Big Brother’s Dave was 'hurt' by Tim: 'Playing his own game'

Big Brother: Royalty vs New Blood is really starting to ramp up now that the ‘OG’ or royalty alliance has crumbled, with housemates Estelle Landy and Tim Dormer even exchanging heated words on Twitter last week.

On Monday night, intruder Brenton Parkes cleverly nominated three OGs: Dave Graham, Reggie Bird and Estelle. Housemate Dave spoke to Yahoo Lifestyle about how he was ‘hurt’ by Tim, reveals his thoughts on the Estelle and Tim drama, and why he knew it was time to go home.

‘Playing his own game’

Evicted housemates have all agreed on one thing so far, that Tim is an incredible Big Brother player — even if he rubs some people the wrong way. Dave is no different, saying that while he ‘adores and loves’ Tim, he can’t help but feel a little ‘hurt’ by how things have played out on screen. On Monday night, Tim decided to vote for a newbie to be Head of House instead of Reggie, who is firmly part of the OG alliance.

“I suppose we’re all seeing now what went on behind closed doors or behind the nooks and crannies of the house. I am shook. Tim, as I knew in the house, was playing his own game and very much so being Tim,” he starts.

“But yeah, it does hurt a little bit. Because you know, when you’re playing any game…you always assume that your team has got a common goal. I [have] realised that maybe Tim was always playing his own game,” he continues.

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This doesn’t mean that he thinks ill of Tim, in fact, it’s the opposite. Dave thinks the best players in the house are Reggie and Tim: “Tim is just fundamentally brilliant,” he gushes. “He’s nominating everyone and yet getting no nomination points for himself.”

‘Sparks are still flying’

He admits that the Estelle and Tim drama was a bit much at times, saying that he found himself and Reggie stepping into the roles of ‘mum and dad’.

“Estelle and Tim were like the terrible twins that sit in the backseat of the car, shoving [each other],” he says. “It was always up to me and Reggie to calm the farm and say, ‘Listen kids’, it [was] a lot,” he remembers.

When asked about the off-screen drama that happened last week, when Estelle accused Tim of using her and Tully Smyth as ‘punching bags’, and Tim called Estelle 'The Amber Heard of Big Brother,” he chooses his words carefully.

“At the end of the day, it was a game and we’ve got to acknowledge that some people were playing really, really hard. And other people were living for the moment, and they came into collision with each other. The sparks are still flying,” he explains.

‘I couldn’t stay another day in the house’

Dave’s reason for going back on Big Brother was a noble one, with the star wanting to shine a spotlight on his charity RuffTrack and use any winnings to help more children in need. But with the new strategic style of the game, the farmer knew he couldn’t go all the way.

“I have a belief system, I have a moral code. And it was really obvious to me that I couldn’t continue in the game and navigate [it] with my moral code. It had gotten to the point where I just couldn’t play anymore,” he reflects.

He found that ‘backstabbing’ his friends was too much, and felt there was a ‘dirtiness’ to the game that he couldn’t shake. He was in so much turmoil that when he was nominated alongside Estelle and Reggie, he was actually thankful instead of upset.

“I was absolutely relieved to be honest, I couldn’t stay another day in the house. I’d achieved what I wanted to,” he says.

After winning a nomination challenge, a second chance challenge and creating ‘amazing relationships’, Dave knew that his time was up. He was so determined to go home, that if he hadn’t been voted out he would have voluntarily left the house.

“There was no question, no ifs or buts about it. I would have just shot through. I would have said [to Reggie and Estelle], ‘You’re not going anywhere, and you’re not going anywhere. I’m out of here’,” he says.

‘No regrets’

Farmer Dave is known for being authentic and true to himself, after coming out on his original Big Brother season in 2006. Saying that the experience this time around was ‘incredible’, he explains that he doesn’t regret a single moment of his time in the house.

The main reason he came on the show was to help spread awareness of his charity, RuffTrack. The organisation aims to help youth aged 12-17, and pairs each young person with a dog to help with responsibility, caring for others and communication skills.

It’s clear that helping kids is one of his passions, with the star saying, “The work that we do at RuffTrack is so vital, because in this insanely wealthy and privileged nation of Australia, we shouldn’t have kids slipping through the cracks.”

However, when asked if he’d go on Big Brother a third time, he bursts into laughter and says ‘Oh crikey Moses, no. I would definitely choose a different way to [promote the charity.]”

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