my alter ego, Chenbot) would like to thank all of you for supporting the show and supporting me. I’m not going to even try to spin this…I was sweating it…as much as I wanted to host the Big Brother Finale, I wasn’t sure if Baby ChenTot had different plans for me. We all made it to the end…I thank all of you for your kind words and support. You have no idea how much this has meant to me. Big Hug to All! I’m off to have A BABY…YAHOO!! Big Brotherfans…you’re the best!

BTW: You can see Jeff on “The Bonnie Hunt Show” this Friday…check your local listings! They’re both from Chicago…should be fun to watch!

VIEWER QUESTIONS:

Question: There are those who believe that the Big Brother producers favor certain houseguests. Examples include Kevin’s statement that the diary room producers pressured him to keep Michele in the game, and the fact that Jordan was not expelled despite approaching Russell in a threatening manner. In a 2007 EW interview Alison Grodner admitted that the Big Brother rules can be changed at any time. In the Netherlands, Australia and UK, there have been several lawsuits alleging that Big Brother is rigged. How do you respond to current allegations that Big Brother 11 is rigged?

Julie: Big Brother is NOT rigged. I think the scandal of the 50’s game show, Quiz Show, was a lesson for all as to why you cannot rig a game show. It’s ILLEGAL! Plus, it would defeat the concept of Big Brother. Our show is about human behavior and the consequences of that behavior. Sometimes the good guys win…sometimes they don’t. It’s like life. If it was rigged, the show would be boring and predictable! The drama is in the surprise of what happens every week…be it something you’re happy about or not.

Viewer: Julie, Please say that you will continue to host BB after you become a mother. This show wouldn’t be the same without you. It is by far my favorite reality show on TV. I eagerly await it every summer. Congrats.

Julie: Absolutely! I love the show too…hosting it, watching it, working on it, blogging about it…the list goes on. I cannot imagine having the show continue without me hosting it. I have so much fun doing it. Thank you!

Viewer: Will you be back next year to blog Big Brother 12 at EW? I absolutely loved your insights on the best television show of the summer! (Editors note: we would LOVE to have you back, Julie!!!!)

Julie: Yes, yes and yes! Thanks for asking (fans and editors!). I had a blast doing these blogs. It made me feel hip and young and I didn’t even have to tweet!