Celebrity Big Brother has hit the scene! After every eviction, Parade’s Mike Bloom interviews the latest celebrity to leave the Big Brother house.

If a Big Brother cast is typically regarded as a family, it’s safe to say that the Celebrity Big Brother 2 clan is more hate than love. The recently-wrapped season was a month of constant arguments and unfavorable accusations, as everyone tried in vain to separate their emotions from their gameplay. At the head of the table was Dina Lohan, most notably known “momager” of actress Lindsay Lohan. In the midst of all the strife that plagued the house this season, Dina was able to play the role of nonthreatening mother, a strategy which got her in a grasp of the win before getting cut short of the final two.

Dina entered the house with admittedly not a lot of knowledge about the game. But she had great skills in building and trusting relationships, considering her romantic life for the past five years. She also had a familiar face in Mean Girls star Jonathan Bennett, who helped protect her from being one of the first nominees. Unfortunately, the Cupcake Wars host’s game got put on icing quickly, and any bonds Dina made with houseguests like Ryan Lochte and Joey Lawrence severed upon their evictions. Left alone in the house, Dina persisted, as the duo of her and Kandi Burruss shielded themselves in the shrapnel of the “Team Fun” civil war. She made her biggest move at the final seven, declaring her loyalty to Kandi and Tom Green against the Gold Room alliance. But the end of her game, unfortunately, mirrored the beginning. The Gold Room alliance swept the following competitions to take out Tom and Kandi, and final Head of Household Ricky Williams decided to not take her to the finals due to all the friends she had sitting on the jury.

Now out of the house, Dina talks with Parade about why she cast her vote for Tamar Braxton to win, the feeling of losing her close connections early on, and how she felt Celebrity Big Brother was like a vacation.

What led you to vote for Tamar over Ricky in the final two?

I love them both, but I got to talk with Tamar more than Ricky. I do love Ricky, but they were all part of an alliance that I wasn’t in. So it was a little harder to get to know each of them on a separate basis. It was a hard decision, but I love Tamar. She’s a single mom, and I’m a single mom. I gave her advice, and we really touched base on that level.

When Ricky won that final Head of Household competition, did you know you would be going? Or was there anything you tried last minute to save yourself?

I knew he was going to pick Tamar. They were in the same room and hung out together. It didn’t surprise me, and I was happy for whoever won.

Going back to the beginning of the game, you struggled off the bat with not making alliances. Can you talk through what those feelings were at the time?

I didn’t know the show and how it worked. A lot of the others were superfans, so they knew what was going on. I was pretty much clueless about most of that. [Laughs.] It didn’t bother me at all. I just got to know eleven amazing people, which I did. I built friendships with them that I’m going to maintain out of the house. So it didn’t phase me at all.

You did have a connection off the bat in Jonathan. Were you two friendly before coming into the house?

I knew Jonathan, but I hadn’t spoken to him in fifteen years. He did an interview with Lindsay for her MTV show, and I saw him then. But he’s never changed; he’s always been an angel child and it’s really refreshing. As a mom and manager in the business, to see he’s still an amazing human being is fantastic.

Unfortunately, you lose Jonathan early on, as well as other people you’ve bonded with like Ryan and Joey. What was that experience like emotionally?

They were my roommates! We just laughed so much and had so much fun. I was shocked when Ryan left. I was like, “No, don’t leave me!” He was like my other child. I was bummed when all the guys left. They were like my children in the house.

You do end up making a long-lasting connection with Kandi Burruss, which lasts until the end of the game. What was your relationship like?

Oh my God, I love her like a sister. We’re going to be friends forever. Actually, my favorite Housewives show is Atlanta! I felt like I knew her, but I didn’t know her. I was a super fan of hers. I think she’s amazing, sweet, and kind. When I met her, we just gravitated towards each other. We played a lot of cards and pool. We were just sitting around saying, “We’re not in an alliance. What’s happening?” We’ll be friends forever.

You also build bonds with Tom Green and Kato Kaelin. What was it like interacting with the two of them?

I wasn’t in their alliance; they were with Lolo and Natalie. So when that alliance split, that was surreal. I was like, “Who are you people?!” We lost them to the HoH room or wherever they sequestered themselves. But we’ll always be friends. Tom lasted longer in the house, and he crushed it. I think he was the best player in the game, actually. It was sad when he left because Kandi and I were really good friends with him. I’m actually working with Tom on marketing his beer and moonshine in Canada. As well as helping Lolo with modeling and Ryan with marketing his brand.

That last statement highlights the fact that you filled that role of the house mother during your time on this season. Was that something you purposely pursued?

It’s just who I am. [Laughs.] I’m a single mom. I was there for anyone who needed my help. It was organic to me.

As you mentioned, you went most of the game without a solid alliance. How did you navigate conversations with all of those different parties to make sure you survived another day?

I actually didn’t look at it as surviving another day. I just stayed true to my heart. My kids told me, “Mommy, you need to do something for you.” Because I’ve been in the entertainment field long before I had children. For me, it was actually kind of a vacation!

Was there anything that you took away from your “vacation” into your everyday life?

It was so cool and eye-opening. I learned so much about eleven different individuals, and it was amazing. They each taught my things for my growth. I’m in awe of this show. I went in with an open heart. I didn’t know the show and a couple of them in there were super fans who knew how the show worked. I went in intentionally not knowing because I didn’t want to go in judging the show, knowing what to do and when to do it. I just wanted to be true to myself, my heart, and the people in there. I guess it worked well because I made it to the top four! It was a cool experience.