Big Brother 26 houseguest Angela Murray has made some selfless moves in week 9, but I'm convinced that she only made them in order to change her image to try to win the $50,000 fan-voted America's Favorite Houseguest prize, but fans won't fall for it. When Big Brother 26 began, Angela seemed as though she might be an inspiring houseguest. As a 50-year-old mother and grandmother, she was a member of an underrepresented group on the show. When she won the first Head of Household (HOH) competition, I cheered for her, hoping to see an older person go far in Big Brother.
However, Angela soon had several over-the-top outbursts directed at her fellow Big Brother 26 houseguests, and she appeared to be a producer plant. I was further convinced of this when it was revealed that Angela has appeared on other CBS shows, including House Calls with Dr. Phil, Let's Make a Deal, and The Price Is Right. After many weeks of Angela's drama, in week 9, she made some moves that I believe prove that she wants to win over fans in order to be voted America's Favorite Houseguest. However, I also know that, if this is her plan, it won't work.
Angela Sacrificed Herself In The Week 9 HOH Competition
Angela Bowed Out Of The HOH Competition To Give Leah Peters & Cam Sullivan-Brown A Chance
The Big Brother 26 week 9 HOH competition was an endurance competition in which the houseguests had to stand on a pedestal and hold a stick, using it to keep a large marshmallow in place. The goal was to be the last houseguest standing. After 9 hours and 43 minutes in the competition, Angela declared that, even though she could've lasted longer, she was bowing out to allow the remaining contestants, Cam Sullivan-Brown and Leah Peters, battle it out for HOH.
Angela said in her confessional that she'd already been HOH twice during Big Brother 26, so she'd received letters from home and all of the perks of the position two times before. She said that she wanted to give Cam or Leah that same chance. Although this seems like a selfless act on Angela's part, I believe that she was actually using this as an opportunity to change her image in the game.
Angela not only benefited from this move because she made a deal with Cam and Leah that they'd all keep each other safe because they were the final three houseguests standing in the competition, but I think that she also tried to make herself look like a martyr in the eyes of the viewers. I believe that Angela was trying to manipulate viewers by not only making herself appear to be selfless, but also reminding viewers that she's won HOH twice before.
After being nominated for eviction five times, Angela has to know that her days might be numbered in the Big Brother 26 house. Because she most likely won't win the $750,000 grand prize or even the $75,000 second place prize, I'm convinced that she's instead trying to win over America in order to win the $50,000 America's Favorite Houseguest prize. I feel that that's why she'd give up being in power as HOH in week 9, especially if she really thought that she could last longer in the competition. Otherwise, Angela would've wanted to keep herself safe at all costs.
Angela Saved Kimo Apaka With The Week 9 Power Of Veto
Angela Hoped To Prove To Kimo That She Wanted Him In The Game
During Big Brother 26 weeks 7 and 8, Angela voted Kimo Apaka out of the house over Joseph Rodriguez and Quinn because she believed that they didn't have the votes to keep him. However, he ended up staying both times. Angela explained to Kimo that, even though she was on the wrong side of the vote, she did want to keep him there, but he didn't believe her because she voted him out twice.
During week 9, Angela won the Power of Veto, and saved Kimo from the chopping block in order to prove to him that she wanted him in the house. This was another example of Angela making a game move out of kindness. She repeatedly said to her fellow houseguests, and in the Diary Room, that she was following her heart.
Angela also shared that it would benefit her game to save Kimo, so it wasn't a completely selfless move. She wanted HOH Leah to nominate T'kor Clottey as the replacement nominee next to Rubina Bernabe, which is exactly what happened. Angela saving Kimo put her in a better position in the game. However, I believe that Angela also thought that this move might've been perceived as her turning over a new leaf.
Angela Murray Was A Big Brother 26 Bully
Angela Attacked Evicted Houseguests Matt Hardeman & Lisa Weintraub
During the first few weeks of Big Brother 26, Angela's outrageous antics established her as a bully in the house. When she was HOH in week 1, she became paranoid, thinking that her Collective alliance was trying to trick her. She called them out in front of the whole house, telling them that their performance was like that of actors in a low-budget movie.
During that same tirade, Angela quickly turned her attention to Matt Hardeman, who she viciously attacked. She believed that Matt was threatening her when she said that he would come after her if she nominated him that week. Angela called him, "Crazy Eyes," and even said that his mother would see what a "disrespectful brat" he was. Matt was brought to tears because of this. Another example of Angela's bullying was when she mocked Lisa Weibtraub's walk and called her a twit.
As a Big Brother superfan, Angela has to know that past houseguests have paid serious consequences for bullying behavior, from losing fan support to losing their real-life jobs. I believe that her week 9 gestures of good will might be her attempt to make up for her past bad behavior, which is admirable if that's true. However, I also think that she might have a more manipulative plan in mind, which is to try to make viewers forget about how she was a bully in the first half of the game so that they vote her as America's Favorite Houseguest.
Unlike the Big Brother houseguests who are isolated and unable to use technology and social media, viewers have 24/7 access to clips from the show. While the sting of Angela's actions might have lessened for the houseguests because Matt and Lisa have been evicted, and they're focused on other things, viewers have the opportunity to watch those clips every day. I'm not going to forget how Angela behaved at the beginning of the game, and I certainly won't be rewarding that behavior with my America's Favorite Houseguest votes.
Angela Was Saved With The Power Of Veto By Three Different Houseguests
It Was Time For Angela To Step Up
Throughout Big Brother 26, Angela was saved by the Power of Veto by three different houseguests. First, Tucker Des Lauriers saved her from the chopping block instead of himself in a failed attempt to backdoor Quinn Martin. Then, Leah saved her in order to ensure that she was a member of the jury because she thought that she'd vote for her. Finally, Makensy Manbeck saved Angela when she and HOH Chelsie Baham decided that they'd rather evict Quinn that week because he was a bigger threat than the initial nominees, Angela and Kimo.
I believe that it was time for Angela to make a move that benefited someone else in the house after her fellow houseguests saved her three times. Saving Kimo was the perfect way for her to show viewers that she wasn't a passive player who needed other houseguests to save her in order to further herself in the game. In this case, Angela made her own decision, and she made herself look good in the process.
Big Brother 26 Fans Are Tired Of Angela
Many Feel That She Should've Been Removed For Bullying
Although Angela might believe that she's changing her image with these week 9 moves, the truth is that fans are tired of her. Most Big Brother social media post comments are filled with fans who say that they're sick of Angela's antics, and some have said that they've even stopped watching the show and/or the live feeds because of her. Many people think that she should've been removed from the game when she bullied Matt.
In the comments section of a September 16 Big Brother Instagram post, one fan wrote, "Seeing Angela in the house has ruined the whole season for me. She should have been gone from the beginning." Another added, "I agree, Angela is the worst and they just keep letting her stay for no reason. Before they know it, she’s going to be final two and everyone’s gonna be like 'I don’t know how that happened.'" Another fan wrote, "Angela bullied Matt and that should have gotten her kicked out."
Although Angela does have many supporters, I believe that most fans won't forget about how she behaved in the beginning of the game when it comes time to vote for America's Favorite Houseguest. She's like a loose cannon, and she is constantly in conflicts with the other houseguests. I feel that Big Brother 26 fans aren't going to fall for Angela's attempt to change her image. If Angela was trying to win America's Favorite Houseguest with her week 9 moves, I believe that her plan won't work.