Mat Garrick On Big Brother & Relationships

Mat: The Daily Talk Show.

Mason: It's The Daily Talk Show, episode 796.

Tommy: That was great, Mr. Nicey, well done. And we've also got a guest here, Matt Garrick, who's on the latest revamp of Big Brother. Welcome, mate.

Mat: Thank you so much for having me, fellas. It's, uh, it's a pleasure. Long time listener, first time caller, mate.

Tommy: Well, I, you know, you were expecting Josh, but, um, Josh has had a COVID test, so he's on that lockdown, self-isolation. Mate, you went into the Big Brother house and was coronavirus even a thing?

Mat: When we— I think the last news report that I, that I saw, there was about 30 cases in Australia. So it hadn't really hit our shores yet. It was more just all about Wuhan and China and then come out and it's just gone bananas. So yeah, it was pretty crazy, dude.

Tommy: And so I could imagine, because we look at sort of January, February this year, like I had my son's 3 third birthday and we had 70 people at our house, which seems fucking outrageous now. And I was chatting to a guy who had been in China, we were talking about the virus, but I didn't feel like it had the impact. When you, when you found out in the house, because there was that moment that you were all told, what was going through your head?

Mat: Oh, I just— we— when I went in, I didn't think it was gonna obviously get to the levels that it's got to out here. And then when we get told that, you know, both football codes have been cancelled, there's no Olympics, people are fighting fighting over toilet paper. It was just like, what the hell is going on out there, man? Like, this is not Australia. Like, what are we doing? And then leaving the house, just, you know, coming out into basically a zombie apocalypse was just one of the craziest experiences I've ever had.

Tommy: Yeah, I feel like there would have been some people in there that were like, you're talking shit, right, Big Brother? Like, this is a bit of—

Mason: it's all a part of it.

Tommy: It's all a part of the game. Did there— was there that vibe?

Mat: Oh, 100%. So they sort of, uh, they gave us a couple of little updates just because it was escalating. Like, no, it's out to 100 cases, and it was 300. And then within a couple of days, that's when they did a big, you know, announcement that, you know, shit's getting real. So the first couple, it was just like, oh, they're just trying to wind us up a bit more, you know. And then when they actually explained the enormity of it, it was like, far out, like, this is, this is actually real. This is not part of the game anymore.

Tommy: So Mate, you're out in God's garden, Broken Hill.

Mat: Yeah, not many people know, but Queensland pinch the same from us boys. Beautiful one day, perfect the next. So that's ours.

Tommy: Mr. 97, do you know where Broken Hill is?

Mason: No, never heard of it.

Mat: It's just north of Melbourne. No, north of Melbourne, about 9 hours.

Tommy: And so you're back home at the moment. Wednesday night, the grand final. So when we know who, who's winning, what's it been like being back at home? I mean, small town, how many people live in Broken Hill?

Mat: Uh, it's about 18,000 now, so it's sort of, it's, it's everyone knows everyone, but it's big enough to sort of have some of your, of your own space. But, um, yeah, it's been great getting back out here. Uh, since the show's been to air, the town's been so supportive and all really getting behind. 64-year-old bloke abused me at the coffee shop because he sits down to watch Big Brother. Big Brother every night, which he said he'd never do. So everyone's been really good.

Tommy: I mean, 18,000 people seems like a lot, but then I thought your Instagram account has 20,000 people, so you've got more people following you on Instagram than you do in the town that you live in.

Mat: Oh yeah, yeah. But being Insta famous is like being rich at Monopoly though, isn't it?

Tommy: That's— I mean, that's relatable chat for Josh. He loves a bit of Monopoly. Monopoly. Yeah.

Mat: Mase, I'm rubbish at it.

Tommy: Dude, I wouldn't even know the rules to start with. I'd just be trying to steal shit. So, Mr. 97 has, he's had a lot of firsts in his life. Could you even imagine going into the Big Brother house?

Mason: Oh, it'd be pretty crazy. I mean, like, you're meeting everyone for the first time and it's a pretty nightmare.

Tommy: Yeah, that's strange.

Mason: What's sort of the experience going in not knowing people and being sort of put in a bit of a pressure cooker?

Mat: Night 1, I was just so unsure what to actually expect. And I'm normally pretty good in social situations, and a lot of the times I'm sort of one of the bigger voices or personalities in the room. And then I walk in with 11 other people who are also that in their everyday life, and it was just like— there was a moment, they didn't show it, but everyone was just going crazy. And Xavier and I sort of took a step back and we're like, shit, I don't know if this is us. Like, yeah. It was just, yeah, just an explosion of energy and personalities and every single sense and feeling was just heightened for the whole time I was in there. It was just— you can't replicate it in real life.

Tommy: What have you learned about building rapport, friendship, and trust since being in the Big Brother house?

Mat: Oh gee, in a game like that, I don't know if there is such a thing as trust, but no, I just, I guess I think it was about being open to other walks of life and different views. Like, I've probably been guilty in life before that of, you know, I'm pretty solid in my views and outlook on life. And if people tell me otherwise, I sort of shut it down. But in there, obviously, I couldn't do that because then if you get people offside, you're in the gun all of a sudden. But I found that by doing that and opening myself up, it sort of broadened my horizons a bit as well, I think. And I like to think that I'll take a bit of that back into real life as well.

Tommy: I mean, you play footy in Broken Hill, I've heard. Uh, did you reckon being in a club environment, you know, around the boys, or just that sort of, you know, you, you— not everyone's your mate on the team, they're friends or acquaintances. Do you reckon that's a bit of priming, bit of, uh, upskilling before you went in the Big Brother house?

Mat: Yeah, yeah, definitely helped. And also where I work at one of the mine sites out here, there's about 500, uh, people at it, and So just a range of different personalities and outlooks. And I guess, yeah, work, footy, as you're always going to come across people that you don't get along with. But it's like, you know what, for the sake of 2 hours on a Saturday afternoon playing footy, I'm going to be your friend just to make this easier for everyone. So there was a few people in there that I definitely took that view on.

Tommy: Growing up in Broken Hill, you've— you're working in the mines. I mean, is there is there a mindset of, I want to get out of this place? I mean, you've stayed there, but when you're younger, are you thinking, I want to hit the big smoke, or I want to stay here and sort of build that family in this place where I've grown up?

Mat: Yeah, there's sort of two schools of thought around Broken Hill. Some people love it, like I'm obviously one of them because I'm still here, and other people just sort of hate the joint, can't wait to get out, get to uni, get, you know, get— it's funny, a lot of those people end up coming back, so that's always humorous when they bag the joint and leave in a smoke and then two 2 years later they're back. But it's sort of one of those places. It's like anywhere, you know, it's who you surround yourself with. It's what you make it. I had aspirations of being a physio, and when I come through year 12, I wasn't smart enough to get those marks. So chuck me in the ring for an apprenticeship, got it, and I'm still here now. So, but I've got all my family and friends out here, so I love it.

Tommy: Yeah, I mean, Mr. 97 hasn't left the suburb of Balwyn in, he's 21. He's pretty much a 5K radius guy.

Mason: Yeah, yeah, a bit of a bubble.

Mat: If you've got everything you need there, I leave.

Mason: Exactly. Matt, you're a mining electrician. What do you, what do you actually do?

Mat: Uh, so a lot of breakdown maintenance, preventative maintenance on a lot of industrial plant. I'm actually not underground, I'm up top in our processing plant. So, um, yeah, obviously the rocks come from underground, they send them up, and then we make them into small rocks and then send them off. So yeah, we're just in charge of maintaining and keeping the plant running on a day-to-day basis, pretty much.

Tommy: I mean, for me, if I was to have been in another job— so I used to be a personal trainer, but I reckon if I got on Big Brother, I'd be like so done with personal training. Be like, mate, new year, new me, fucking, I'm a celebrity now. For you, what do you do? Are you throwing in the mining gig just for full-time fucking Big Brother guy?

Mat: Oh yeah, I'm probably just going to become a full-time influencer now, just really cash in on my good looks, charisma. But no, it's sort of one of them things, like I said, it's a good job, I like it. Pays pretty well and it's a good roster. But if this can be a catalyst to sort of bridge into something else, I don't want to be— not that there's anything wrong with it, but I don't want to be, you know, dragging my ass to that mine site when I'm 50 years old going, fuck this, I'm over this. So, and my fiancée Jess is in that film and media sort of space. She's nearly finished her PhD at the moment. So obviously it'd be beneficial for her to move to the big smoke, as you call it. So Um, yeah, if this can sort of bring something like that on, I'd definitely be open to it.

Tommy: Fuck, that's— I mean, I love that. Um, it's— yeah, it's— what, what a unique experience you've had. I mean, how are you feeling about the future and, and what you want to do personally around your career outside of mining? Like, is there— are you open now to other shit?

Mat: Yeah, 100%. Like, um, like I said, the, the mining slash cool stuff was sort of an option 2 or 3. And yeah, now that I've sort of been opened more to the media and TV and that sort of industry, it's a pretty cool space to be in. Obviously it's got its bad points, as I've found out the last couple of weeks with the famous internet trolls. But yeah, it's a lot of fun and it's something that I'm definitely interested in maybe trying to go a bit further in. But obviously time will tell whether people want this bald What happened to Scrane Mall?

Tommy: Mr. 97's freshly, uh, I was gonna say engaged, but he's not engaged, he's in a relationship. You know, do you know about this, Matt?

Mat: I don't. How? Tell me more. Good man.

Mason: Well, I mean, so we, we did a bit of a dating segment on the show a while ago. It would have been about a year and a bit ago, and, uh, my now girlfriend, uh, found us through that dating segment and During lockdown with COVID we sort of, we started like FaceTiming each other and she's flown over from Perth and we're now living together.

Tommy: It's pretty serious.

Mat: Oh, that should become a movie. That's beautiful. The show just paid for itself.

Tommy: If we fire him tomorrow, he's still a happy man. You've been with your fiancée 10 years, is it?

Mat: Uh, yeah, 10 years to start at the start of next year. So yeah, just not, not quite sure if I want to marry her yet.

Tommy: Well, I mean, uh, now you've got options. No, that's rude. You're— so you've got a solid foundation. I feel like that would have to be the case going into something like Big Brother. Says, imagine you go into Big Brother now, how— oh yeah, that would be a headfuck for your girlfriend. For you, what was your fiancée's thinking? What was she worried about with, uh, Big Matty going into the house?

Mat: Oh, Jess was really, really positive about it. Truth be told, I actually applied for Survivor, and the same company produces Big Brother, and they come back and said, would you look at doing Big Brother? And I said, oh look, I'm 30 years old, I'm engaged. Like, what Big Brother had become, like, you know, a heap of 20-something hotties. I said, that's not me. Like, and they said, no, we promise you, like, it's going to be more like Survivor, which it was. And that's when I was like, yeah, you know, I'm keen. And then Jess said, basically, you're doing it. Like, you're doing this this thing, you can win this thing. So she was really, really positive. I think her main worries were that I don't show too much of my cranky side, which I managed to do for the most part, but towards the end, yeah, got a little bit testy.

Tommy: Yeah. So yeah, I mean, that's what I've been thinking about, like knowing I'm chatting to you, I'm picking my nose and then thinking, fuck, there's no cameras on me and I'm enjoying this. But if there was cameras on me, what would I continue? What was the What was the consideration in your mind versus what you thought it was going to be and then what actually the experience was?

Mat: Oh, I was so unsure what to, what to expect just because I said it's going to be this new format, it's not going to be like the old Big Brother. But it probably went along the lines of, of how I thought it was going to go with alliances forming and that sort of stuff. And it was sort of pretty a lot more cutthroat than I thought it was going to be. It was— I said a line in my intro video that I regret, which was kill or be killed. But you know what, it was pretty good advice in the end because it was, it was pretty full-on. But I don't know if I was really prepared for just the enormity of, of just how lifted all my, all my emotions and everything were going to be. By about, you know, day 3 or 4, it was like, shit, this is, this is full-on. But as far as the cameras and that, we'd forget about them and be sitting there scratching your nuts, next minute a hand would come out through the wall and clean the lens, and it's like, oh shit, that's right. Or you'd hear a cameraman cough or something, it's like, oh fuck, they're there still.

Tommy: Yeah, that would do my head in because I like scratching my nuts, you know. I'm not—

Mat: the worst one was, um, the worst bit was when I went for a piss the first time and you open the toilet door and you hear the camera go and focus up, and it's like, oh my god, there's a camera above you. So that was full on, but Yeah.

Tommy: My dude. Sebs, could you imagine that? I mean, you're a private guy. Yeah. I feel like in this office building this podcast, Matt, there's been a few moments where I've felt like I'm in high school again. You know, just like, not gossip, but just like, oh, this is happening and that's happening. That, I mean, that is just Big Brother on steroids. Big Brother is that on steroids, right? I mean, what you said, you had a bit of an, angry side— not angry side, I mean, I get a bit angry, but I reckon I could hide it. And so were you worried about it coming out? Were you worried about punching someone in the head?

Mat: Not that sort of anger, don't worry. I just, I tend to get a bit short with, uh, with stupid people. Yeah, it was, you know, high school was tame compared to Big Brother. There was just— and you know, I played a part in it as well because it was, that's what the game was, but you'd walk into a room and it was so funny. You'd walk in, there'd be 3 people and they'd be like, pfft, and they'd stop talking. And it's like, hey guys, you talking about me? They're like, no, no, no, all good, all good. So it was just, and every time you'd see people in groups, your mind would start ticking like, are they talking about me? What are they talking about? I want to know. So it was pretty funny.

Tommy: I was just thinking we could do a fun little thing. Mr. 97's just walked into a Big Brother audition. Matt, you're the casting director. Can you ask Mr. 97 some of the questions that you got asked? In your audition, uh, to see if it— we— if Mr. 97's on The Next Big Brother. Yeah, see how this goes.

Mat: Uh, I guess the first thing, uh, why should we pick you over everyone else?

Tommy: Oh, this is great.

Mat: That goes so hard straight off the bat.

Mason: Wow. All right, um, I re— I reckon great TV because it's real awkward.

Tommy: And what— and so that was— it was that off the bat for you? Is that what they asked you?

Mat: Yeah, pretty early on, just like, um, well, here's what— what will you bring to the house? Yeah.

Tommy: And, um, and what did you say? What— run me through a couple of the answers that you gave them, uh, because I'm, you know, I'm planning on going in next year.

Mat: Yeah, do it, mate, do it. Um, I don't know, I just— I think I was just trying to be myself. I think they were obviously looking for the, the token country bumpkin. That turned out to be me. But no, I just sort of, I was honest, you know. Yeah, I get a little bit grumpy at times. I've got a little bit of ADHD, so I'll be up and about. But yeah, what you see is what you get. I'm not going to go in there and try and be someone I'm not. I'm too dumb to carry that out for, you know, 7 weeks. So yeah, I was just going to be myself. And obviously they liked what they saw and I ticked a couple of boxes as far as, like I said, the country guy and, you know, a bit laid back. So I think that's sort of why I got the gig in a sense.

Tommy: I know you didn't get a rejection, but how are you with rejections, losing?

Mat: Oh, not great. I hate losing. I'm super competitive, mate. And yeah, a couple of the challenges early on, I was just no good. I said that went to air, my mates just being kind to me about it. I was just like, I lost and I left the challenge real early. I was like, I just hate being no good at shit. And that's, yeah, that's me to a tee. So Rejection, not great.

Tommy: Yeah, I mean, I, yeah, I don't know. See, my problem is that I, I probably act as if how I think they would want me to be. And so what, how did you know, like, for you going, I'm just being me, how do you know what— it's a weird one, but like, what does that look like in an environment where you're asked to tell us about yourself? How do you just be you?

Mat: Uh, I think it was I'd had the, you know, before I did the auditions, like, what sort of person are they going to be looking for? Why have I got to this stage of the audition? But then Jess was really, really helpful, like my fiancée, because she's worked in that space before. She's worked on a few movies and commercial sort of productions, and not that she's been directly involved in casting people, but has sort of been around that process and said, if you come out, if you're over the top and and like I said, you're trying to be someone that you're not, they're going to see straight through it. So I was just like, I'm not even going— I'm going to remove those thoughts from my brain. Just talk to them, you know, as if I'm talking to one of my mates. And if it's good enough, sweet. If it's not, okay, I'll be a little bit disappointed, but it's not the end of the world. So yeah, that's sort of the way I approached it. Jess was really, really helpful there.

Tommy: Social media, I know I said you've grown your following. What did you go in— how many followers did you have previous to going in and then coming out?

Mat: Uh, look, I'm not sure, but $1,435. I know that because one of my mates has been, uh, he's been updating me every time it goes up $1,000. He's got the screenshot of before I went in, and then every $1,000 he gives me an update, the idiot.

Tommy: I love that. Um, Tully Smythe was telling us that when she went in, they— she had to hand over her login. Is that what you had to do this time?

Mat: Yeah, yeah. So all social media passwords, they had to go through and cheque everything. So you had to get rid of all the dick pics and stuff in there. But no, that was a bit— I mean, I've got nothing to hide, but it was a bit unnerving just sort of going, here you go, cheque out my life. But yeah, they gave it back. And between you and me and the Gatepost, I changed them all, all my passwords straight afterwards anyway. So yeah, it's a bit unnerving, but it's all part of the process. We knew that, so it's all good.

Tommy: What's been the— I know you've connected with Tully Smyth through Instagram, and anyone else you've connected with post-show, post-coming out of house? Sorry.

Mat: Yeah, a couple of the old contestants have been in touch as well as me. Yeah, just sort of, you know, I'm Big Brother now, I'm part of the fraternity, which is the case with Tully, I'll be honest. But, uh, no, they've all been really supportive, and I've found that, uh, they're more so than anyone else in, in media sort of circles and podcasting circles, they're really supportive of us as housemates, you know, regardless of what, how we've been portrayed and how we've come across. They sort of haven't seemed to have taken that into account. They've just taken us as, as who we are and been really, um, supportive and, and just sort of seen through it a bit, I think, because they've all been there before. So it's, it's really good to have a sounding board like that to sort of bounce stuff off. Trev Butler, who won it way back in the day, he's a Broken Hill boy as well. He gives me like a running commentary on every episode. So that's been really fun as well.

Tommy: Have you been watching it every ep?

Mat: Oh, I have. To start with, I was like, nah, I'm not going to watch this shit. I don't want to. I hate listening to my voice. I don't want to see what I look like. But then I was like, I really want to know what everyone else was thinking about me. So I sort of got a bit hooked on it, I guess, which is a good thing. And it obviously means the show's doing the right thing. So yeah, I sit down and watch it every night. It's like a roller coaster. And then once again, all those emotions are heightened because it takes me back to how I was feeling during that time. And then when the episode ends, it's just like, oh, righto, dead breath. So, but yeah, it's a good watch.

Mason: Are your mates at work and the people around you, what are they saying? What are they thinking? They watching?

Mat: Oh, they're so, so passionate. It's been a big week for me this last couple of weeks. Last couple of weeks have been big because I've been day shift at work, so I go through all the emotions at home watching it, you know, oh shit, that sucked. And then I cop all the shit on social media and then walk into work at 6:30 AM and the boys are like, oh, what about this? What about that? And that's all they want to know about. I can't escape it. No, they're super supportive. And yeah, I could have killed someone in there and they still would have had my back.

Tommy: I think that's what a good mate does, right? So that's right.

Mat: Yeah.

Tommy: Did you get paid to go in? What's the financial deal?

Mat: Yeah, so we got a per diem. We got $150 a day, but obviously that was just to sort of COVID our bills and expenses at home. So that was a case of I gave all the credit card details, all the bill details to Jess, and she took care of that while I was away. But yeah, $150 a day. But I was on long service leave from work as well, so I still had money coming in there.

Tommy: You were— you've been making more money than anyone in the house.

Mat: You'll make— I was just making, I was making bank, mate. I didn't need to win this thing.

Tommy: You got long service leave, you got a per diem, you know, no expenses, no rent, free rent, free food. Did it feel at all like a holiday or did it feel like some kind of mental game?

Mat: I felt like a holiday for about 2 and a half days. Was sitting out by the pool in the Budgie Smugglers working on the tan, which is rubbish. And then all of a sudden the voice comes over, it's like, get ready for your first nomination challenge. And you could just see everyone just got frantic all of a sudden. It's like Oh shit, that's right, we're here to play. As soon as that first challenge happened, it changed the whole vibe of the place. But for the first couple of days, it was, it was nice. I was learning how to make bread, working on the tan, helping everyone cook, and then it just went to shit after that.

Tommy: Mental health— are they, are they putting a focus on people's well-being in there from a mental health capacity?

Mat: Yeah, yeah, that End of Mile production company were really good. That was— we had a psych screening before we, before we went in, and then we had a doctor like just a GP and a psych available 24/7, where if we went to the diary room and said to Big Brother, you know, I'm not doing real good here, we could get the psych in and talk to them. And it was the actual psych, not Big Brother's voice or something like that. And then since we've left, manager, the first person I saw out of the house was her. I sat down with her for a couple of hours and had a really good chat, like a debrief, and then the psych as well. So They've been really good and there's a heavy focus on it, which I think is so important in this day and age of our social media.

Tommy: And what have you learned about your mental state after experiencing something like that? Because it's like an experiment, right?

Mat: Yeah, I think I learned I was pretty resilient, maybe a bit more resilient than I thought I may have been.

Tommy: But also, the annoying thing about resilience is that you need to go through something to work out if you're resilient or not. It's like, that's how—

Mat: that's right. Yeah, yeah, that's right. You don't know if you got it until you sort of have to front up and use it, I guess. But yeah, since I've come out of there, I think my emotions are still a little bit all over the shop. I'm bloody— I'm crying just about every movie I watch now, which I only ever used to cry in Armageddon and Air Bud. So that's changed. But I think it's sort of showed me that it's, it's okay to let these emotions go and, you know, and let it— put it out there to the world. Because before, I was probably your typical, I guess, country bloke, minor sort of thing, you know. It's keep it in and bottle it up. I'm okay, it's all good. And now it's, you know, it's okay if you, if you're feeling different ways to sort of express it.

Tommy: How do you think your mental state would be, Sevs?

Mason: I reckon I would struggle. I reckon you're just not having all the different personalities and just, you know, you might not have a couple that you won't gel with. And so just being able to deal with that as well as, you know, the fact that everything's so public, I think would be a big struggle.

Tommy: Well, I mean, friends are such an important part of our existence, or just someone like, you know, having your fiancée Jess there next to you, just able to talk to her through things. Did you realise that you lean on people more than you do think you do, or what's it?

Mat: Yeah, 100%. Um, it was— there was a lot of times where it was just sort of like, I just want to give Jess a hug and, you know, make sure it's going to be okay, or I just want to, you know, go and kick the footy with my mates, or just talk shit, like go and have a beer or go and grab a coffee with him. And that was what just sort of escalated everything, is every time you'd feel like that, you'd look around and see the same four walls and go, oh shit, this is it, I can't escape. Like, it's, it's like a zoo. But, um, I definitely realised what they, what they mean to me and how they help me, um, yeah, get through those sort of struggles, I guess.

Tommy: Um, from what I'm sure you, you're a couple of years younger than me, I'm sure you watched Big Brother back in the day and the format that it was. Um, you're, you're, you're the guy who's actually experienced the new format. What is, what's your vibe on the new format versus the old format?

Mat: Uh, for me, like I said, at this stage in my life, it was, it was probably a lot better. I mean, I'm super competitive, so I love the the challenge side and forming alliances and the strategy side of it, because I'm a big fan of Survivor too. But when I was younger and a bit sillier, I really enjoyed the old format. It's been interesting to watch the way that they've sort of pieced it together, and I think they've gone for sort of bang for their buck as far as drama and that sort of thing, and giving people an outcome on every episode. You know, someone goes home every, every night. So that's what they're sort of really chasing. Whereas the old one, I guess, was really just a social experiment of, you know, let's chuck all these different personalities in and see what we get. And the one thing that I think people are sort of struggling to get their head around is that it has changed. They're, I think, expecting, oh, Big Brother, it's going to be what it is, and are struggling to now comprehend it's completely different. You know, we're copping a bit of a caning about some of the things we've said and done in there, and it's like, well, it's a different game. If it was the old Big Brother, I never would have had to do that shit. So yeah, but it's, it's interesting to watch it.

Tommy: I mean, I've just— or it's, uh, have you, have you done this yourself? Typed into Google Matt Garrick Daily Mail?

Mat: You know what, this is so fucked, but I have.

Tommy: Don't worry, dude, I would have done the same. I would have done the same.

Mat: Don't get me started on that, mate. Some of these, like, I'm not here to bag me housemates, But some of them, I shit you not, have been emailing the Daily Mail, teeing up like paparazzi shoots.

Mason: Oh, really?

Mat: And mate, it's— oh, it's the most embarrassing thing of all time. And sort of Dan and I, obviously one of the other housemates, we're going to catch up before the finale in Sydney and we're going to— we're talking about trying to tee one up, but then just dressing like dickheads, like, say, oh, we're going for dinner here and then come out just wearing ridiculous clothes and just sort of take the piss out of it a bit. But we'll see how we go.

Tommy: I love that. I mean, let me just read a couple of these. Big Brother's Matt Garrick takes on Nasir Sultan after being called out. What happened there?

Mat: But he's— yeah, he's— there was a bit of an article on an Instagram thing calling Dan and I bullies. And Nass, the great man Nass— I didn't watch Mass, but he jumped on and said, you know, why isn't the audience calling this out? That's right, because they're all white bogans like these two idiots. And so I just said, mate, you of all people should know how edited reality TV is. And then he come— he fired a couple of shots back and said, if I didn't like it, don't, you know, don't apply for the show, don't win. So I Googled NASA, and the first thing that come up, interestingly enough, was, uh, NASA Sultan makes video, produces a big brand on there. So I think NASA's just a bit jealous he didn't get a gig.

Tommy: I mean, isn't this just a— what, what an experience where you're coming out and then having little tiffs with other reality people. Like, did you think that would be your life in 2020, mate?

Mat: Oh my God, no, mate. Like 2020's going bad enough. I don't need to be having Instagram battles with someone I don't know. But, um, it's that— when I saw that, I was a bit like, oh shit, I gotta be careful what I say and do on here now because people are just, you know, prying for it. So I never thought it would end up in a— well, I was going to say a news article, a Daily Mail article. Um, so that was a bit of an opener.

Tommy: I mean, it's, uh, have you, have you said stuff that outside of that? Have you said stuff that you've had to cheque yourself on and be like, fuck, did I— do I actually think that? Or have I—

Mat: do I say that, uh, in the house, you mean?

Tommy: Or— yeah, even in the house, even after the house, because that's, I guess, where that situation happened, was post being—

Mat: yeah, yeah. So there's, um, not really. I've been pretty mindful of what I've put into the open space since I've— since I've you know, since the show's been to air. But as far as in the house, that was a game. And yeah, I said and did a lot of stuff I probably wouldn't do in the outside world, but it's because it's not real life in there. It literally isn't. It's called reality TV, but there's no reality about that setting, really. But since I've been out, no, I've sort of kept my powder dry. And when trolls and that come on, I just sort of, you know, take the piss out of them a bit and kill them with kindness. And most of them sort of backpedal pretty quick. So that's humorous. But The only things that I've sort of called people out on is stuff like that, like the bullying and people are saying we've been body shaming people, and that's just not true. And I'm not going to stand here and let my name and reputation get run through the mud. So that's the only time that I've sort of got my back up a bit.

Mason: How has your consumption changed? Have you— did you have to catch up on anything after the show?

Mat: Oh mate, everything. I'm a sports nut, so come out and Oh yeah, all the sports have been cancelled. The NBA's been cancelled, but I had to catch up on all those results. My local cricket team won the premiership, so I missed that. I think for about the first 3 weeks, I didn't really understand the enormity of COVID because I wasn't really watching the news. And I come back into 2 weeks of quarantine, and my first day out, I was like to Jess, I'm going to the shops, I can't wait to go. Went to Coles and saw a couple of mates like, hey, how you going? And they sort of just put their head down and kept walking. And I, you know, I got home, I was like, oh, I saw 'Hey, do you know the shop?' He never said hello. And she's like, 'No, you don't stop and talk at the shop.' I was like, 'Why not?' Like, so I just didn't understand. That was pretty funny.

Tommy: Had, um, had Kobe Bryant passed away before you'd gone in?

Mat: Uh, yeah, Kobe passed away just before we went in. Um, so I missed his memorial. That was one of the first things that I, that I watched when I came out. And, um, yeah, the speeches said there were pretty, pretty tough. Actually, he'd, uh, he'd gone just before we went in.

Tommy: Have you got your phone on you? I just want to, um, get you to look at your screen time. Tell me what your, what your, uh, what your top app— like, this is something we do quite a bit, just look at screen time. But I could imagine coming out, I'd be fucking glued to my phone, definitely waiting for all those follows.

Mat: Oh yeah, uh, account number on the fridge every time, uh, every time I get another number. Uh, my average Instagram time per day 2 and a half hours. That's not good.

Tommy: That's low as shit.

Mason: No, that's pretty good.

Tommy: Yeah, maybe, maybe we're just egomaniacs. I think I'm coming in at 5 hours for Instagram and I don't, I don't even have a following. What was the, um, you know, people feel like anxious or worried when their phone isn't within arm's reach. What was that vibe like going to the house? You obviously can't have your your phone?

Mat: It was actually really refreshing. I was a bit like, you know, not sure how I was going to go. And to be honest, I was probably spending more time on my phone before it. And it felt really, really weird when I came out and actually got my phone back. This sounds stupid, but it felt strange to have it in my hand. And it's like, oh, I forgot what that felt like. And then turned it on and I had well over 1,000 text messages and all these missed calls. And because I didn't tell anyone where I was going, I told my best mate and obviously Jess. I didn't even tell Mum and Dad. So people were ringing Mum and Dad like, where's Matt? I can't get onto him. But it was really refreshing to not have it. The thing I missed most, like I said before, was my main thing on my phone is checking sports scores, watching sports, buddy, having a punt. So that's what I missed.

Tommy: I've heard a rumour that you're one of the worst punters out there.

Mat: Mate, oh, absolutely. If I bet that the sun will come up tomorrow, it'll be an apocalypse, mate. It won't come up. I'm rubbish. Seriously, I could stop a train, mate.

Tommy: I've also heard that you're the only guy in Broken Hill to wear Birkenstocks. Is this true?

Mat: Yeah, yeah, mate. I love me Birks. I've got them on at the moment. I'll wear the enclosed ones too, and people just think they're flash Crocs, but they're more than that.

Tommy: Can't you just enclose the open ones with a nice pair of hard yakka socks or something?

Mat: Yeah, well, I see a few people run the socks and burkis, and I'm not at that level yet, the burkin socks, but I'm just running the enclosed ones, the flash leather Crocs that are on. Now I'm real conscious about them. You can't even see them.

Tommy: Savs, is there anything that you'd want to know from someone who has experienced something that Not many people, not many people get to go on a reality show. I don't know what's weirder, coronavirus reality or being in a reality show. What's more unusual?

Mason: Yeah, it's pretty weird. I mean, I guess, I guess the whole thing of, of going in and the isolation from, I think, the social relationships. How, how did you feel that, that, that change of friendships, uh, with not only your mates but also colleagues at work and also your partner?

Mat: Coming out, all I wanted to do was obviously Jess picked me up from the airport and just, we had about a 5-minute cuddle and I lost about 6 or 7 kilos. So then she just spent the next 20 minutes going, oh, you've lost so much weight. But so we were, we were tired as, anyway, but coming out with her was a bit weird for probably the first week. We weren't really sure. How to feel about it, or how we— obviously we know how we feel about each other, but it was just this strange vibe. And then it was, it was tough coming into 2 weeks of isolation because all I wanted to do was catch up with my mates. And I had this, this image in my head that when I got home, whether I lasted a week, 5 weeks, whatever, I was having all my mates around home and all my family. I'm going to put a big piss-up on and we're all going to have a good time. And then I can't see him, so we're doing like FaceTime beers and I just this isn't cutting the mustard. I need to see you guys. So really, I think solidified my friendships with my friends and my family. I've got a little 2-year-old nephew and not being able to see him for so long. When I finally could see him and just give him the biggest cuddle, that was awesome. And I think out of it, Jess and I are probably stronger because now we're dealing with everything that comes with it together as a team. So it's been good.

Tommy: Fuck, if there's ever anyone who could feel like they're in a simulation, I feel like it's you coming out of a reality show into a reality show, basically. Yeah, it's—

Mat: yeah, back-to-back lockdowns, mate.

Tommy: Seriously, dude, I appreciate you. I know you've been supporting the Daily Talk Show from afar. We're fucking rooting for you to take home the win, mate. So, uh, thanks for coming on the show.

Mat: Thank you.

Mason: I heard just quickly Just before we finish up, I heard you've got a bit of a storey about how you found the show.

Mat: I do, mate. Yeah. So we were travelling through the States, Jess and I, for about a month in October last year. And we did— part of that was a bit of about a week and a half long road trip. And obviously there's a lot of time to fill there. So I can't even really— actually, I do know how I found you guys. We were sitting in a Bluestone Lane coffee shop in Brooklyn. And I was like, I'm pretty sure this is an Aussie Guys franchise. And then Googled it and yeah, Nick Stone come up and there was a link to your talk show and I listened to that, listened to Grant Smiley and there was one with Tully and I was like, this is really cool. And yeah, since then I've sort of been listening because Jess and I have sort of, we love the States. We've been there 4 times and have said we'd love to, you know, have a crack at trying to live over there. Obviously not now, but listening to those guys and listening to your, to your podcast was really inspiring, and I've sort of been hooked ever since. So keep the good stuff coming, mate.

Tommy: Thank you. That would have been so October, because we were there from October 1st, yeah, through to like the 14th or 15th or something.

Mason: November, yeah.

Tommy: Oh, was that November? November, November, or after?

Mason: Because I had my birthday there. Yeah, November.

Tommy: Yeah, fuck. Ah, mate, um, well, thank you, bro. It's, uh, appreciate it.

Mat: Thank you so much for having me.

Tommy: Hopefully, uh, we can actually one day have a beer when, when that kind of shit is real, or that never is happening again. So it'll be a virtual beer.

Mat: Feels like a lifetime ago, doesn't it?

Tommy: Mate, you got any, um, you got any words to Josh? Yeah, I know he's battling at home.

Mat: Look, look, Josh, I'm not angry, I'm just disappointed you're not here, mate. But no, seriously, uh, rest up. God, I hope you don't have COVID now I've said that. Now get better and, uh Uh, yeah, who knows, we might get to chat in the future.

Tommy: Awesome, bro. Have a good one. I'll speak to you soon, dude.

Mat: Thank you. Thanks for having me.