Mecole Hayes has given CBS the reaction they wanted from the biggest twist of Big Brother 25.
Although season 25 opened up earlier this summer with its “Big Brother Multiverse” theme, it was four-time Survivor player and The Traitors US season 1 winner Cirie Fields joining the game that caused the most jaws to drop. And if having a reality competition legend and social strategy aficionado in the house wasn’t enough, she also entered the game on day 1 with her son, Jared Fields.
Here’s the kicker: None of the houseguests were told about their relationship. Only one contestant picked up on the mother-son dynamic, and that was Survivor superfan Izzy Gleicher who had seen Jared briefly appear on season 34’s Game Changers as Cirie’s loved one.
Instead of outing them, Izzy aligned with Cirie and Jared and she battled alongside them until her eviction on day 44. The only other competing houseguest to learn of Cirie and Jared’s relationship is Blue Kim, Jared’s showmance, and she was sworn to secrecy.
Jared left the house during week 8 with their secret still intact.
Mecole followed him out the door on day 65 after facing a unanimous eviction vote. Her departure marked the opening of the jury house, meaning Mecole was the last houseguest to be sent home and back into the real world. So, Mecole may be the final Big Brother 25 alum to learn of the mother-son dynamic until finale night.
Host Julien Chen Moonves shocked Mecole when she revealed the relationship after her eviction on October 5. And although she’s had days to process it, Mecole is still taken aback.
“I am shook by the fact that Cirie is Jared’s mom,” Mecole said to Rob Cesternino in a recent Rob Has a Podcast interview. “Like, I’m shaking every time I say that because it’s just so insane. Watching and looking back at their dynamic throughout the season really has me shook.”
All in all, eight hopefuls are back home after spending time in the Big Brother 25 house. Every week, we were excited to hear Julie reveal the secret. However, the reactions — until Meme — were underwhelming, to say the least. Also, two of the eight houseguests were Jared and Izzy and they already knew about the twist. Further, Luke Valentine, a contestant expelled on day 8 for using a racial slur, never had an exit interview. So he learned about the twist privately.
Regardless, if Blue and Cirie (who doesn’t even know Jared told Blue about them) manage to keep the relationship hush-hush, the reveal should be fun on finale night.