And The Best Of 2011 Are …

Other sites have been making lists based on their preference, telling you who they believe was the best of 2011. We here at the Yak like to do it another way … put you in command. You nominated, you voted, and now it’s time to reveal who YOU chose as the Best of 2011. As 2011 comes to a close in just a few days, we figured it’s time to take you down memory lane as we reminisce about what made these people, TV shows, songs, albums, and celebrities the best (or in some cases the worst) of 2011. There were some EXTREMELY tight races this year, but fans came out in full force to make sure their favorites got to the top. No more yakking, let’s just get right to it. Click on a pic below to see what they won – or just click on the first pic and scroll through to see who and what made YOUR list of favorites in television, music, movies and more in 2011.

 

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Song of the Year:

Favorite Live Performance of the Year:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLLMzr3PFgk

Most Viral Video of the Year:

Yak Exclusive: Big Brother’s Adam Poch Speaks Up Against Bullying

In accordance with our initiative this week, Big Brother 13’s Adam Poch took some time to send us his thoughts, exclusively to the Yak, regarding bullying and the Anti-Bullying movement. Adam really doesn’t need an introduction. Fans remember him as the heavy metal teddy bear who took control of our TVs and computer screens on Big Brother this past summer.

We would like to personally thank Adam for stepping up and saying a few words about this important movement. In an effort to join forces and increase awareness, we encourage you to share these stories with your friends and family and encourage continuous efforts to make a difference! We all are capable and we just hope that this motivates and encourages each and every one of us to take a stand and put a stop to bullying once and for all. YakkityYaks, don’t talk smack!

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Adam Poch, 39, Hoboken, NJI think the reason I got cast on Big Brother this past summer was because I am truly a unique individual. Not too many 40 year old heavy metal fans would admit to loving Beverly Hills 90210 and Appletinis. Being unique is not something that is new to me. Growing up I was always a little different and I grew up in a family where being yourself was encouraged. There were kids that used to tease me because of the way I dressed or acted – but luckily for me, I was confident in myself and would not let them get under my skin.

Sadly – there are a lot of kids that are not as confident in themselves and are easy targets for bullies. They are afraid to speak out against these bullies, for fear of what would happen to them. Even worse – they are afraid to be themselves and spread their wings and embrace their uniqueness. By allowing this to continue – we may be holding back the next great musician, the next great artist, or even the next Reality TV show winner.

By raising awareness – I know we will not be able to stop people from bullying others, but hopefully we can help those being bullied stand up to these bullies and show them they are just wasting their time and energy. Don’t let them bring you down to their level. Keep your head raised high – and be yourself. Parents should be talking to their children and let them know it is ok for them to be themselves & encourage your children to tell you if someone is bullying them.

Together we can make a difference!

– Big Brother 13’s Adam Poch

The Mystery Behind Big Brother’s Fortune Teller

Just who is Madame Broella?

It has been nearly a month and a half since Rachel Reilly took away the grand prize of $500,000 as the winner of Big Brother 13, but many fans are still discussing, investigating, and debating the identity behind the house’s iconic figure, the fortune teller? Ever since the Fortune Teller surfaced on Twitter shortly before the start of Big Brother 13, rumors have been swirling as to the identity of @BBFortuneTeller.

Before we delve any further, I’d like to point out that the theories and opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those of the writer or staff at YakkityYaks. We have done our best to compile various opinions as we scour the internet and are bound to miss a few. This piece is meant to be for fun and in no way definitive about the identity of the Big Brother Fortune Teller. We’d also like to thank our exclusive Twitter sleuth, @pj_williamson, a self-proclaimed Big Brother and TV fanatic, for many of the investigative findings below.

A few key and popular theories exist about who the FT really is. Fans all over social networking sites and fan message boards (such as YY) have speculated that Madame Broella is indeed a member of production who has taken to social media sites like Twitter to give Big Brother fans just one more thing to obsess about in addition to the game. Other fans believe that a previous houseguest (popular or unpopular) from Big Brother’s past came up with a sick joke to mess with Big Brother fans. Even further, some fans believe that multiple houseguests are on a “rotation” in using the now infamous Twitter handle. The latter seems to be the most dominant and popular theory at this time.

Supporting the producer/insider theory, avid (and maybe even obsessed) “Fortunate Followers” will remember that the @BBFortuneTeller handle was able to tweet some information regarding the house and houseguests before news was made public. However, that doesn’t completely defend that theory because it is possible that previous houseguests may be privy to such information. So basically we’re back at square one.

As the season went on, it appeared that not only did the FT seem to have some inside scoop, but she (or he?) was willing to sporadically send out clues regarding it’s identity. The clue giving has continued on to this day, as fans continue to investigate this mystery. First up, the FT’s twitter description previously included “#TeamAlumni = #TeamBox.” As we mentioned, it has been believed for some time that the person behind the FT was a previous housguest, hence team alumni (or previous houseguest) = team box (or person inside the box, aka person in control of the FT). However, is there more to this clue that what we see on the surface? In the past week, the FT has released not one but TWO anagrams with the first being “OctoberThirtyFirst.” After much deliberation, the jury is still out on how to decipher this. The names Robert and Eric can be pulled out in two different deciphers (but then not much can be done with the other letters). Robert Roman appeared on BB4, but there’s not much more to go from there. However, Eric Stein was America’s Player on BB8, so … The second anagram was “Never Doubt Broella” and the FT let us know “Ellen” was the first world. Since “Ellen8million” was a trending topic that day, we are led to believe this does not signal any clue as to the identity of the FT. So, let us move on. We want to know if you’ve come up with any other ways to decipher these anagrams.

As we begin yet another week, the Fortune Teller ominously teased her Fortunate Followers regarding a #ManicMonday. Just what is Manic Monday and what does it have to with this Big Brother mystery? It’s clear now that #ManicMonday dealt with a new “Treasure Hunt” in collaboration with @MichelleBB10. As to what the hunt entails and what its reward will be, well, that’s anybody’s guess.

Additionally, the FT uses the term “EyE” rather than “I” with its random capitalization. It is more than likely that the “EyE” may simply refer to a.) The BB eye, b.) The CBS eye or c.) A fortuneteller’s all-seeing eye or even d) all of the above.

Even so, the story behind the Fortune Teller isn’t all fun and games. There was a point in time where fans seemed to get frustrated with Madame Broella and speculation grew that the identity of the tweeter was nothing more than a fan messing around and having fun with obsessed Big Brother fanatics. It was also even speculated that a major Big Brother blog and message board might be behind this social experiment. Some angry tweets were thrown her way, but it’s pretty obvious that the FT can handle angry tweets. She did live in the house with some interesting folk, after all. Plus, she’s probably still flattered with Shelly’s compliments from inside the house. These such theories didn’t hold much weight anyways and weren’t focused on as much by many Big Brother fans, but they did exist and we feel as if they should be pointed out as a reminder.

If there’s one thing EyE know, it’s that this Twitter handle, whether real or experimental, has made waves in social networking with one of the summer’s biggest reality shows. EyE think this could and will open doors for Big Brother next summer … the question is, my personal Fortunate Followers, just who is Madame Crystal Broella?

To follow along the speculation, join in our FORUMS and be sure to follow the Yak on Twitter and Facebook. Of course, don’t forget that you can follow Madame Broella on Twitter as well, so you’re not left in the dark on this mysterious yet enjoyable mystery. EyE know U won’t regRET it!

Big Brother 13 Adam Poch: ‘Creepiest Stripper at a Bachelorette Party’

The Yak had the pleasure of chatting with Adam Poch, 3rd place finisher of Big Brother 13! He gives us the low down on what it’s like to be a fan playing the Big Brother game!

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The Yak: Hello Adam! How are you doing this morning?

Adam: I am doing amazing! It would have been better waking up with a half a million dollars, but instead I woke up with something even better, I woke up with my girlfriend and I am out of that house.

The Yak: That is so awesome… I mean final 3, I know it isn’t exactly what you had your eyes on, but you know, final three, Tori Spelling, the Summer of Big Brother and now freedom! How does it feel to be Adam about right now?

Adam: You know, it feels pretty damn good to be Adam right now I gotta admit. It was a Summer that I never expected to happen, even though I was trying for a few years to get on the show, I never expected to get on. Then to actually get on the show and compete, and win competitions and get to the final three, who would ever think that? And Tori Spelling showing up? Phenomenal. I mean David Hasselhoff, that was cool, but if I never met David Hasselhoff, I could have continued living my life, but being able to meet Tori Spelling? And more importantly Tori Spelling knows who Adam is! If I had just gone to one of her book signings and asked her to sign my book and I would have said I love you and I host trivia night on Beverly Hills 90210, you’re the greatest, she would have thought I was just some weirdo. Now she thinks I am still a weirdo, but Adam the weirdo from Big Brother. She invited me to come over to her house for Christmas, I love my girlfriend dearly, we have a future together… Tori has a reality show where she plans weddings, who knows.

The Yak: Maybe she can plan your wedding!

Adam: Maybe with my little bit of quirkiness and loving Tori Spelling and loving 90210 I could get her to plan our wedding. Rachel won’t be the only one getting a dream wedding this season.

The Yak: Well, Rachel had her wedding this season.

Adam: Yes with the cutest ring bearer ever, as well as probably the creepiest stripper ever at a Bachelorette party.

The Yak: Yeah, we can get on board with that statement.

Adam: Well you gotta work with what ya got honey!

The Yak: We know you like fan sites, specifically Hamsterwatch

Adam: How did you know that? [laugh]

The Yak: I think I may just be psychic…

Adam: Well, now that I have been on the show, I will be for sure checking out every site now. I am a bit of an egomaniac, and if there is something written about me, whether it’s good or bad, I will read it. Even if it’s bad about me, I know who I am, and if your talking bad about me and you never lived in that house, you have no idea what you have to go through on a day to day basis.

The Yak: That was exactly what we wanted to ask you. Being a fan just like we are, watching the show and feeds, hanging out at the websites criticizing the game play and players, what can you tell us now that you have experienced it first hand?

Adam: You know, before I walked into that house, I had so many ideas of how I wanted to play the game. I watched how other people played it, and I knew I would have to play my own game, obviously not realizing the type of people I would be playing with, especially strong competitors that knew the game inside and out because they played the game before. That was definitely the toughest thing to get used to. The first couple of weeks, still trying to learn about people… learning who you can trust and who you can’t and in the meantime, there are 5 to 6 people who knew exactly what they were doing, so that was the toughest part of the competition. You know as a fan when you are watching on TV, it’s so easy to criticize… you have to sleep with both eyes open in that house. You can’t even sleep sometimes! I’m sitting there running scenarios through my head, and that person that’s laying next to you pretending to be sleeping and you wonder what scenarios are running through their heads. You know the first couple weeks trying to figure out who to trust is the hardest part… and once I started working with Jeff and Jordan, and I knew I could trust them, I think that’s when my game got some focus. People wanted to call me a floater and I call it covering my ass. I call it making sure I was not a target. I was making sure I was loveable and people wouldn’t look at me like I was a big threat, but meanwhile I was totally dedicated to Jeff and Jordan, and to some degree Rachel. I was definitely working with them when the newbies I was trying to align with either jumped ship or got in over their head, so I just had to make sure I did whatever I had to do to get by in the game. And say what you want about my game, I got to final three and gave myself a chance to win this game. Floater, drifter, fence sitter… you know there is no handbook that says how to play this game, and ya know what, in previous seasons, if I tried to play the game the exact way I played it, it may not have worked. So when you look at how anybody played this game, you cannot criticize how they did it, especially to get far in this game. You look back at every big move that was made this season and it blew up in their face, and not making a big move, was a big move, and not falling prey to help someone else out while not helping my game, that was a big move. So say what you want about me, but the moves that I made may not have looked big, but they got me to where I was.

The Yak: Did you experience paranoia in the game?

Adam: Paranoia sets in two seconds after you walk in that door. When you look at someone and you realize they aren’t here to just hand you a half million dollars, they’re here to take a half million dollars away from you. Then finding out people were throwing competitions early in the game because they didn’t like their partner, I mean come on… that’s why when the vets first asked me to come aboard and asked me to throw competitions, I did not want to roll like that. That’s not why I worked hard to get onto that show. That’s not why I tried 3 out of the last 4 years to get on that show. I did not go in there just to be someone else’s puppet, I went in there to win a half a million dollars. When I realized what I had to do, and maybe I was better off not winning competitions, that never stopped me from trying to win them. I said it to people in the house, and I will say it to anyone outside the house, I never threw a competition. If I lost a competition, it was because I sucked at it. When I got the Before and After wrong, the Fast Forward did startle me a little bit, the HoH Daniele won, it was the same one as the veto and we played it at night… I just got confused for a second and when you lose your head in this game, it screws you up. Hey, it worked out to my advantage… I wanted to get Jeff out, but I didn’t want to get Jeff out then. I wanted to get Jeff out in the final four and go head to head, but it worked out to help me a little bit. I was really upset I was not able to win the HoH and the Veto on the Fast Forward and keep Jeff safe because he had kept me safe and I wanted to return the favor. It really bummed me out. Then when Jeff looked at me after the vote came in 2-2 and thought I voted against him it really hurt me. But hey ya know what, any ripple in the whole scheme of things, I may not have been in the final three so…

The Yak: Do you think if Rachel had taken you to the final two you could have won and why did you ultimately end up voting for Porsche to win?

Adam: I’d like to think I could have convinced the jury to vote for me. Chances are with the people who were on that jury, they were pretty set on who they would vote for. Rachel did earn her spot there, Rachel was the fiercest competitor of the season. Honestly I threw my vote to Porsche, and people are giving me slack for that, but I did throw my vote to Porsche because I really did not want to see a veteran win the game. When it came down to it, I tried to help Rachel get further in the game so she could help me get further in the game, and I really wish she had taken me and showed me the same courtesy that I showed her by working with her and sticking with her, and keeping her safe when I did, and it did hurt me, so that’s why I did vote for Porsch to win. I know as a new player what I had to go through this time around and the fact that a veteren had a second chance to play the game, I felt like the new people definitely deserved it.

The Yak: Did the vets coming into the game change the way you had originally planned to play the game?

Adam: The only thing it changed was the fact the I knew there were some big targets in the house, and I can hide behind them a little bit. I knew coming into the game I’m a 40 yr. old quirky guy and I wanted to make sure people fell in love with me early because sometimes people don’t get me right away. Knowing that there were big targets in the house did let me take a back seat and blend in a little bit, which I know is hard to imagine from a guy who is throwing metal horns in the air and screamin’, but you had some other people that were playing the game too fast, too strong, too quickly. I let people like Keith dig his own ditch. I let Dominic dig his own ditch. That sucked because I really wanted to work with Dominic but with the veterans there, they knew what they were doing… but with the newbies there that didn’t know what they were doing that were getting in over their heads so I just took a back seat and let them dig their ditches and fall in it. When it was time for me to start steppin’ up, I thought I could put it into overdrive and step it up. I did for a little bit, but in this game there are so many up and downs week to week.

The Yak: Why didn’t you tell Jeff and Jordan about Shelly’s betrayel sooner?

Adam: Ya know, I didn’t want to believe it! I did not want to believe that Shelly was not on board. I thought Shelly was being true and honest with me because we would talk things through. We were both up early in the morning and we would talk about decisions that were going on, it always seemed like her and I were on the same page. When we did not agree on stuff we would talk about it. The fact that she was just actually just taking the information I was giving her and twisting it, going back to Jeff and Jordan telling them that they shouldn’t be trusting me… we didn’t figure that out until it was too late. I think Shelly did do an amazing job with that, trying to be a “Dr. Will”, trying to manipulate other people. But again, too much, too fast, too strong, and when people finally started comparing notes, we realized Shelly was the one that was betraying us.

The Yak: That’s what we saw as well. It seemed that Shelly was very manipulative, but at some point, it seemed she got a little too big for her britches so-to-speak, that she was doing it so well, she got a little cocky about it.

Adam: Exactly and in this game as you have seen before, once you think you got it wrapped up, that’s when you go down. When she was going upstairs when Kalia was HoH and telling Jeff, Jordan and myself that she was telling Kalia that she was voting to keep Rachel, but going up there to get information for us, we thought it was a little suspicious, but she had not done anything to that point to show her suspicion, so we didn’t want to believe it. Looking back if we had we realized it, when Shelly and Brendon were up, we could have sent Shelly home. But like I said so many times, any one change in the ripple, I might have not made final three, so it worked out the way it was supposed to work out. Except for the fact that I could not win one of the first two parts of the final HoH, because I got four questions right in part 3 sitting in the kitchen by myself, and could not believe how they weren’t getting these questions right, and that’s where I would have excelled because I did get to know all the jury members, as well as everybody in the house on a personal level, so I knew what they would have been thinking in those final questions. It was my own fault.

The Yak: Since we are running out of time, I would like a more personal question if I could. We know you lost a lot of weight before going into the Big Brother house, and just wondered if you did it using the Atkins or similar low carb program, and if that’s how you got hooked on bacon?

Adam: [laugh] No, I have always been hooked on bacon! I have been hooked on bacon since I was a little boy, and my father would cook bacon in the morning on the weekends, and I would wake up to the sweet smell of bacon… as a Jew it’s like the forbidden fruit. But I have been able to keep bacon in my diet and lose the weight by finding healthier alternatives still using bacon. Bacon is good for you, moderation is the key. Like anything in life, it’s all about moderation. You do not have to cut bacon out of your diet, you can still stay healthy, and look as good as I do… the sexiest man to play Big Brother!

The Yak: Well thank you so much Adam. You have a great day and some wonderful wrap parties!

Adam: Thank you so much I appreciate it.

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Big Brother 13 2nd Place Winner Porsche Briggs: ‘Burning the Pink Velour’

The Yak had the pleasure of talking with second place Big Brother winner, Porsche Briggs yesterday morning, immediately following her win of $50,000 the night before. Read below what Porsche had to say about her Summer of Big Brother, her other Houseguests, and how she feels about her 2nd place victory!

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The Yak: Hi Porsche, congratulations on final two! I know you wanted to win the big money, but you got second place, $50,000, a summer of Big Brother and now freedom this morning! How does it feel to be you about right now?

Porsche: Oh it’s pretty nice! It’s $50,000 more than I started this Summer with!

The Yak: Too true! Our members as you know watch the feeds, watch the show and criticize the game play of course, but can you tell us first hand now what it truly feels like to be in there and how stressful it really is?

Porsche: Oh that’s the biggest difference between watching it on TV and being there actually. It’s stressful ALL the time you know, everyone is constantly trying to determine who’s side are you on, what you will do if we win, if you win… it’s all game talk all the time in that house and it’s REALLY stressful!

The Yak: Yes because the fans can watch the show and feeds and see what is going on behind all the doors and what people are saying but of course you can’t, so it must be paranoia city!

Porsche: Oh of course… when you walk out of a room, you are always wondering if someone is plotting your demise! We used to joke about that in the house. Now we are going to see people on the street and wonder if they are plotting our demise!

The Yak: Ok let’s get the most asked questions out of the way here. I’m sure you have heard these words a lot since you have gotten out of the house. Let’s start with “Benefiber.”

Porsche: Yeah that’s so funny that that question keeps coming up! It was literally only in the stuff for like a couple hours. You know I never actually had to use Benefiber, I didn’t know if it was going to make someone sick or anything like that and I had Dani and Kalia sitting right there and not telling me anything different and they were the ones, you know, keeping an eye on me. You know you just get really bored in the house, and you kinda look for ways to kind of spice things up and keep it interesting you know, and it was a joke that just kinda got out of hand… but yeah it was only there literally for like a couple of hours before I just threw the entire container of protein shake away.

The Yak: Yes and I’m sure you heard about it a lot since last night huh?

Porsche: A few times for sure yeah! [laugh]

The Yak: The other most asked question… pink velour suit!

Porsche: Ok, it will be burned yes! [laugh] Everyone can rest assured.

The Yak: I think it was just that you wore it so often. I have a feeling if you had only worn it a few times that no one would have said anything, but since you were always in it…

Porsche: Yeah, I mean, I didn’t have to get dressed, like any kind of fancy or anything, and it was cold in the house you know, and kind of cold outside at night so you always just want to be comfortable you know… and whatever, it is a matching little sweatsuit and I had a couple of them but yeah that one was my favorite!

The Yak: I’m certainly glad no one has feeds to my house because I’m sure they would get sick of what I am wearing around the house as well! Anyway… what caused you to jump ship from Rachel and the vets to the Dani/Kalia side of the house?

Porsche: Yeah ok, well after Brendon left Rachel definitely had a very emotional week but she definitely didn’t take it out in the best ways possible, you know as far as game play and everything is concerned, you know she had the whole house going against her, and when he left she just stuck real close to Jeff and Jordan and at that time, even though I was in the vet alliance, I wasn’t really aligned with Jeff and Jordan, I was more aligned with Brendon and Rachel and that’s why I even voted for him to stay at that point. She just went and hung out with Jeff and Jordan, then Jeff wanted me to throw the “Knock Out” competition and all that kind of stuff… I’m not there to help anybody else. I am there to play my game. I didn’t come into that game as a duo, with a partner, anything of the sort. I came in by myself and only I can help myself win $500,000, and at that point, it just didn’t feel right playing with them. I wanted to be able to get to know the rest of the people in the house and just not hate people because I was told to do so. I made friends with the other people in the house and I find out I really liked them, we got along, we had a lot in common, and I had a really enjoyable few weeks there.

The Yak: Yes, and there is a lot of downtime in the house, so it was probably nice to find someone you can speak to.

Porsche: Exactly, and their not just always trying to talk game. It was nice to just have a little break from constant game talk.

The Yak: Speaking of the duos, if you were able to rewind and choose to partner up with someone else instead of Keith, would you, and who would it be?

Porsche: Absolutely not. At this point in the game, I am extremely happy that Keith was my partner. He definitely blew up in the beginning you know, right when we were on the block and it worked out to my advantage obviously. But when we were all sitting down, me and Kalia thought that we would have partnered up together and you know what… we did later on in the game so… I guess it worked out for everyone.

The Yak: Do you think if you went to the end with Adam you would have won?

Porsche: Umm, no actually. Adam was really close to Jeff and Jordan obviously, and at that point, Rachel and I had week to week deals going back and forth. That’s all you have in the Big Brother game, you don’t have any kind of money or anything else but your word and your deals, and if I would have broken that promise with Rachel, I know that Rachel would not have wanted to vote for me and neither would Brendon, so right there would have been the 4 votes for me to get second place so… people can say that maybe I could have beaten Adam, but when you look at it, Jeff and Jordan didn’t like me and they would have voted for Adam because he was their friend so… whatever. [laugh]

The Yak: Yeah and speaking of that, it didn’t seem you got along well with Jordan in particular and Jeff really. Do you have any idea why?

Porsche: I never really had anything against them. Obviously they were the longest running couple in the house, so they had to be broken up. Jeff was a really strong competitor and I did talk to him a lot just on free time, not game or anything like that… we talked about different Humanitarian Services and things he did from Around the World and he has obviously done some TV and I would like to get into that business, so we talked a lot about that stuff, as well as just hangin’ out playing 20 questions. Jordan and I, you know we were the closest in age in the house… I mean I was the youngest and she was second youngest but we definitely had two different lifestyles. She is definitely a little bit more guarded than me, I have had a lot more time to grow into my skin, and I’m really happy about that. I think she is an awesome, pure girl, and she was carried by Jeff, you know, most of the game and it worked out for awhile, but I was not going to be able to take her to final 3.

The Yak: Yes and it seemed like she felt the same way about you when she would say things about you “like to bake cookies, host competitions and hang out in a bikini” insinuating that you didn’t real play and got carried as well.

Porsche: What they keep forgetting in there is that I was given a golden key for the first 30 days of the competition so what did they expect me to do? Get in people’s faces and try to cut people’s throats when I can’t even compete to save myself?

The Yak: It seemed that’s what Daniele did with her golden key and look where it got her right? If you had won the final 4 HOH, who would have been your target?

Porsche: Honestly at that point, the final 4 HoH does mean as much as that final 4 veto. The veto is what you need… in fact it is almost better the way it did work out cause if it had gone any other way with me winning HoH, I could have been facing with Jordan and Adam because at that point, with coming down to final 3 and what not, you know Jordan would have taken Adam and Adam would have taken Jordan, so I would have been out 3rd, so… it was what I needed to ensure that I could make deals and get myself to final two.

The Yak: Who do you think you will remain friends with now that it’s over?

Porsche: I definitely think I will remain friends with Rachel, she’s great and we get along really well obviously under extreme circumstances. I will definitely also continue to talk with Adam and Dani.

The Yak: If asked, would you do it all over again for All-Stars?

Porsche: Oh absolutely. Big Brother is normally a once in a lifetime opportunity and I got my first time on Big Brother playing with more winners than All-Stars even had, so they must have saw something in me that I was a good competitor, and I am… I would definitely come back and compete again. I can only get one more thing in Big Brother. You know, I have done Pandora’s Boxes, I’ve done HoH, Veto… I’ve done it all and won second place, now all I need to do is win. [laugh]

The Yak: Speaking of playing with past winners, did your strategy change at all from what you planned on doing before entering the house when you saw the vets walk in?

Porsche: Absolutely. My personality is outgoing, flirtatious, fun… basically what I was in the house but being in the house with couples, engaged people and people who have boyfriends/girlfriends on the outside, it makes it really difficult to play the kind of game you think you are going to play when you come into the house. Especially playing with veterans who think “hey we’re hot shit and we’re going to be the number one alliance and be awesome” but you can only be on top for so long in that game and then you are back on the bottom, then from the bottom you can get back on top. It’s very flip flop week to week in that game and I definitely had a struggle playing with a lot of people that had already played this game but it was definitely worth the challenge.

The Yak: Well thank you so much for talking to us this morning Porsche. Keep us in mind when you decide to take the dive into reading things online which could be dangerous! [laugh]

Porsche: I know, that’s what they have been telling me! [laugh]

The Yak: Enjoy your freedom and your wrap parties!

Porsche: Thank you so much!

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Big Brother 13 Winner, Rachel Reilly: ‘Look at me now…’

The Yak had the pleasure of speaking with Rachel this afternoon, less than 24 hours after being crowned winner of Big Brother 13! Keep on reading what she has to say about her victory, the summer, and what she really thinks about her fellow houseguests. Our chats with Porsche and Adam will be up later!

Editor’s Note: It was a real pleasure talking with Rachel. Her bubbly personality was infectious and she was extremely friendly and genuinely happy!

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The Yak: Congratulations on the win! It must feel amazing! We are very proud of you…

Rachel: Awwww thank you! I WON BIG BROTHER! {laughs}

The Yak: You stayed real strong after Brendon’s 2nd eviction, told him in your goodbye message you were going to do this, and you got it done! How do you feel right now?

Rachel: Feels AMAZING! I can’t believe I won Big Brother. It’s surreal, considering everything that I had to go through in that house. It’s such a great feeling, especially knowing how many fans I picked up. I’m still trying to get used to that.

The Yak: You seemed to be a big fan of Big Brother… were you a fan before your original season? Did you watch the show and feeds or only the show?

Rachel: I was a fan of Big Brother for a long time. I never watched the live feeds but I always watched the CBS shows. I always told myself how I wanted to make it on this show, end up competing like Janelle, play a great social game, make the right alliances, etc…Things didn’t turn out so well in my season so I told myself that if I was ever asked back, I’d do it differently. When I was asked back this season, I made sure that Brendon and I adjusted our social game. I think we did a good job of it going in, considering we had no idea if any other veterans would be joining. The second we saw Jeff and Jordan, we knew we had to join with them and work on our social game from the get go. The competitions would come later.

The Yak: How do you think the vets changed the dynamic this year?

Rachel: The vets totally changed the dynamics this year. Not only did we have targets on our back, but we knew that we’d be picked off one by one if we didn’t join forces early on. It was a great idea to have fans and new people play with us, but it was also dangerous for us. Then Daniele had to go and ruin our game making a terrible move by going against our alliance. I’m still not sure why she did it, but it put us in danger and it wasn’t the smartest move Daniele has ever made.

The Yak: Looking back on the first few evictions the vets decided, is there any that you think you would do differently now?

Rachel: Well, you can’t really play the “what if” game. But I think evicting Keith was a great idea. I think evicting Cassi was a great idea. Looking back, I had no idea Shelly was playing a Dr. Will type game early on. Maybe voting her out instead of Dominic would have been a good idea for my alliance, but then maybe Dominic would have teamed up with Cassi or Dani or whoever was around and that would have hurt us in the end.

The Yak: Well and don’t forget that keeping Shelly a little longer got her to jury which gave you the victory …

Rachel: {Laughs} Exactly! That’s why you can’t really play the “what if” game here. Maybe then I wouldn’t have won.

The Yak: You’ve mentioned Daniele a few times already, is it safe to assume that we won’t be hearing of a Rachel and Dani friendship anytime soon?

Rachel: Probably not. Well {laughs} you never really know. Look at me now. Ragan and I are best friends, so I guess it could happen, but probably not.

The Yak: What was going through your mind when she made her comment as she cast her vote last night?

Rachel: I FOR SURE thought I had her vote, which would have meant I won the game. I didn’t think that she’d make a dig at me and vote for Porsche at the same time. I was really shocked when I saw that she voted for Porsche, and I was even more shocked when I saw that Shelly voted for me.

The Yak: Yeah, we saw it in your face. Did you know that you won at that point?

Rachel: Oh for sure. The second I saw Shelly’s key, I knew I won this game and I don’t even remember what was going through my head at that point. I was SHOCKED.

The Yak: Before that point, was there any other moment in the game where you thought you might win it?

Rachel: I honestly didn’t realize I was going to win this game until after I won the final HOH. I went to the Diary Room after I won and that’s when I first thought to myself that I could actually have just won Big Brother.

The Yak: You mean not once before last night did you think you might have a shot at this game?

Rachel: Nope, not at all. Considering how big of a target I and the other vets had on our backs, I knew that I’d have to step up my game; but every single week I thought that I’d be the one walking out that door. After Brendon and Jeff left, I for sure didn’t think I’d win this thing. Even if I took Jordan to the F2 I think she would have beat me, but I knew that her and I needed to make it there, so I knew I had to fight for it.

The Yak: If you had won the final 4 POV, who would you have evicted and why?

Rachel: If I had won…well, my hope was that Jordan would win the F4 HOH and I won the F4 POV. At that point, I would have evicted Adam for sure. My gut feeling was that Adam just wasn’t with Jordan and I 100%, and I was starting to think of ways for us both to make it to the Final 2.

The Yak: Speaking of Adam, what do you make of his vote last night?

Rachel: I was SHOCKED. I knew that Brendon, Jeff and Jordan would vote for me and that Shelly, Kalia and Dani would vote for Porsche.

The Yak: Right? Who would have known that Shelly would have been the deciding vote?

Rachel: I KNOW! It really hurt to see that Adam voted for Porsche. Before I evicted him, he stood up and made that speech and called Porsche a floater. Adam had always told me that if I won the final HOH, he’d vote for me to win because I deserved it. After all that, I’m surprised he voted for Porsche.

The Yak: Did you get to ask Adam about it since last night or no?

Rachel: I did. I actually confronted him in the backyard last night and he told me that he knew I had won the game. He told me that somehow he saw Shelly’s vote. I don’t really believe it; it seemed more that he was angry I evicted him.

The Yak: A lot of people were confused about the vote, but you still won! … If you were on jury instead of in the final two, who would you think deserved to win the game the most (other than Brendon) of all the other Houseguests?

Rachel: Jeff 100%. If Jeff made it to the finals, I would have voted for him for sure. He plays a great social game, he’s a nice guy, and I would have loved to see either him or Jordan win this game if Brendon or I couldn’t.

The Yak: Throughout the season, we obviously witnessed a lot of lows for Rachel, especially after Brendon was evicted the second time. Other than an underlying motivation to win the game, what do you attribute climbing out of those lows to?

Rachel: 100% Jordan. Jordan was my life saver in this game. She knew I needed her and she needed me. Our men were in the Jury house and we were left behind to keep on. Jordan and I HAD to make it to the final 2 and I knew that I couldn’t sit around crying too long or we’d be sent out next. For sure, I attribute much of my success to Jordan helping me through. I SO wanted to bring her with me to the finals, but obviously that wasn’t possible.

The Yak: America was totally team Jorchel as I’m sure you now know. Much of America would have loved that F2 as well, but you still did what you sought out to do so congrats!

Rachel: I know, I can’t believe it!

The Yak: A couple of fans at our site first want me to tell you how much they LOVE you! They would like to know… if you could say one thing to those people that put you down last season, what would it be?

Rachel: Uhh {Laughs}, Look at me now. {Laughs}

The Yak: Before we let you go, Rachel, we just wanted to say that when everything mellows out for you, you must check out our coverage on your trash bag wedding. That must have been a blast!

Rachel: Ohhhhhh! YES! I’d love to see pictures. That night was so much fun. I’ll definitely check it out.

The Yak: Well, it was a pleasure talking to you Rachel. You’re such a sweetheart Thank you so much for your time. You’ve definitely redeemed yourself this year with A LOT of people, and have so many fans now it’s incredible! Good luck with everything!

Rachel: Awww, thanks! It was SO much fun talking to you. Thanks so much!

Yak’s Reality Roundup: Inaugural Edition

Welcome to our inaugural edition of Yak’s Reality Roundup. The usual installments of this weekly feature at YY will usually appear on Mondays, however, we thought it would be a good idea to premiere one of our new features today as summer reality TV comes to an end and fall reality TV begins its domination. Each week, we’ll take a look at what’s in store for us on some of our favorite reality shows. We’re not limited to which shows we include, so if you have a request, please let us know below in our comment section or in our forums! Don’t be shy … we listen to you! Without further adieu, time to round up the Yak’s reality picks of the week!

Big Brother 13

After a long and grueling summer, starting with someone leaving the game before the show’s network premiere, Big Brother 13 comes to an end and will crown it’s winner tonight on the season finale on CBS. The finale tonight airs immediately after the season premiere of Survivor: South Pacific at 9:30/8:30c. The finale three contestants, Rachel, Porsche, and Adam, battle it out in a 3-part competition for the final Head of Household, earning the right to pick who they will sit with when they face the jury. The finale will also revisit the jury house one last time as Kalia makes her way there. We’ll be getting a peek at the jury deliberations as they discuss who they believe should win Big Brother 13’s $500,000 cash prize. Don’t miss tonight’s cast reunion show, as well, where secrets are bound to be exposed and personalities will clash. Who do you want to see walk away with the grand prize? A Big Brother vet or a newbie? Fear that you’ll already miss Big Brother? No worries … rest assured the show will be back in the summer of ’12 with an all-new season! And don’t miss our EXCLUSIVE interviews with the runner-up and winner of Big Brother 13 later this week!

America’s Got Talent

Tonight, NBC boasts a night full of surprises and special guests as the peacock puts an end to it’s staple (and successful) summer alternative program, as the network calls it. The live two-hour season finale boasts some of the biggest names in music and entertainment taking the stage with the show’s finalists. NBC has just announced that performers Stevie Wonder, Patti LaBelle, LeAnn Rimes, Cobra Starship with Sabi and OneRepublic will join previously announced performers Tony Bennett with Queen Latifah, Season 5 finalist Jackie Evancho, Def Leppard and Cirque du Soleil. Wonder, LaBelle, Rimes and Cobra Starship with Sabi are slated to perform duets with POPLYFE, Landau Eugene Murphy Jr., Silhouettes, and Team iLuminate respectively. One of the four finalists will be crowned the winner. Who would you like to see take home the crown? Watch tonight’s finale with fans right here in our forum! AGT’s final airs TONIGHT at 8/7c on NBC!

Survivor: South Pacific

Last season, Survivor added a new game-changing twist…Redemption Island. This season, Survivor brings Redemption Island back, promising new twists along the way. Not only is Survivor bringing back Redemption Island, but they’re taking a page out of their book from last season and bringing back two former contestants to help “guide” the new castaways. Ozzy the ultimate physical competitor and Coach the “Dragonslayer” make their way back to life on a stranded. The theme of the season appears to be changes as the immunity idol will also pick up a change or two in how it’s claimed by a player this season. Are you looking forward to the return of Ozzy and/or Coach? Which new castaway are you rooting for pre-show? As always, join us in our forums as we discuss each episode together when it airs! Survivor, hosted by Emmy winner Jeff Probst, premieres TONIGHT at 8/7c on CBS!

Watch an exclusive preview of the first minute of tonight’s premiere below!

America’s Next Top Model

Top Model returns this season with 14 of your fan favorites from season’s past. This new all-star competition season will not only feature familiar competitive faces, but you can expect the likes of the Kardashians, Nicki Minaj, Kathy Griffin and more celebrity guests judging the competition. In addition to exposure to prolific fashion-industry gurus and successful entrepreneurs, the finalists will compete in complicated catwalks, ambitious fashion photo shoots and work to carefully craft their public personas, all under 24-hour-a-day surveillance of the cameras that chronicle every move. Which former contestants are you excited to see back competing for the title. Watch with fans HERE in our forums as we discuss the season’s happenings. Plus, look our for our season’s first interview with Season 5’s Lisa Damato, as she prepares to return to the catwalk this fall! ANTM premieres tonight at 9/8c on the CW!

Top Chef: Just Desserts

While this Bravo hit isn’t premiering or ending tonight, the competition continues on with yet another grueling week at impressing the judges with quality and incomparable desserts. The chefs have the test of their lives as they work together to replicate the world of wonka. As the original cast of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory grace the small screen as guests of the latest installment of the Emmy winning reality competition, the chefs are forced to stretch their imaginations to the limit. Who will succeed and who will fail miserably? Which chef will be asked to pack up their knives? Find out TONIGHT at 10/9c on Bravo.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHJBatMKxek

The Yak’s Eviction Interview with Big Brother 13’s Jordan Lloyd!

The Yak had the opportunity to chat with Jordan Lloyd from Big Brother this morning, after her eviction from the Big Brother 13 House last night! Keep reading to see what she had to say!

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The Yak: We have a lot of fans of yours over here at YakkityYaks! We fans can see what a pressure cooker the Big Brother House truly is, but we never had the chance to experience it of course. Can you tell us, first hand, how it feels to be trapped in the house with mostly strangers, and how stressful it really is?

Jordan: The worst part is just tension building in the house. You are limited as to where you can go and when you are upset, you want to leave and you just feel stuck and you can’t get out. If you want to do Big Brother you have to be someone who can hold your emotions together or you will go crazy.

The Yak from Forum Member SassyGal: What was the best part of returning to the BB house?

Jordan: Just being able to play again with Jeff and meeting new people and making friends.

The Yak from Forum Member SassyGal: How has your opinion of Rachel & Brendon changed from when you guest hosted for the BB12 veto comp?

Jordan: Brendon – I did not know how funny he was and how laid back he is. Rachel can be crazy at times but she is a sweet heart and is a lot of fun to be around.

The Yak from Forum Member CR: Do you think Jeff will propose to you soon, maybe on finale night?

Jordan: For finale night – No way! Haha.

The Yak from Forum Members Hapyhouswf & Grandmamichelf: Do you regret coming back this season, if so why or if not, why not?

Jordan: Not at all.

The Yak from Forum Member juliec32: Has the game changed much since you and Jeff been on it 2 years ago?

Jordan: No, its exactly the same.

The Yak: What was the best thing about returning to the Big Brother House? Other than eviction, what was the worst thing about returning?

Jordan: The best part would be knowing that I had Jeff with me. The worst part is all the drama and tension in the house.

The Yak: Will you remain friends with Shelly outside the house? Will you pursue working with her?

Jordan: Yes, we will remain friends. And no, I am not trying to get a job with her.

The Yak: If you could start this season over again, what would you do differently?

Jordan: No, I wouldn’t do anything differently.

The Yak from Forum Member KaysarRocks: If you had stayed and won HoH, who would you have taken to the final two and why?

Jordan: Rachel, I couldn’t evict someone who had been with me from the beginning.

Thank you Jordan! You are most loved over at YakkityYaks! Our fans are hoping to see you soon!

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Well, what do you think about what she had to say? Let us know below and be sure to come visit us in the forum HERE for all things Big Brother, and ALL your Reality Television Faves!