Big Brother 2020: Twist to save Angela was ‘blatantly rigged’ – and fans love it

A massive twist in last night’s Big Brother had fans calling out the show for rigging – but not in the way you might expect.

COMMENT

It’s the sort of blatant reality TV riggery that usually has viewers running to social media to complain.

But, in the case of Big Brother’s latest shock twist, fans of the show had a surprising response: We know we’re being played here … and we love it.

Last night’s episode saw runaway fan favourite Angela Clancy become the sixth housemate voted out of the game.

Seven’s reboot of the iconic reality franchise is faced with an interesting problem in standout star Angela: How do you keep someone in the game when her fellow housemates want to vote her out, but viewers adore her?

Test your Queen Bey knowledge in our Beyonce quiz

Angela and English breakfast, name a more iconic duo.

Simple – she wasn’t going anywhere. Angela’s housemates waved her goodbye, but once she was out of sight, Big Brother swiftly directed her to a hidden room where she’ll secretly watch the people who turned on her while “plotting revenge” and presumably returning to the game.

Fans of the show breathed a big sigh of relief at this producer intervention saving ‘Queen Ange’:

Me normally: I hate twists that save people from eviction
Me when the twist saves Angie: #BBAU pic.twitter.com/Xqamrw2Mjz

— Weslee #TeamAngela (@WSpark98NZ) June 16, 2020

Am usually critical of blatant rigging by reality tv producers, but I concede it had to be done in tonight’s #BBAU. Angie is the most entertaining housemate. Daylight second.

— Steph C (@neescambler) June 16, 2020

Is this twist fair? Absolutely not. But the housemates should still be glad it’s happening, as none of us would continue to watch them on our televisions if Angela was gone for good. #BBAU

— Joshua #BLM (@joshie_raw) June 16, 2020

We were all about to storm off with Ange.... aaaaaand we're back 😂 brilliant twist!!!#BBAU pic.twitter.com/XduOeizKGK

— Tea and biscuits (@mumsgonemild) June 16, 2020

"ITS RIGGED IN FAVOR OF ANGELA!!"

Me: .... #BBAU pic.twitter.com/rswZF0T4ND

— ZOâ„°Y (@bbredwood13) June 16, 2020

LOL that plot twist is SO predictably rigged to keep Angela in the game but hey, I’m here for it! She’s the best reason for watching!! 👑 #BBAU

— 𝓟𝓮𝓽𝓪 🐍 (@PetaPan17) June 16, 2020

I LOVE THAT PRODUCTION’S FAVORITE IS ALSO ANGELA ❤️ KEEPING RIGGING FOR HER WE DONT MIND #BBAU https://t.co/x2vGwgbeKL

— austin 🤠 (@austinsgood) June 16, 2020

It’s hard to imagine this twist wasn’t earmarked for Angela from the outset – she’s arguably the only housemate this season who could still make for great television while sat by herself in a small room for days on end.

Make no mistake, Angela is incredible reality TV talent. The married Perth mum-of-two was raised in the ‘Beverly Hills of Kenya’ before moving to Australia without her parents when she was just 17. She’s an eccentric, hilarious mix of contradictions – deeply religious but flashily materialistic, pampered but with an iron will.

Take her very first one-on-one discussion with Big Brother, which quickly devolved into a tit-for-tat about who exactly was running the show:

Then there’s her oft-mentioned tea obsession – with the Big Brother house on rations, she resorted to hiding tea bags in her bra for later:

Nothing comes between Angie and her tea #BBAU pic.twitter.com/3M10WTRV1K

— Weslee #TeamAngela (@WSpark98NZ) June 16, 2020

And perhaps the funniest dummy spit so far this year, when she discovered the housemates charged with ordering food supplies hadn’t ordered her preferred type of tea. Her chilling delivery of the question, “You didn’t get English breakfast?” will haunt you:

Angela just found out Zoe and Garth didn't buy black tea. Take cover! #BBAU pic.twitter.com/sTNaWw38et

— Big Brother AU (@bigbrother_au) June 16, 2020

Then there’s her incredible endurance in challenges nobody saw coming – like spending more than seven hours clinging to a pole, only breaking her concentration to reapply her lip gloss:

Angie winning comps while putting on lipgloss, iconic #BBAU pic.twitter.com/DDW0nl8YrL

— Weslee #TeamAngela (@WSpark98NZ) June 15, 2020

And her final, perhaps ill-advised speech to her fellow housemates before her eviction last night, blasting them for their boring behaviour and imploring them to “wake up and realise it’s not Centrelink!”

If Angela’s out of the show, who’ll provide this sort of entertainment? Shane? Ian? Mark? (One of these is not a Big Brother contestant this year. Bet you can’t guess which one?)

In a little over a week, she’s amassed the sort of fanbase some people spend years building:

Angie was so iconc the producers gave her a fake eviction and are letting her control the house, legends only #BBAU pic.twitter.com/wcdKidcun2

— Weslee #TeamAngela (@WSpark98NZ) June 16, 2020

if the queen angie goes home after tonight I’m done with this show, everyone else in the house are pure trash 🤢 #bbau pic.twitter.com/dhwjO2ZAbX

— joel (@sweetenerlntro) June 16, 2020

Angie, my lord and saviour. I’m establishing a new Angie-based religion #BBAU pic.twitter.com/adSbW2e4Hb

— molly augerinos (@MGaggles) June 14, 2020

If Angie leaves then the show will take a very large hit. She’s easily the fan favourite and has provided all the entertaining moments so far. If she leaves who will bring the heat? Dan? I don’t think #BBAU #BigBrotherAU

— Scott Connell (@scottconnell_) June 16, 2020

Who knows what twists and turns Big Brother will pull to keep Angela around a bit longer once she’s back in the game. The show – any show – is damn lucky to have her, as two-time Australian Survivor contestant Nick Iadanza pointed out:

Guys, #BigBrotherAU is really fun.

How can we get Angela on #SurvivorAU? And Masterchef? And the Voice? And Antiques Roadshow?

Basically, name a show and she should be on it. #BBAU pic.twitter.com/e65IGG8Kp2

— Nick Iadanza (@nickiadanza) June 14, 2020

He’s absolutely right, but surely he missed the perfect post-Big Brother outing for Angela, after her inevitable Liptons ad campaign.

Angela Clancy for the Real Housewives of Perth – the campaign starts here.