Liza Stinton: Big Brother Canada’s Reality ‘Showmance’ Queen

Well hello again! I'm sorry it's been so long, but life does tend to intervene. Perhaps that’s another story for another day. But I’m very inspired to get cracking again and here’s why…

Lunching with a galpal recently at Spring Rolls restaurant, I bumped into Liza Stinton from Big Brother Canada. She was seated one table away from us and was easily recognizable, not only because the show had just ended a couple of weeks before, but also because she’s one of the more memorable contestants. During her time on BB CA, this lucky lady enjoyed not one, but two, ‘Showmances’ with costars Tom Plant and Peter Brown. 

I kept Liza company while she waited for her lunch date, cast-mate Anuj “A.J.” Burman to arrive. We hit it off, and she invited me to her nearby Tanning Salon Sol'exotica, the following weekend, to interview her about her time on the show.

With BB CA's Liza Stinton @ Spring Rolls Restaurant, Yonge & Eglinton,Toronto

My lunch featuring my favourite Dim Sum items at Spring Rolls

  (The warm Triple Cheese Dumplings are simply divine!)

When A.J. arrived a few minutes later, the first thing I noticed is that he is super-slim, and while I'm not a big cologne fan, he smelled GOOD! I told him that I’d been invited to visit Liza at her tanning spa, and stated that I am probably one of the palest people on the planet. Confiding that I'd even been called ‘Ghost’ as a kid.  A.J. then put his slender, golden-toned arm next to mine, joking that I was the ‘before’ and he was the ‘after’. 

Anuj “A.J.” Burman & me

Both of them are so svelte, I asked if it was a result of the BB (Big Brother) Slop-diet. I’d forgotten that neither of them had dined on Slop during their stint on the show. It’s a cereal concoction, with all the vitamins and nutrients added, that apparently tastes like dirt. It’s a punitive meal some BB contestants have to eat, sometimes for weeks on end. (Yuck!)

The Cast of the Premiere Season of Big Brother Canada 2013

Top row: 4th from the right, Liza Stinton

Bottom row, in colour: 1st from the right, Season One winner, Jillian MacLaughlin 

The inaugural season of the reality show Big Brother Canada gave the SLICE cable TV channel its highest ratings, February 27^th – May 2^nd, primarily due to the carryover popularity of the US version of the program. The American show, Big Brother 15, is slated to premiere on Wednesday, June 26^th in Canada, on Global TV. On BB CA, teacher Jillian MacLaughlin, 27, from New Glasgow, NS, won in a controversial last-minute upset, due to a bungled voting mishap by Emerald “Topaz” Brady, one of the cast members on the Jury.

 

Arriving at Liza's Tanning Salon.

Fast forward four days. I'm at Liza’s Tanning Salon, and she’s chatting with me, between assisting clients. Sol'exotica is quite a hot-bed of activity. Pun intended! Upon arrival I take a quick peek at the facility and the various tanning chambers. While I know less than nothing about tanning spas, it looks impressive. As well there’s a selection of topical lotions and spray tans... which certainly seems tempting, and might be where I would start if I was to dip a pasty-looking toe into the tanning community.

Liza taking care of business at her Tanning Spa Sol'exotica

Liza is refreshingly candid during our chat. I begin our interview with questions from three of her biggest online fans, HWEST, JASPER, & MIZINVANCOUVER. (I've peppered the Q & A section with ScreenCaps from the 24/7 live feeds that were available online.)

HWEST: Will she ever apply to be on BB US since she is dual citizen? I think we were robbed of watching some good game play from Liza.

Liza: Aw, that’s sweet! I already applied to BB US and made it to the semi-finals five seasons ago. Now that I was on BB Canada, I’m not eligible to try out for BB US again. It’s one big happy family. It’s the same casting people. There is no chance they will do a crossover bringing Canadians to the US. But should they, I’d be happy to do so.

JASPER: Who does she really like? Probably more intelligent conversation with Peter. And if Peter looked as foolish as the audience seemed to think he did?

Liza: If you are asking if I’d pick Tom or Peter, I’d pick both. They are both really extraordinary men, but they live very far away from me, so nobody is in a relationship. I am grateful for every chance I get to spend with those guys. Peter certainly has the brain but Tom has a really big (slight pause) heart. He’s a really super, super sweet guy. He doesn’t really have a temper at all; he was just really frustrated that we both got nominated. As for Peter, I don’t think he looked foolish at all. I find him the most interesting character and I liked his diary rooms the best. I’m the only one in the house who got to see the real him. I don’t think even Alec (Beall) got to see the real him. I saw the more multi-faceted side, that only a girl could see. So Peter was his true self with me. There were no surprises with his behaviour. I think his temper tantrums were adorable! It was nice to see Peter not so together. I’m sure that he has some sort of capacity to feel and react. As for his exit, I thought it was super-intriguing, and memorable, which is what he’s all about. 

 Liza & Tom

 Peter (in hoodie) & Alec (in hot tub) this duo's secret aliance: The Sheyld

MIZINVANCOUVER: Will she be seeing Tom or Peter? Who got on her nerves the most? Talla? What did she think of Jillian’s win? Does she think Gary should have gotten it? 

Liza:I’m flying to Vancouver tonight to spend two weeks with Peter and afterwards I’m flying out to Winnipeg for a weekend with Tom… y’know, lucky girl! In Vancouver I’ll hang out with Pete, Alec and Suzette (Amaya). When I go to Edmonton, there’s Tom, Talla (Rejaei) and Danielle (Alexander). If I ever make it out to the East coast, (which I have no plans to) that’s Jillian, Emmett (Blois) and Andrew (Monaghan). And lots of people are here. I just had lunch with A.J. as you know. It was the first time I’ve seen him, since the show. And Topaz and Gary (Levy) are in town (Toronto).

As for who got on my nerves, Talla was really my best friend in the house. We went through a challenge being handcuffed to each other for 8 hours, and I really came to love her. Except for when I went on the block and she completely ignored me and hung out with Topaz. She was a floater in the game, and I don’t respect that. But aside from that she never got on my nerves. Gary was super-annoying with all his big, bold glitter-crap and he took up every chest in the bedroom with his stuff and every drawer in the bathroom. A.J. actually got on my nerves the first couple of weeks with his 3^rdperson stuff and hand-talking, I wanted him evicted so he would just stop annoying me. Andrew was very in a very negative mood a lot of the time. At first I loved the crap out of Andrew, we had so much fun together. Honestly, every gets pretty annoying in that house! Gary was the most annoying to live with, A.J. was the most annoying to talk to, but those are two guys I really like in real life and have no problem with now. 

Jillian’s win was shrouded in controversy. She shouldn’t feel good in her heart. I mean Topaz obviously wanted Gary to win, and she wasn’t thinking, and put the wrong key in the thing, and Jillian wins by one vote. Jillian was a really tough competitor. She won lots of HOH’s, she fought her way there. Her and Emmett pretty much lived in the HOH room which made for a very boring and predictable season. She knows she didn’t deserve to win. I don’t know how she could feel good about it since she won by human error.

 Jillian & Emmett locking lips in the HOH (Head of Household) room

 
I don’t think Gary deserved to win either. I would have picked Jillian to win if I had served on that jury. I don’t think anyone who is voted back so late should win the whole game. But he was also a tough competitor. Gary got Tom and I out. He made big moves, won POV’s and an HOH when he needed to win them and he had a really good social game. Had Gary not been voted out and then came back in, he definitely should have won. Because of that though, for the integrity of the game, I would have voted for Jillian.

Continuing our Q & A with some questions that I was bustin' to ask:

Joycie: Who was your biggest BB US influence? 

Liza: I wasn’t trying to mimic anybody. I just went in there being myself playing how I wanted to play, which we saw how that worked out… not so well. I’m really stubborn and opinionated and I get really annoyed with idiots pretty easily and couldn’t bottle up my stuff, because I really didn’t like most of those people. In terms of just BB US people, I love Danielle Reyes, James Rhine, Evil Dick and Will Kirby. Those are my favourites. I love villains and villainesses. 

Joycie: How much did it bother you that you didn’t make the jury? She was evicted fifth in a surprise double eviction with her main squeeze Tom, who was evicted fourth, just moments before her.

Liza: At first I was a little bit disappointed in myself that I didn’t make it to jury, because that was my 2^nd goal. I felt I disappointed my friends and family by not making it farther. But when I look back I am so happy I was evicted when I was because I watched (my friends) walk out the door ahead of me… especially when my friend Tom left that night… and I looked back and saw some cougars who wanted to pounce on me and tear me apart… I mean (they all) hated me. I didn’t want to stay in a venomous snake pit with people who just wanted to kill me, stuck in the jury house with no access to the outside world. I’m a grown woman. I’m 30. I have my own business, I have beautiful friends and family and a great life here. So being evicted when I did and coming back to my wonderful life, and being evicted with Tom, was incredible. 

 From left: Tom, A.J. Talla, and Andrew with the infamous Slop Bucket.

Joycie:  In 10 years time who will you still be friends with from the cast? 

Liza: I will be friends with Aneal and A. J. for the rest of my life. Most people wouldn’t think that but from night one, I felt personally drawn to them. It didn’t work for me inside the game, but I knew outside the game we’d be connected. I met both of their families and they are lovely. When I met up with A.J. at lunch the other day, I felt like I’d known him already for 20 years. Those are my kind of people. I would love to say that in 10 years I will still be friends with Pete and Tom, but unfortunately when you mix romantic situations, depending on how things pan out, I’m not sure if we’re going to stay in touch. But who knows… that’s exciting!

 Aneal & Topaz

 
Joycie: Did you go into Big Brother for professional reasons, to promote your salon, or the books you want to write? Or are you an excitement junkie, for the fun of it, and of course for the chance at the big money, the car, etc. 

Liza: It was all about fun, anything else, (the publicity, etc,) has been a bonus. I had been a huge fan of the show in the US. I was addicted to the first 10 seasons. I felt I was always made for television. I’ve done a lot of TV pilots, and done a lot of stuff on set. I’m not pursuing an acting career, but I definitely have a personality that’s suited for reality television. We know this. I did make the semi-finals for BB US at one point. I didn’t want to be on Survivor with no food and all that junk. Big Brother was the only reality show I ever really wanted to be on. The very second that I heard that it was coming to Canada I just went for it. BB was very, very good to me, and I’m so lucky to have been a part of that show, and I won’t be on any more reality shows.

Joycie: Given the very nature of the show Big Brother, is the cast contractually bound to any kind of confidentiality?  

Liza: Big brother is like the Wizard of Oz, with Emerald City, and Munchkins and Wicked Witches. It’s our job as part of the BB family to not pull the curtain back and expose the Wizard. 

 Breakout star of BB CA season one, Gary 'Glitter'

Joycie: Has anyone from the cast been to your Tanning Spa yet? 

Liza: No one from the cast yet, but everyone’s welcome to come. I worked here for 10 years, worked part-time, fulltime, was the marketing director, then the manager, left for a bit then came back. Two years ago there was an opportunity to buy the place. I have a very close relationship with the previous owners, and they wanted me to take care of their ‘baby’ which was my ‘baby’ too, and we closed the deal. 

Tom, 'Glitter' Gary, & Liza

Joycie: Did you have a romantic relationship prior to going on the show and what’s its status now? 

Liza: Yeah. I was not seriously seeing anybody but I have someone I was dating on and off for 10 years and I don’t think he was expecting to lose me in this manner. But I was in no way committed or monogamous to this person whatsoever. I went on the show absolutely single and I remain absolutely single. 

Joycie: From your many hammock chats, it seemed like you were really trying to break away anyways. 

Liza: Oh my God, Joyce, you really know your sh*t… Did you watch me 24/7? Holy crap, you really know me!

Joycie: I found your non-game chats completely fascinating, which is why you were my favourite female contestant this season. (Of the males, I was rooting for Andrew.)

Liza: Thank you for listening to all my overnight conversations. And you are absolutely right. For this person to know me for 10 years and to not pick me, or choose me… He was very good to me, don’t get me wrong. He was a lovely partner, and y’know, lover. Or I wouldn’t have hung around for 10 years if he wasn’t absolutely lovely. But I have Tom AND Peter picking me. These guys are telling me, “You’re extremely somebody worth fighting for,” and this other guy never bothered to pick me in 10 years. I definitely needed something as massive as Big Brother to end that relationship once and for all. 

 Peter

Joycie: I was ready to start an online drinking game for each time you said the word ‘vagina’. I’ve never heard that word said on TV so much in life Liza. (LOL).

Liza: (laughing) I have two very distinct aspects to my personality, being a Gemini. I have this part of me that’s very mature, adult, loving, caring, and soft. The other side of me, is always going to be a child at heart, who is super vulgar and sailor-mouth, tell it like it is, and rub it in your face. My personality is very polarizing. You either love, love, love me, or you hate, hate, hate me. 

Joycie: You are very candid and centred about it. 

Liza: My mother was surprised I wasn’t more naked on the show. Since I was a kid, I didn’t want to have any clothes on all the time. Doesn’t mean I’m a slut or whore, just very naturalist. It’s a wonder I kept my clothes on (on the show) as much as I did. The only people I care about are my best friends and my family and none of them were surprised at all. I am who I am.

Joycie: Yes you are! I’m so glad we bumped into each other over Dim Sum the other day at Spring Rolls. Enjoy your visits with Peter, Tom, and the rest of the BB CA gang. Thanks again Liza, for inviting me to your Spa, and chatting with me about your experiences on the very first Canadian season of my favourite reality show, Big Brother.

Wishing Liza 'Happy Trails' before she heads out West to visit with her BB CA pals.