Cory Wurtenberger and America Lopez have been one of Big Brother's most popular showmances in a while, but we all knew the ride had to end sooner or later. While the duo was able to make some big moves like orchestrate Izzy Gleicher's eviction and get Jared Fields evicted, their inability to hide their relationship made nominating them an easy choice for Jag Bains in his latest Head of Household. Now free from the game, Cory explained the only thing he misses about being outside the house and how it drove him closer to America.
CinemaBlend and other outlets had a chance to submit questions for Cory as he headed to the jury, and after hearing about his future Wendy's Baconator date with America, I had to know what Cory missed about the outside world while playing Big Brother. I was a bit blindsided by his response, which spoke to the immense amount of stress Houseguests face when playing the game:
Truthfully, the only thing I miss about being outside is not being in the Big Brother house. I’m just someone who needs my personal space and needs to be able to turn my brain off and nap whenever I want and step away from it all. When you’re playing Big Brother there’s no world in which you can do that. You can go to the upstairs patio in the backyard, and hopefully, the cameras don’t look at you. That is your best bet.
Cory is well aware that in addition to those who watch the episodes, there are tons watching Big Brother online with their Paramount+ subscription. That, paired with the fact that the producers don't allow the Houseguests daily naps, had Cory on edge, and unable to really relax during the bulk of his time in the game.
He revealed that the times he did find peace were when he was with America. While that ultimately might've sunk his game toward the end and made him an even bigger target, the evicted Houseguest talked about how being with her helped relieve some of the pressure of being on reality television for him:
Maybe that’s why the past couple of weeks I’ve really clung to America the way that I have. Because it is comfortable, right? It feels like you’re secure and you can be yourself and not on a million percent. Even then, you’re still on because the cameras are on you. I’m sure the cameras saw way more than I would like them to, you know what I mean? That part of it makes a lot of sense to me. My brain has not turned off in 79 days. The exhaustion from the house is something I really want to get away from…just feeling okay and not depleted. That being said, I loved the experience, obviously. That being said it’s just so much, and I miss the outside.
While Cory can relax a bit in the jury house, America has a rough road ahead of her, especially after Jag won the HOH again after being the Invisible HOH the week prior. Suffice it to say she's got a tough road ahead of her, especially with Cory in the jury and unable to support her in the game. With that said, it will be nice to see the superfan navigate it without a showmance to hold her down, and I'd love to see if she can make it to the end.
Cory likely feels the same, and while he seemed a bit relieved to finally get a break from Big Brother, it also felt like there was a part of him that wished he was still in it battling for HOH with her. It's hard to blame him with the amount of prize money on the line, and the amount of time he already spent in the game. Plus, he's probably not thrilled to be sharing the jury house with his rival Cameron Hardin, but perhaps they'll form a bond in the week they have alone together.
Big Brother airs on CBS in the 2023 TV schedule on Sundays at 10:00 p.m. ET, Tuesdays at 8:00 p.m. ET, and on Thursdays at 9:00 p.m. ET. Cormerica might be over for now, but it'll be cool to see how America will continue to navigate the game after losing her closest ally in the game.
