USA’s Xavier, Shan Break Down ‘Big Brother’ Betrayal

A Big Brother betrayal? Xavier PratherSeason 23 winner of the show, Jeremy, was eliminated The Challenge: USATogether with his partner SurvivorAlum Shan SmithAfter a surprise move by two former allies, he appeared in the Wednesday, July 27 episode.

His aides threw the pastor and attorney into the arena. BB23Castmates Alyssa Lopez Kyland YoungMany, including Shan and Xavier, were shocked to learn that.

While the former says he “had gotten tipped off” by David Alexander (against whom they eventually lost the elimination), he still felt blindsided, especially because the entire cast “knew Alyssa and I were thick as thieves.”


Shan Smith and Xavier Prather
Laura Barisonzi/Paramount

So why did Alyssa & Kyland not take the shot at their own game so early? “I don’t think Alyssa and Kyland are very smart players,” Shan exclusively tells Us WeeklyYou can watch our exit interview above. “I just don’t think that they are. And I don’t mean to be disrespectful, but it was very short-sided. They were blinded both by revenge and pettiness. This was a former castmate of mine. He won. We all agreed that X should not win the Challenge. However, we were all unsure of his reasoning. Big Brother’s survival and longevity in the game, it just didn’t make much sense.”

Kyland was a member The Cookout. Big Brother 23Alyssa was his No. 1 ally and helped to make history by naming Xavier the first-ever Black winner. 1 ally outside of that alliance.

“We understand they felt slighted or betrayed or backstabbed, and we expected that, as members of The Cookout,” X says. “We expected the only people we talk to after the show to just be Cookout members after the show. We believed everyone else would feel wronged. And they weren’t necessarily wrong in feeling like they had been betrayed because they had, but we’re not betraying you guys because we don’t want to work with you guys, or don’t like you guys. We’re doing this because for 22 seasons a person who looks like us has never won that game.”

The Challenge: USA's Xavier and Shan Talk About Blindside 'Big Brother' Betrayal

Xavier Prather & Shan Smith
Laura Barisonzi/Paramount

Shan shares their current position with Alyssa, Kyland and Kyland. Use, “I think [Kyland]He is a user. I think he’s a manipulator. I just don’t really enjoy him as a person, and I’ve been honest with him about that – that I don’t want to be your friend. And Alyssa, I don’t believe her as a person. I think she’s always playing Big Brother. I think she’s got a lot of issues she’s gotta work through in her life that she just hasn’t taken the time to do.”

She adds, “There’s no friendship for me, moving forward, with those two, but X, I hope the best for you and Alyss going forward because I know you guys were really close.”

Big Brother 23’s Alyssa Lopez Exit Interview

Alyssa and Xavier Prather
CBS

Xavier, who previously had a friendship with the two, says, “I would try to take out ofDr. Will [Kirby]’s book, which is where he viewed people he went on these shows with more as coworkers than friends. I think that’s probably an approach I’m going to take similarly moving forward.”

“I don’t find them to be bad people, and I’m not going to address anything they’re dealing with personally because I think everyone has their own battles that they’re fighting, and I’m not going to undermine anything they could be going through,” he explains. “But I would say my relationships with them moving forward, I would just approach more like a coworker type of relationship. I’m not here praying for your downfall and I’m not here hating on you or anything. We come in, and we get to work. We do what is right for us. You go home. I go home.”

The Challenge: USAAirs Wednesdays at 9 PM ET/PT on CBS