Hi Kaysar. How are you feeling this morning?
I’ve seen better days but I’ll manage.
Have you had a chance to talk to your family and friends yet?
I’ve stayed clear of my friends because I know I’m going to need a lot of time to deal with them. But family comes first of course and I’ve talked to them. They’re doing well. My mom started hyperventilating and my father, I couldn’t understand what he was saying, but all good things apparently.
How much do you regret taking your finger off that button and letting Jennifer win HOH?
I feel like the biggest fool but in the end, I think Jennifer proved to be more of a fool than I am. I went in there to play the game with integrity and honesty. Those things are far more important than any sum of money.
What would you say to anyone who says “Well, you kinda lied to Eric yourself.”
I explained myself to the houseguests. And there were conditions between Eric and I – to not get involved in the veto competition. And he repeatedly tried to trick me into playing the veto competition regardless and thinking that I didn’t know what was going on.
Did you see the Head of Household competition last night?
Yes. I did.
How did you feel about the results?
I was thrilled! I think I lost my breath at that point. I tried to scream but nothing came out. I was so excited. It was awesome. They’re going to get what they deserve.
Why do you think America voted you back in the house by such an overwhelming majority?
Because I think I made the game exciting. I managed to finally find a way to play with integrity and honesty and rely soley on strategy as opposed to deception. And that’s what sets this season aside from the other seasons.
I hear there’s a even a fan website out there now that’s trying to raise money for you and the people on your team. What do you think of that?
Raise money?
Yes. They want to offer it to you as a prize.
I didn’t know that. Oh, God. You know what? I don’t know what to think of that. I guess I’m flattered. I know people enjoyed the way I played the game and that’s the most flattering of all because, you know, I’m not the person who signed up for this. I was Michael’s partner. He’s the one who signed up. I came in to make my voice heard and really make a difference in the game and how people view me and Arab Americans. And I think a lot of good came from it. So money wasn’t the first thing but hey, it’s flattering.
Will you be watching the live feeds now that you’re out of the house?
I really hope so. I am going to try to. It’s ironic because you get out of the house and it’s almost a relief. As much as it’s sad to leave, it really gets hectic in there. You just want to get some time away. But I can’t wait to jump back on. You do feel such a loss. And you want to jump back into the game, back into the action. And they do a good job of letting you do that with all of the live feeds.
Who do you think should win it all?
I’ll say the same thing I said before. If Janelle, Rachel, or Howie win it, I would be very happy.
What’s the worst thing about being in the Big Brother house?
When things get heated in the house and you wish you had that loved one, that best friend, that family member to turn to that really understands you and you can’t get to them.
What do you think of Howie and your team’s behavior this week – the lashing out at everybody?
I have never been supportive of such a strategy. I never agreed it but I got to a point where we kind of felt betrayed by the group. I had been nothing but helpful and supportive and peacemaker the entire game. I felt betrayed.
A lot of reality stars are going on more reality shows after their show is over. Do you think you would do something like Surreal Life or Battle of the Network Reality Stars?
Well, I haven’t really looked into anything yet. Everything up till now has been so sudden. I’ll have to weigh everything as they come.