Warning: Big Brother Canada Season 11 spoilers ahead!
The suspense, the intrigue, the drama — Reality TV at its finest!
Shanaya Carter and Kuzivakwashe “Kuzie” Mujakachi have returned home after representing Victoria on the 11th season of Big Brother Canada, and Victoria Buzz was able to get exclusive interviews with both of them.
For around 70 days, the girls had to leave their jobs, family and friends, and regular lives to compete in one of Canada’s biggest competitions.
If you’re unfamiliar, Big Brother Canada is a reality television show that follows the format of the popular international franchise “Big Brother.” The show moves a group of strangers into a specially designed house filled with cameras and microphones — even by the bathroom sinks!
Shanaya however, told Victoria Buzz during an interview that she didn’t feel as if the cameras took her out of the moment.
“Weirdly enough, I feel like I was ready for the cameras [by] day two,” she said, adding that you’re so involved in the daily activities, that they’re hardly noticed.
The contestants are also completely isolated from the outside world. Everyone competes in various challenges — ultimately voting out their fellow houseguests. The last person standing wins a $100,000 prize.
Kuzie took no discomfort in the competition or being away from work and friends. She said that her work as a 9-1-1 operator and upbringing has prepared her to be strong and to always hold her ground.
“There’s nothing that shook me off my guard,” she said in an interview with Victoria Buzz. “I was all the way ready.”
Naturally, the stakes are high and things are bound to get tense! The fan-chosen season villain, Zach Neilson, started to stir up trouble right away.
“People were unhappy,” Kuzie said, referring to the first couple of weeks in the house. “The game was running too hard, too fast.”
One of the most iconic scenes in the entire season is the fight between Zach and Kuzie after Zach tried to keep his spot in the house by sneaking around — aiming to get fan-favourite, Hope, disqualified.
The plan didn’t go the way he thought it would. Hope was not disqualified and Zach’s reputation as the season’s villain was solidified. Kuzie is captured calling Zach out for his “dirty game,” earning a lot of praise from fans as they watched the confrontation.
Shanaya recalls that moment too as her true “reality TV moment” experience.
“I was sitting there in my towel…and I was like, ‘Oh my god,’… this is reality TV happening right in front of my eyes. So bizarre.”
After Zach left, the atmosphere shifted and everyone started to really enjoy their time on the show and the friendships that developed.
But sadly, it is a competition and there can only be one winner. Despite their efforts and strengths, both girls were evicted from the house during the highly-dreaded Double-Eviction night.
Leading up to their eviction, Shanaya emphasized the difficulty contestants can face at that point in the game — especially a certainty of self. Being constantly compared to other houseguests and the isolation from the outside world can amplify insecurities from regular life.
“I was fighting battles in my head,” she said. “When I told Rene that she deserved to be there more than I did, I genuinely felt that.”
Kuzie also did her best to prepare. She knew her game was strong and that she had a good place in the house — making her an obvious target.
“Day 55, that darn day,” Kuzie said, laughing. ““I knew it. As soon as Ty won that POV, I knew it…”
They served out the rest of their Big Brother Canada experience on the jury and spent a lot of time together, processing their experience.
Shanaya mentioned how much Kuzie was there for her after the eviction — emphasizing how important those moments were for her overall time on the show.
“She’s a lovely person,” Kuzie said. “We understand each other because we went through this thing together. She will always be there for me and I’ll always be here for her.”
Shanaya is taking some time to recover from the wild experience and has been spending time with family and friends. She is also slowly watching season 11 for herself!
Kuzie is back to work and noted how much the show inspired her to continue to seek out “epic things” in life. “Every little opportunity that comes, I’ll embrace it.”
Both girls, during their separate interviews, noted that they’ll stay in touch.
