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

Going into Celebrity Big Brother, many lifelong fans, this author included, were intrigued as to how it would play. We were excited to see the show shed its usual summer coat for the first time since the writers’ strike-spurred ninth season. But we were simultaneously nervous to see how those entering the house with some notoriety already to their names would take to the game, especially under such a shortened season.

Luckily for us, it seems these stars have been able to apply the same skills they used making a name for themselves to hopefully making a name for themselves as a Big Brother player. In the past 10 days, alliances have formed and crumbled, arguments have started, and the first blindside of the season has already happened. UFC fighter Chuck Liddell became the first person evicted from Celebrity Big Brother after the majority alliance decided to turn on their own and grapple the votes to land a takedown on him.

Chuck entered the house as someone fiercely competitive from his days at the Octagon, but ultimately came up short when he failed to grab the gold in the first Head of Household competition. The challenge came down to James Maslow and Shannon Elizabeth, with the actress and poker player ultimately taking the pot. Her victory cemented a coalition that had been brewing with her and notorious villain Omarosa Manigault, and they chose to bring in the other women in the house to form the season’s first alliance. Their target was James, whose youth, athletic skill, and penchant for arguing with Real Housewife Brandi Glandville made him the highest nail in the male block of wood.

But Chuck was soon to start pulling his nail out as well, despite his attempts at masking his intentions by donning an avocado mask. The advent of “gift bags” gave the celebrities the opportunity to take the risk of opening theirs for the possible reward of “recasting” the Head of Household role. The men decided to take their shot to increase their chances of overthrowing Shannon; but when push came to shove, Chuck was the only bullet in the chamber. As a result of his actions, the rest of the women (plus honorary alliance member Ross Mathews) chose to open their bags, prompting a random draw. It ended up being Keshia Knight Pulliam who got the opportunity, and though she did successfully send Shannon out of the Head of Household room, she kept to the alliance’s plan. Chuck found himself up against James due to his gift bag maneuver, leaving the new “Celebrators” alliance with very little to celebrate.

Shannon’s dominance in the Veto competition seemed to spell James’ doom. But things got a bit more complicated when Keshia and Omarosa decided to enact a plan on the side to remove Chuck with the Veto and put up Mark McGrath, who had struck a bad chord with Keshia when he told her he would use the Veto to take James off should he win it. Shannon was hesitant to give yet another man ammunition against her and chose not to use her power, much to the chagrin of the “BGM” duo. Despite all of this, it seemed like babyfaced James (quite literally, in this case, considering his punishment of having to dress like a baby after the Veto competition) would be sent out the door. But Keshia and Omarosa’s side planning had started turning the wheels in Ross and Shannon’s heads. Assuming they had made a deal with Chuck, they decided to pre-emptively squash it by voting out Chuck, keeping a hopefully loyal James in instead. As a result, the duo laid a haymaker on the house, swaying nearly everyone to send him out of the Big Brother bout and putting a shocked Keshia, Omarosa, and Metta World Peace on their guard (Metta doubly so, considering he erroneously thought he was voting to save Chuck).

Now out of the house, Chuck talks with us about who he thinks is most responsible for his eviction, who he would have targeted had he stayed in the house, and what he struggled with most in the game.

Being a celebrity is all about branding, so I have to ask: When does the Chuck Liddell line of facial masks come out onto the market?

(Laughs.) I don’t know, you tell me. We’ll have to get it tested somewhere and get people working on that.

It looked good on you! Did you see any improvements in your skin after using it? It seemed to be an added benefit of sucking up to the women.

Yeah, it [was nice] to get a little moisture. It was really dry in that house, so it was a good deal.

Well, you got a bit hung out to dry with the way the votes shook out. We’re talking a bit under 24 hours after your eviction. What’s going through your head right now?

I’m kind of bummed. It seems like a last-minute swing. I don’t know if James orchestrated it or what happened. I haven’t seen [the footage] yet, so I don’t know. But I’m a little surprised he went that hard throwing me under the bus. But it is part of the game, I guess.

Yeah, considering that’s your fellow Celebrator! I know you said going into the house that you’re a very loyal and honest person. Do you think if things had shaken out differently and you and James had both survived, you would have gone to the end with him?

Yeah, I know him from outside the game. It’s a little different when you meet someone in the game. When you know someone outside the game, it’s a little tougher to go after them. I mean, if it was time to cut him, it’s part of the game. But I would have tried to stay with him as long as I could. But it was one or the other. Both of us couldn’t stay at that point.

Let’s speak toward the other houseguests. I know you said you haven’t seen the footage yet, but if you could assign blame to one person for your eviction, who would it be?

Shannon was the one running that side. Something happened [Thursday] night that made me freak out. Going to bed, I was fine. Everything was good. I’m pretty good at reading people, and everyone was saying, “Oh, you’re fine. Don’t worry about it.” I figured out something was wrong the morning of the eviction. Everyone couldn’t quite look me in the eyes. They’re saying, “Oh, you’re fine,” but they’re looking away. It was pretty obvious it wasn’t fine, and I was trying to figure out how to change it. But it just didn’t seem like I could at that point.

I want to rewind to the very beginning of the game. Based on first impressions, who were you surprised to see or immediately threatened by?

I knew James, but I didn’t know anybody really well enough to know how good they’d be at the game. Right after the first competition, I could tell Shannon was going to be a tough competitor. She’s a huge fan, and I knew she was smart–she’s a good poker player–, so I knew she was going to be hard to read and good at reading people. And then I knew Omarosa was going to be tough. Early on, those are the people I knew would be tough.

You were also in the house with the only other athlete, Metta. Did you guys take solace in the fact that you were the only two sports guys, or are UFC and basketball like apples and oranges?

He’s a big boxing fan actually, so we were talking about boxing. He’s just a great guy. I like him, but he’s nuts. It would be genius if it turns out that was a game play for him. Playing that he wanted to leave. If all that were game play, it would be brilliant. But I think he just really doesn’t care. He’s just a big kid having fun.

Speaking towards that, I know Metta vocalized how much he missed his family. You’re a family man as well. Was it tough to compartmentalize keeping your head in the game when you have a family on the outside?

I compartmentalized really well. I knew the attitude [with my family] was a little easier; I’ve been away for a couple of weeks before. I knew they were going to be able to watch me, and they’d have fun watching me 24/7. That was a little comforting. They were all excited, all happy, having people over every night to watch it on TV.

Coming into the game, you said you knew you were a physical presence, but you wanted to try to underplay that by showing your softer side. Do you feel you were successful in doing that?

I think I didn’t get a chance to do that. People just assumed I would be great at [challenges], I couldn’t really underplay that. I gave that up pretty early. That first competition was a tough one for us big guys.

You also said before the season that you were a Tasmanian devil and a “bit of a spaz.” Would we have seen more of that behavior if you had stayed longer too? A stir-crazy Chuck?

I would have been doing more and more as we got more and more time not doing anything. I just don’t sit still well. But I entertain myself; I would have been doing more [of that].

Let’s move forward a bit and talk about everything with the gift bags, which arguably led to your nomination. With regards to you leading the charge and expecting the other men to follow, was that something you decided to volunteer to do?

We talked about it. I thought it was something we needed to do. I didn’t think James was going to do it because he was really worried about getting some embarrassing costume out of it. Which is hilarious, considering he ended up in the baby costume anyway.

Well after you go in there and find that nobody followed you, did that decrease your trust in the rest of the men at all?

I didn’t have much trust in that group, to begin with. I was hoping I’d get a little support if everybody got in line. But I really didn’t think anybody was going to do it. I had a feeling the girls would all get in line, and then my chance of getting the bag would not be very high. In hindsight, maybe I should have waited for the second [week]. I probably should have tried to lay back and skate through. But we were completely outnumbered, so I wanted to take a shot at changing it.

Going to after the Veto competition, were you aware of the plan Keshia and Omarosa devised to take you off the block and put Mark up in your place?

Yeah, I was told that was what’s going to happen by a couple of people. I wasn’t counting on it, but I was hoping [for it]. But it somehow changed. Up until [the Veto ceremony], Mark said that was what was happening. He had given himself up to go up as a pawn, but he was going to be saved. Then when they didn’t take me down, I thought, “Ok, that makes me nervous.”

Looking back, was there anything you could have told Shannon to get her to use the Veto on you?

I thought her and I were good, so I didn’t think I had to make it more clear. I should have been more verbal and made it clearer that she wasn’t my target. I wanted to go with her as far as I could.

I noticed in your goodbye messages, some houseguests who were very emotional, Marissa especially. Were there any houseguests you got particularly close to?

She has a tough time being mean to anyone. She was really sweet. I liked everybody. We had a good time; we were goofing off, playing games. Doing improv things and really entertaining [ourselves] for quite a few days before stuff started coming out. I liked everybody, really. Those people in there are really entertaining people.

Let’s say James went instead of you last night, and you’re still in the house. If you won Head of Household, who would you have gone after?

Knowing [what I know] now, I’d go after Shannon. (Laughs.) But I talked to Shannon and Omarosa about working together. I would have asked them what girl they would have wanted me to go after so that they weren’t getting their hands dirty. I would have [definitely] gone after one of the girls. Pretty much whichever one they wanted would have been fine. I wouldn’t have gone after Keshia because I told her if she promised to [break the eviction tie in my favor], then I wouldn’t put her up the first time I got HoH. I would have been fine with any of the other girls.

Talking with Julie after your eviction, I know you said this “isn’t your game.” What did you struggle with the most in the house?

I overheard Mark trying to convince Metta to go against me, even though I know it’s part of the game. Then I come into the weight room, and he’s just smiling at me like we’re friends. I thought I could turn it off in there, but that bothered me a little bit. I really don’t like when people say one thing to your face, [and say another behind your back]. I don’t care if you don’t like me, you can say whatever you want. But don’t say that behind my back, then smile at me and act like we’re friends. I get it’s a game. But still, it was hard to fight back that feeling. (Groans.) I don’t like that! It’s part of the game; I’m not upset with him about it. He was actually saying very nice things about me, but still trying to get rid of me.