I think this is a neat web site spiralblue has started for fans to post their encounters with Big Brother celebrities. I wanted to share my experiences as well. Although I was a little hesitant because I have gotten to know these individuals personally but in a business manner as well and I don't want to seem to be exploiting the friendships I made. To use a phase coined in reality TV, “With that being said…” here we go!
I have watched Big Brother since season one. I have had the live feeds but used them mostly to see what you don’t get to see on TV, not so much the intimate times but the challenges and secret meetings they have when they think no one is listening. This year an exciting new website was released. www.thefishbowl.com. (TFB). I was one of the members to join during its first week in release. I have made a lot of friends there. OK enough about me, lets get to who I met and how.
Early on in BB5 I was interested in Diane Henry who happens to be from the same area I live in. Through her website I contacted he mom and offered my Public Relations services to Diane. (I own my own PR Firm. www.broachconsulting.com). At this same time, I had been interacting with other members at TFB and then it was announced that TFB was hosting their DVD release party for Reality Unleashed in October. It just so happened that I already had a ticket to go out to LA to attend my high school reunion that same week. I really wanted to go to this party! I started working the PR magic. I thought maybe if I could get Diane to attend, I could be her guest. Well, as you can imagine, I had only talked to Diane’s mom at this point and when I did get a message to Diane about attending, she was not sure who this person was that was willing to fly her to LA for a party and back home the next day. I had been looking at prices for airline tickets all week and they were very affordable. I next asked Scott Long. I don’t even remember how I got his AOL screen name originally but I sent him several instant messages that went unanswered. Well, in the mean time, I got my own personal invitation to the party in LA. No need to bring a reality star with me. J. Soon after that, I thought, hey it would still be cool to bring along a reality star if I could make it happen.
Some people pay a lot of money on eBay for show mementos or front row seats to concerts to see someone they are a fan of, what is the difference with me schilling out 150.00 bucks for an airline ticket? So… I once again IM’d Scott and he replied this time.
After talking on AOL for about 20 minutes and him checking out my business web site, he called me and we made travel plans for the following week.
We both flew into LA on Tuesday morning and I met him at his gate. We had about 8 hours before the party was to start. We went down to Venice Beach, went shopping at the Beverly Center and grabbed some lunch. Then we checked into the hotel to get ready for the party. I had arranged for a limo to take us to the event location, which in hindsight was pretty silly because the club was less than a mile from the hotel.
Another friend from TFB met us at the hotel and then we were met by Lori Valenti and her fiance Todd. In the lobby we met up with Caleb Janus from the show “For Love or Money”.
Fast forward, the party was fun! It was surreal to say the least. The folks at TFB are amazing hosts. There were over 45 reality celebrities there, It was a casual, relaxed environment. I met Josh Souza from BB1 and his girlfriend Erika Landin BB4. Go to TFB web site and read the archives on who else was at the party. I am getting long winded here. J
After that night in LA and meeting Scott and Lori, they vouched for me to Diane and when I got back to KY she and I met and struck up not only a business relationship but a friendship as well. When she was in Las Vegas for a fashion show, I got to talk to Holly King on the cell phone. She was nothing like I expected her to be, from seeing her on TV. It was a delightful phone call. I also got to talk to Michael “Cowboy” Ellis on the cell phone when Scott went to his wedding in December. To this day, I am in touch with Diane, Lori, and Scott. I try not to bug them too much because I know they are busy getting their careers growing. I do talk to Scott more often because I am currently running his website and forum with a good friend of mine. www.2Besavage.com.
If any of you reading this get the chance to meet a reality celebrity, let me tell you they are just normal people like you and I, very humble and down to earth. We all have different dreams and goals in life and just as they are chasing theirs, if your dream is to meet one of them, I say GO FOR IT!
There are a lot of charity events they go to and I know they love to meet fans.
I look forward to the continued success of this site and just like any site on the Internet, it all depends on interaction. So if you have a story to tell, I hope you will share it as well.
Best wishes,
JB
[received via email from Jerry B.]
