“I am so happy that Rubina stayed”— Big Brother star Kimo Apaka chimes in on his elimination while in conversation with Julie Chen Moonves

Kimo Apaka, the 35-year-old mattress sales representative from Hilo, Hawaii, was evicted from the Big Brother 26 house during Week 11 by a unanimous 2-to-0 vote. His elimination came in a face-off against Rubina Bernabe, whom he expressed happiness for during his exit interview with Julie Chen Moonves.

Reflecting on the difficult decision his fellow houseguests had to make, Kimo stated,

“I am so happy that Rubina stayed and that she’s able to continue on. I’m rooting for her — I’m rooting for everyone,”

Kimo survived an early scare in Week 1 and became a pivotal player in the house. He aligned with T'kor Clottey and Quinn Martin to form a tight trio that would influence many of the season’s pivotal moments. His eviction makes him part of the jury, who will ultimately give their input in the finale of Big Brother 26.

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Kimo’s game in Big Brother

Kimo entered the Big Brother house with high hopes, quickly aligning himself with the 'Visionaries' alliance alongside T'kor and Quinn. Their group later discovered the 'Pentagon' alliance, flipping the house dynamics early in the season.

This strategic move positioned Kimo and his allies as strong contenders and painted a target on their backs as the game progressed. As Kimo reflected during his conversation with Julie Chen Moonves,

“We’re a strong trio. But for me, being in this house, I needed people. We all kind of needed people.”

Unfortunately, the alliance’s visibility threatened the other houseguests, leading to their downfall. Despite being repeatedly nominated for eviction, Kimo survived thanks to strategic gameplay, blindsides, and a crucial veto win.

However, as the game progressed, the alliance was targeted by other competitors. Acknowledging the inevitability of his eviction, Kimo noted,

“At this point, the numbers are so small. It’s a tough choice either way we go,”

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Emotional exit and reflections

During his exit interview, he spoke about his late brother, who passed away before he could watch him compete on the show.

“I’m so happy that I got this opportunity. It meant the world to me. I just know that he was so proud of me doing it in the first place,” Kimo said.

He also took the opportunity to express gratitude for the experience, declaring Big Brother as a “wild and incredible experience” and thanking Julie Chen Moonves for being someone he could “relate to on television.”

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Why was Kimo evicted?

Kimo’s elimination was largely the result of his strong alliance and the fact that he posed a significant threat to the remaining houseguests. As he joked during his interview with Julie Chen Moonves, “I was gonna win this game,” suggesting that his gameplay and strategic positioning made him a target.

Ultimately, Kimo was left vulnerable during the final five, where he was nominated for the seventh time alongside his closest ally, Rubina. While there were discussions of a potential surprise eviction for Rubina, the houseguests ultimately decided to stick with the original plan and send Kimo to the jury.

“I respect any decision that’s made,” Kimo acknowledged that the tightness of his alliance may have contributed to his downfall, explaining, “That just became a threat to everyone.”

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The Jury and season finale

Now part of the jury, Kimo will join Quinn Martin, T'kor Clottey, Leah Peters, and Angela Murray to examine closely who wins Big Brother. As the season comes to a close, supporters are looking forward to the final confrontation, in which the jury will decide who wins.

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