Joseph Rodriguez was "surprised" when he was evicted from Big Brother Season 26, and fans may be equally surprised to learn about the 30-year-old reality TV star's real life.
For 25 years, Big Brother's premise of strangers living under the same roof and voting out their peers has remained a winning formula.
Season 26 of the CBS show debuted on July 17, introducing audiences to a brand-new cast of Houseguests, including Tampa, Florida's Joseph Rodriguez.
Who Is Joseph Rodriguez? Biography Details
Joseph Rodriguez Worked as a Video Clerk
Before joining the Big Brother cast, Joseph Rodriguez worked at Tampa, Florida's Viper Video store (via Instagram).
In addition to being featured on the store's social media, Viper Video's owner, Shelby McIntyre, told Tampa Bay's Creative Loafing that everyone loves Joseph and that he will still have a job when he returns.
McIntyre also acknowledged how Rodriguez "loves" the show and wants "him to do great:"
“He just loves that show, so we're happy for him. I want him to do great on it. But you know if he wins we'll never see him again."
Joseph Plays in Local Bands
In addition to his interest in movies and filmmaking, Creative Loafing also noted that Rodriguez is musical and plays in local Florida bands, including the Sleeping Pills.
In a separate article from Tampa Bay's Creative Loafing in 2017, the Sleeping Pills confirmed Rodriguez played bass in the band.
Joseph Was a Massive Big Brother Fan Before Joining the Show
In talking to John Powell about competing in Season 26, Rodriguez confessed his "love" for reality TV and particularly Big Brother, saying:
"I have consumed a disgusting amount of reality TV over 30 years of life. I love this genre, I love Big Brother so much."
He also touched on his competitive nature and how the series is "like the most high-stakes poker tournament you can be in:"
"I'm also just a competitor in my daily life playing poker and things like that, and this is like the most high-stakes poker tournament you can be in. The pressure's on. There's a lot of money on the line, and I love that feeling."
Joseph Is Surprised He Lost Big Brother
After being evicted in Week 7, Rodriguez told show host Julie Chen Moonves (via GoldDerby) that he was "surprised" and not "sure what happened:"
“I’m not angry, I’m surprised though. A lot of people told me I was good that I thought would keep their word to me, so I’m really not sure what happened.”
As for who he was talking to in his final speech, Rodriguez revealed it was Houseguests "Cam, Makensy and Chelsie" since he was confident he had "Angela and Leah's vote:"
“I was speaking to Cam, Makensy and Chelsie, specifically. I thought I had Angela and Leah‘s vote no matter what. Me and Rubina had made a deal also, where we would vote for whomever of us came off, or was still on the block.”
When asked if he felt betrayed, Rodriguez admitted, "I've been lying to people all summer," noting he would be "a huge hypocrite" if he held it against his fellow competitors:
“It’s ‘Big Brother.’ It is what it is. I’ve been lying to people all summer, so I would be a huge hypocrite to be like, ‘Look at you, you lied to me!’ It is what it is, good game to all of them.”
[ Big Brother 2024 Season 26 Cast & Contestants (Instagrams & Photos) ]
Big Brother airs on CBS and is streaming on Paramount+.
