One contestant's biceps will be putting the Big in Big Brother this summer. Big Brother 19's Mark Jansen is a Grand Island, New York native, who could be a major threat to other players in the house, as physical competitions could end up being a piece of cake for this personal trainer and bodybuilder. Aside from his physical fitness, what does Jansen bring the competition? There's a lot more to this Houseguest than how much weight he can bench press, and anyone who underestimate him could be in for a rude awakening.
Jansen is very clearly going to be a force to be reckoned with when it comes to physical challenges, but it seems as though he also has a strong understanding of how to maneuver the crucial social dynamics of the game as well. In his pre-show interview with BB11's Jeff Schroeder, Mark explains that his strategy is to walk in without one. "It all depends on the people," he said. "It's easy for me to say I'm gonna get in an alliance or I'm gonna stay away from certain people, but I don't know the people in the house. I'm excited to see the people I'm gonna be living with and interact with every day."
Jansen's willingness to adapt his strategy to the personalities in the house could give him an advantage against anyone who hopes to stick to a pre-determined plan. While he doesn't have any specific plays in mind, Jansen did list a few rules he's given himself in his CBS bio for how to conduct himself in the house: "Try to read people and relate with everybody, be real, don't get caught up in stories, earn people's trust and keep it." While it looks like Mark's walking into the house with an open mind, he admitted that there's one weakness of his that could throw even his best plans off.
"Girls," Jansen told Jeff. "Showmance. I'm very...a little bit [girl-crazy]. Sometimes there's girls on the show I'm just like... 'man'. Truthfully, that would be my downfall." However, he listed his favorite Big Brother player as Brendan Villegas from BB11 and BB12 in his CBS bio. "He basically said, 'It's me and my girl [Rachel Reilly] vs. the house. Let's go,'" Jansen wrote. While he wants to make it to the end and win the grand prize, it seems that he'd be just as happy to help someone else go the distance as well.
Jansen's laid back approach to Big Brother doesn't seem like a winning strategy, but add his confidence and physical ability and he could be a low-key contender. Hopefully, Mark remembers to expect the unexpected and stays on his toes throughout the season. If he keeps his eye on the prize, he could secure a victory for himself — or even a very special showmance partner.
