Jess Trend defends staying on Big Brother after devastating news

Big Brother contestant AFLW player Jess Trend defends her choice to stay on the show despite a devastating family tragedy.

Big Brother contestant, AFLW player Jess Trend, has defended her decision to stay on the show after hearing her nana was gravely ill.

Viewers were introduced to the 28 year-old on Tuesday night, but it took less than 24 hours for bad news to strike with word that her nana’s condition had deteriorated.

“It was very hard because nana was in hospital just before I entered the house, and she was looking really good and face timing me and she was just about to be let out,’’ Jess said.

“I’m literally telling all the housemates how nana is about to leave hospital and she’s been such a warrior and I said I think she had this fall for a reason before Big Brother so that I got to see she was on the mend and was going OK.

“It turns out she had a perforated bowel and has a tumour and the first night I entered the house, mum and my family pretty much told me it was cancerous. It was a full 180.”

Jess Trend with her Nana. Picture: AAP Image/Michael Dodge

Trend’s emotional storyline is one of the biggest of the series with the former Fremantle Docker staying on in the competition for the chance to win the $250,000 prize.

Even if she had left she would have had to quarantine in Victoria. Her nana did pass away shortly after.

“I did have a moment, like why am I doing this,’’ Trend said.

“I felt something was up and I was told my twin brother was on the phone and he told me nana had about 24 hours left.

“There’s always going to be part of me that wishes I was there in person to say goodbye but I’m very grateful that the Channel 7 production handled it so well and went above and beyond.

“It wasn’t that my heart wasn’t in it, it was just a bit of a curveball and I couldn’t naturally be myself from the beginning because I was very emotional,” Trend said.

“It was pretty much waiting for her to pass. Because of COVID only 10 people were invited to the funeral and before she became unresponsive she told my mum that I was not to leave the house. They were very supportive and it helped with the guilt of not being by nana’s side.

“If I had left that house it would have been a regret and my nana wouldn’t have been happy.”

Trend posted that she had received a “fair bit of negativity coming through” but she knows she made decisions for the right reasons.

Big Brother continues on Channel 7, Sunday 7pm.