'Big Brother 26's Lisa Weintraub Reveals an Unseen Fight with Angela

Big Brother ’s house is open once more! Every week, Parade.com’s Mike Bloom will be bringing you interviews with this season's houseguests as they get evicted from the game.

"Words are power. Thoughts are power." Lisa Weintraub had no idea how much that quote manifested her stunning blindside in Big Brother 26 . Lisa walked into the house as the self-proclaimed life of the party, an event producer and "vibe curator." And unfortunately, it was the vibes that she was giving off that spelled her doom. Lisa was confidently banking on Angela Murray's recent conflicts to guarantee her ouster, hoping to outwit the woman who called her a "twit." But, despite her affinity for glitter, its sticking power did not reflect her time in the house.

The road to Lisa's eviction arguably started on the first night. In the middle of Tucker Des Lauriers' introduction, Lisa stood up, declaring she, too, was a chef. It immediately left a bad taste in Tucker's mouth that would linger for the next two weeks. Despite the bold start, Lisa largely stayed out of the fray strategically in the beginning. Unfortunately, that made her an easy nominee for Angela, who put her up as one of the "consensus targets." Absolutely blindsided, she was able to transform that fury into fuel, winning the first veto of the season and saving her game in the process. Her relationship with Angela that week grew complicated, though, going from advising her about nominations to declaring that she no longer wanted to be associated with her.

Despite being safe, Lisa was far from in the loop. That came to a head when she was one of three votes to keep Matt Hardeman in the house, something she immediately and adamantly denied. When Chelsie Baham won HoH, Lisa found herself back up on the block, but was told up and down by the house that Angela was the target. This was only exacerbated for Lisa when the two got into yet another argument, as Angela mocked her walk and called her a "twit." Little did Lisa know, however, that Tucker was pushing the votes against her. He was adamant she had one of the upgrade powers, despite being told that was not the case, and was caught out in her eviction vote lie. All of that served as a recipe for disaster for the celebrity chef. She was voted out near-unanimously, leaving her--and Angela--stunned in the process.

Now out of the house, Lisa talks with Parade.com about her reaction to her blindside, how she responds to Tucker's rivalry with her, and the unseen conversation that sparked her contentious dynamic with Angela.

Related: Everything to Know About Big Brother 26

To say you were stunned to be evicted would be an understatement. It seemed like there was a lot going through your head as the people who near-unanimously evicted you are trying to hug you. Now that you've had a bit of time to sit with it, talk me through what you were thinking in those moments.
Not not stunned! [ Laughs .] Wow. So obviously not my first blindside of the season. But, you know, practice makes perfect, right? [ Laughs .] I was completely blindsided. There was a few inklings during the eviction ceremony that I was like, "Oh, it could it be going this way." So it was a whirlwind. It happened very quickly. It was...[ Stabs herself in the chest .] my heart! But I handled it. This is the way the cookie crumbled this time. And I'm just grateful to be a part of the season and fight my fight.

What were the inklings you were picking up on?
So no one would make eye contact with me during the votes. Throughout the whole season, I was always looking at the nonverbal cues of my fellow houseguests. Three people that I trusted and I thought were in my alliance, or friends, or built relationships with, they wouldn't look at me. And they are usually calm, cool and collected. Their feet were shaking; their hands were sweating. Someone was holding it. And that was the indication that my intuition told me something's up. And then I was looking around at everyone, trying to get some answers. And Tucker was the only one that looked at me and really reassured me, "You're okay. You got this." So he was playing me till the very, very end.

Yes, so we need to get into that. It sounds like this isn't new information to you, but you left a bad taste in Tucker's mouth from the moment you stood up during his introduction. And arguably one of the reasons why you're talking with me today is that Tucker was so adamant to get you out, and insistent that you had a power. Now that you're learning all this, what's your reaction to your relationship?
You know, I am very flattered that he thought I was a complete threat. That he had to play his game this week and get me out. I always thought it was friendly banter. Chef competition, "who's the best cooking, good looking" kind of vibes. But he took it to a whole new level. We always said that Week Three we would cook together, and he ruined that dream.

What I will say, though, is that he wasn't the only one that was not a fan of your habits in the house, including sprinkling edible glitter in people's foods unprompted or putting essential oils on the pillows in the Have-Not room. And there were certainly speculations about your life,  including that you weren't actually a chef. What did you think the perception of yourself was in the house, and how does it compare?
You know what? Perception in the Big Brother house is everything. And the things that make me a professional vibe curator are my vibes, the essence, the zen, as well as the edible glitter. So if those signature things didn't land in the house, they definitely do in the real world. Perception is a crazy concept in the house; anything can be seen through the Big Brother lens. So I'm not quite sure where that disconnect happened. I was authentically myself throughout the whole time, aside from a few little lies when I was playing the game. I have to; it's Big Brother . But you know what? Everyone, all of the houseguests, will look for anything to pick apart. And the funniest thing to me was that no one believed I was a chef. And I get to be like, "Hey, I'm actually a celebrity chef! I own two amazing companies: 'Plates by Lisa' and 'Batch Best Friend.' I wasn't lying to you, but I wasn't telling you the whole truth." I didn't want people to know that I was as smart, dynamic, and well rounded as I was, and the reasons why. Obviously that showed in another light during the show, which is why they got me out when they could.

Well let's talk about the biggest challenge to that "zen" in your relationship like Angela. Last week, it seemed at one point that you were her closest confidante, even telling her who to put up in your place. But then it all seems to sour during one conversation on the hammock. We didn't get to see all of it, but you told her at one point that it "compromises your integrity" to associate with her both inside and outside the house, and hearsay indicates she called you Tinkerbell. Can you fill in the blanks as to what happened there?
I mean, she put me on the block Week One. I was the first female nominated. And I just had to fight my own fight from the get-go and survive and play the game in the Big Brother house. I wanted to lay low the first few weeks, but I wouldn't be me if I laid low. So I'll take it. Tinkerbell is a vibe. So I love that. If that's supposed to be an insult or a reflection of who I am, that means I'm this cute little fairy that's spreading good vibes and putting edible glitter on everything. So I'll own that one.

On the hammock, we did have a discussion. I am a transparent person, and I stand by my beliefs. After she nominated me on the block and she isolated herself in the house based off of her choices, she wanted to try to align with me. And she goes, "I will do whatever it takes to earn your trust." And I said, "Actions speak louder than words." And through her actions throughout the house that subsequent week, she could have been a number for me. But at the end of the day, it didn't align with me. I didn't agree with how she played the game or how she carried herself. So that was the conversation on the hammock. Some people don't handle rejection well. All I did was give her the answer. And from then, she chose certain words, actions, and tactics to treat me in the house after that conversation.

To that point, we saw only a few days ago that she mocked your walk and called you a "twit," which prompted a big emotional reaction from you where you called her a bully. What was it like to deal with those comments while playing the game?
You know what? Everyone has their own strategy. We were able to decipher what's gameplan, what isn'.t I don't agree with those actions, and to endure name-calling and repetitive bullying is a lot. So I had a breaking point. I was steering clear from her and not engaging because there's energies that I don't align with and I don't want in my force field. So I was maintaining respect in the house, but also honoring my own boundaries that I set. But she took a different direction, and those are her choices.

To finish, give your rapid-fire thoughts on each of the remaining houseguests. Starting with Angela.
Not my vibe.
Brooklyn.
Fierce mama.
Cam.
Good guy.
Cedric.
Baby blue! [ Laughs .]
Chelsie.
Well-spoken.
Joseph.
Surprising.
Kenney.
Loyal.

Did you know, by the way, that he used to be an undercover cop?
Good for him! Kenney, the only one that voted for me, good cop. Oh, my God, I hope he goes far. That's awesome.

Well let's keep going with Kimo.
Oh, just...too many words. He's amazing, and I can't wait to connect with him out of the house.
Leah.
A twin. I would elaborate that she and I have a very similar brain, and so I kept that very close. But I was also aware of what she could be capable of. So I'm excited to watch what's going on.
Makensy .
My friend.
Quinn .
Just the best, good person.
Rubina.
Just a ball of joy.
T'kor.
[ Poses .] Like a gazelle!
And last, and perhaps most interestingly, Tucker.
Tucker, Tucker, Tucker. I have more than one word about him. My word would be "suave." You did a really good job about being suave and everything. So watch out for him, guys.

Next, check out our interview with Matt Hardeman, who was evicted in Big Brother 26 Week 1 .