Iowan finds out his wife is pregnant live on 'Big Brother'

Iowan Jason Dent needed a minute on Sunday's episode of the CBS reality show juggernaut, "Big Brother."

After being locked away from the outside world in the "Big Brother" house — where his movements are chronicled by cameras 24 hours a day and absolutely no conversations are secret — for almost two full months, Dent finally won a competition. His spoils included a basket full of his favorite snacks and pictures and letters from home.

The rodeo clown from Humeston was not two full words into the letter from his wife, Holly, when the waterworks started. But when he got to a specific line, Dent — who may be better known as Whistle-Nut, the human companion to Ole the Bull — was so overcome that he literally fell to the ground in heaving sobs.

"Gatlyn wants to tell you that you have to win 'Big Brother' because he is going to be a big brother and mommy is...," Dent said before collapsing into a heap as his fellow competitors gathered around him.

While I don't want to weigh you down with "Big Brother" rules and regulations, let me stop to explain why Dent is dressed in a brightly colored unitard. In addition to prizes for winning challenges, houseguests (or competitors) are punished when they lose. Wearing a unitard 24-hours-a-day is one of those punishments. Each week, one houseguest is voted out until three remain to vie for the $500,000 in the finale.

Reached Monday morning, Holly also needed a minute. She'd just watched the CBS clip again and was a little overcome herself.

Holly found out she was pregnant on June 30 and said she called the show's production right away.

"I told them the news and asked them what my options were of letting him know," she said. "They said there was absolutely no contact with the outside world and that I had to wait until he won a (Head of Household) competition, so that was several weeks of waiting."

On his birthday, July 12, Dent told his fellow houseguests that all he wanted for his special day was for his wife to be pregnant, according to the house's live feeds, which are available online. Holly said she was glad "she didn't have to disappoint."

Along with the letter, Holly sent an ultrasound image and a photo of their first child, 2-year-old Gatlyn, all dressed up in a cowboy hat, riding a stuffed horse, and wearing a shirt reading "newest big bro."

While Holly would have rather been able to tell her husband right away, the made-for-TV moment of Dent's raw emotion was "worth the wait," she said.

"I knew he was going to be a mess, but, gosh, to find out something like this," she said. "The fans are saying that this is going to go down in 'Big Brother' history."

Holly said that Humeston has been nothing but gracious and helpful during Dent's star turn. Neighbors have offered to bring over food or look after Gatlyn when needed. After the moment aired on Sunday, her phone "blew up" with congratulations.

"I am feeling really good finally," Holly said. "This Friday marked three months and this is a different pregnancy, that is for sure. I am wondering if its a girl, but it's too soon to find out. I have just a little bit of morning sickness, but I am feeling really fantastic now that we passed to the second trimester.

"And I am ready for him to come home," she said.

But she quickly added: "Now, if he came home with $500,000, that would be much better."