Eviction Night Shock
Mallory Aurichio, 24, became the seventh person voted off of "Big Brother 28" during the Thursday, Aug. 27 episode. The live studio audience gasped when her ally Drew Campbell, 22, voted to evict her, as reported by multiple outlets including com and MassLive.
Aurichio and Campbell were part of the P. alliance along with Melody Morris and Barrett Pfeiffer. While the foursome was tight socially, Campbell and Pfeiffer had a longstanding strategic alliance with reality TV veterans Rick Devens, Dee Valladares and Angela Murray, known collectively as the Icons. According to reports, Pfeiffer refused to vote Aurichio out of the game, while Campbell stayed loyal to the Icons and helped send her home.
Head of Household Dee Valladares had nominated both Aurichio and Campbell for eviction the previous week, along with LaTrice "Lala" Verrett and Taylor Brown.
Aurichio’s Reaction and Speculation
In an interview with com, Aurichio said she isn't sure why the nominations weren't enough to show Campbell he shouldn't trust the Icons. She guessed that Campbell might feel it is safer to work with the Icons because that alliance seems really strong.
"Maybe it feels like that alliance with the Icons and Barrett is kind of running things right now, and maybe it feels safer for him to work with that because that just seems like [what’s] really strong," she said. "But it is clear from the outside that he’s expendable to them. I think he’s starting to realize it."
Aurichio pointed out that "the whole other side" of the "Big Brother" house is mad at Campbell right now, naming Yash Patel, Taylor, Lala, and Melody Morris. She noted that this makes it difficult for him to switch sides.
"Yash [Patel] doesn’t like him, Taylor doesn’t like him, Lala doesn’t like him," she said. "Melody’s pissed at him. Maybe there could’ve been some redemption if he had voted to keep me, but if he goes and works with the other side, they all don’t like him, so maybe he feels like he has no choice."
Despite the betrayal, Aurichio said she won't hold a grudge when she sees Campbell outside the house. "I’m gonna be like, ‘It’s ’ He was really sad to see me leave, and he’s playing a game, he’s doing what he thinks," she told com.
In a separate interview with Page Six, Aurichio elaborated on her feelings of betrayal, saying she was "surprised about a lot of the stuff that Drew has done." She called out Campbell for playing both sides of the house and "running information back" to the Icons alliance.
"I always knew he was tight with the ‘Icons’ and I knew he talked too much, but I had been kind of assuming he had my best interests and he didn’t," she said.
Aurichio also said she had assumed Campbell was most loyal to their P. alliance, so she was equally surprised to learn that he had told Kamu Kirk that she was targeting him.
Assessing the Remaining Game
Given Campbell’s gameplay, Aurichio said she doesn't think he has a great shot at winning. She contrasted his approach with Pfeiffer's, saying, "Even though I think Barrett has been doing similar things as Drew, he’s still playing a much better game than Drew." She added, "I can’t even really put the words for the differences, but people really don’t like Drew. But people still trust Barrett and Barrett showed me loyalty in the end."
Aurichio named Yash Patel as the player best positioned to win, noting, "Everybody likes Yash. He’s very good at competitions and for the majority of the game, everyone kind of assumed that Yash was working with them, even though he wasn’t. He was on the block first week and then he hasn’t been on the block for a really long time."
As for the Icons, Aurichio said Devens "has been playing the best game" because he's "very smart and calculated and he’s made a lot of big moves." She acknowledged, however, that the trio have had advantages from the start, noting they were the only ones who could compete in the first Head of Household competition and were all voted into the time capsule.
Alliance Dynamics and Relationships
Aurichio also reflected on her relationships in the house. She said she and Melody Morris solidified their working relationship in week four, when Lyric Medeiros tried to throw Aurichio under the bus. Aurichio recalled that during Haley Thogmartin’s HOH, she made a deal to save Morris, which brought them close.
"Big Brother" airs on CBS and Paramount+ Sundays, Wednesdays and Thursdays at 8 m. ET.