“Pressure cooker”: Big Brother season 25’s Reilly Smedley opens up about being on the CBS show

CBS’ Big Brother 25 witnessed its first big eviction twist in Week 2, with Reilly Smedley being the 2nd official eviction from the house.

Smedley was this season’s first Head of Household, although evicted just days later. A bartender from Portland, Reilly spoke about her roller-coaster journey in a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly. Upon entering the house, Smedley celebrated her 24th birthday with the premiere of Big Brother 25.

She quickly formed an alliance with Jag Bains called the “Handful,” gathering eight members before her eviction. In the first week, Reilly initially targeted Hisam Goueli and Izzy Gleicher. However, Hisam ended up becoming the second HoH of Big Brother 25. He took a straightforward approach and presented a successful plea to the houseguests, resulting in her vote-out.

Reilly Smedley claims Big Brother 25 is like a “pressure cooker”

Speaking after her eviction, Reilly did not blame Hisam and claimed he was only looking to advance in the game. The 24-year-old claimed that she was happy with the incredible people that she met during her short stay on the show, and that she will continue to be friends with some of them forever:

“I think what I love the most is just meeting these amazing people from all these different walks of life. It's just the coolest experience. It's just a melting pot of all different types of people. And some of these people I will be friends with forever. And in two short weeks, having that feeling is so amazing.

She added:

“I don't think I disliked anything about this. I love this game. It's definitely a pressure cooker in there. And as someone who's never been in this type of situation before, like most people, it's definitely difficult to navigate that. But like I said, all love for Big Brother. I would do it again in a heartbeat.”

Apart from Jag, Reilly also formed a close connection with Cameron Hardin, whom she nicknamed “dad.” Cameron had exposed Jag and Reilly’s decision to create the “Handfuls.” Still, Reilly claimed she had no qualms about Cameron and remained close to him.

Smedley also formed a close bond with Matt Klotz, the first deaf contestant in the history of the show. Matt claimed that Reilly was the first to talk with him, even when other participants were not including him in conversations. Reilly stated that she found Matt in a vulnerable situation and that he was an amazing person with an inspiring story.