'Big Brother 25' Runner-Up Matt Klotz Says He Doesn't Regret Saving Jag
Matt Klotz
Big Brother’s house is open once more! Every week, Parade.com’s Mike Bloom will be bringing you interviews with this season's houseguests as they get evicted from the game.
Matt Klotz knows how to freestyle. In a game full of ever-changing dynamics and flips, Matt was one of the most fluid, like a deep pool. But as he played 100 days on Big Brother, he turned from water to (Matty) ice, as he used his social position and underestimation from his disability to never pop on anyone's radar. When he did win power, he used it to help those he was loyal to, namely Jag Bains. Unfortunately for Matt, though his malleability got him to the Final Two, he failed to turn that liquid into a solid pitch. As a result, he lost out on the gold medal.
Matt entered the house drawing a lot of eyes, as not only the most physical presence but the first Deaf contestant in the show's history. Despite his difficulty hearing conversations making him feel on the outside, he made a close connection early on with Reilly Smedley. As the game went on, Matt began to gain steam, building social capital with his affability and easygoing nature that he eventually translated into strategic power. In Week 4, Matt won his first competition, and a game-changing advantage to save an evicted player. And with Jag set to go out the door unanimously, he used it immediately, locking in his official number one ally. Of course that didn't mean Matt wasn't entertaining other relationships, becoming quite close with Survivor legend Cirie Fields.
When the jury hit, it was time for the Minutemen to clock in. They scooped up Bowie Jane at a crucial moment and, together, the three ran the table in competitions until the end. Though Matt never cooked or cleaned, his game was cooking as he was cleaning up the competition, as he and Jag worked to take out the physical threats. Matt hit his first stumbling block of the season when Jag and Bowie got rid of Cirie on his HoH. But it only locked him in more with Jag, and it was reciprocated when Jag kept him safe in both the Final Four and Final Three. Sitting in the finale, many fans thought Matt had this in the bag, as he had more relationships with the jury and had not been evicted. But Matt struggled to own up to his game in his answers, failing to dispute the notion that he did anything separate of Jag. As a result, he left the house empty-handed, though was happy to get a hopeful consolation prize in a date with Reilly.
Hours after the Big Brother 25 finale, Matt speaks with Parade.com about how much the final results surprised him, how he looks back on his choice to save Jag, his comments in the house about Cory and America, and his impact as the first Deaf houseguest.
Related: Everything to Know About Big Brother 25
We have to start with where things ended. How surprised were you by the final result? Were there any particular jury votes that you were shocked went one way or the other?
I don't ever assume things 100%. I thought maybe it would have been a little closer. I was thinking maybe I would get 4-3 or 3-4. There were a lot of things to consider with jury, it's hard to tell. It's not America voting. It's not random people. And sometimes you have a jury that votes for social game, and sometimes you have a jury that goes for comps, and I think that's what kind of happened here. I believe that I had a better social game with the jury and everyone in the house, but Jag ultimately had a better competitive strategic game.
So I'm not sure if you're aware of this. But at the jury roundtable, several people said that they admired you had betrayed them while still making them feel good. But they needed you to own your game. And it seemed like you didn't necessarily do that in your jury questions, specifically when it came to distinguishing your own game from Jag's. What was your reaction to the questions being thrown your way?
I mean, I'm not good at Q and A's, on the spot. I like to take time to think about what I'm going to say before I say it. And there's a lot of pressure when it's live and it's on the spot. Cory asking about what was my best lie in the game [was] or something, I think I just kind of assumed people knew my biggest lie was probably me winning Path to Power. Because I tried to play this game as true as I could be, not getting blood on my hands and trying to play everyone's good side, you know, and I knew not to lie, obviously.
But, at the end of the day, the truth was, I was going to choose Jag to get farther with me. And it's hard. Because, for my game, of course, like I said, I told you what you wanted to hear. That was my biggest thing. I was telling people what they wanted to hear, make them feel good. I'm never going to win an HoH, so I'm never going to be breaking promises, putting someone up a block, so I can easily be like, "I'll never put you up. Don't worry." You know, that was my biggest angle and stuff.
You spoke about in your speech that, even if you hadn't used your power on Jag, you would be fine. So talk to me about the thinking behind that decision, and if that's true, how do you look back on it, considering that the man you saved was the one who beat you in the end?
That's like worst case scenario to happen. I always had that in my head. Like, "What if it's me and Jag, and Jagwins in the end?" That's almost the perfect storyline where someone used power to save someone and they win in the end. Ultimately, I think I'm still glad I used it. I needed it to show good things, People thought it was a scary thing. But for me, it showed that I was a loyal person. I was willing to protect people I'm working with. And that's how I tried to turn myself in this game; I was a loyal hard worker and a team player. And that power showed that, because I didn't use it selfishly.
So me using that power, I could take it back. But it was also in my strategic gameplay. I was trying to show everyone I was a team player, a loyal player. And, because people started finding out that I did this, it was kind of good, because people are like, "Oh, I want to work with him. He's loyal. And he's a team player." So that helped my game. Ultimately, had I not done that, Jag is gone. I don't know who I would have worked closely with and trusted 100%. And no one would have known. Everyone would just keep thinking of me as a physical threat and the only physical threat in the house because Jag would have been gone. So I kind of needed Jag up in this game. I kind of knew he was my shield. I knew if there was ever me and Jag up the block, Jag would be the one going home. So as long as Jag was in the house, I'm in this house. And that was my biggest strategy there.
Let's talk about another couple of names that have been on your brain as of late besides Jag. I want to talk about Cory and America, because you certainly did during your time in the house. In the past few days, you talked a lot about wanting them to not steal the spotlight from you and Jag. You also have said several remarks about America specifically the past few weeks, like how she looked like a cheater and that she wasn’t very smart because she didn’t know how to cook or clean. Can you talk to me about your feelings about them?
I mean, I had a feeling that could come up. You know, I'm very "roasty." I joke hard with my friends. And I always roast my friends I love. My friends make fun of me so much for my deafness as a joke. So I kind of do the same. I obviously don't hate America and Cory. I think they're both great people. With America. I think what started was I was speaking sloppily. And I was pissed off, because I was doing all the cooking with Red. So that was the job with the whole cooking thing. And I joke hard. It's never to be bad intent or malicious. It's always out of love. I didn't know if they feel that way. I'll have a great talk with them about it, because they knew who I am at the end of the day, and I knew who they were at the end of the day. They called me "Matty Smokes" and "Matty Roasts" as a joke. I always roast people like that.
Lastly, you broke boundaries as the first Deaf contestant to compete on Big Brother. What advice do you have for hopefully many more disabled houseguests to compete on the show in the future?
I think that was my biggest goal, was displaying that being the first person here to do that. And I believe I did lay the foundation for the next Deaf person or someone with a disability to come on here and try out. Bbecause look how far I've come. The first person to do it, and I made it the entire 100 days. I went 100 days. No other Deaf players ever played this game, and I got that far. I'm proud of myself. And that just shows that the worst enemy is yourself. You're the one stopping yourself. You tell yourself you can do something, then you go do it, because you can do it, and you can prove to everyone that you can do it.
Next, check out our interview with Big Brother 25 winner Jag Bains.
