Donny Thompson is an American reality TV star that is best known for his appearance in season sixteen of Big Brother. He has also made a guest appearance on the Bold and the Beautiful. Here are ten things about him that you may not know.
1. He Has Always Been A Huge Fan Of Big Brother
Bustle point out that one of the reasons that Donny was so popular with viewers is that they could all see how much he was enjoying being part of a show that he had always loved. The fact that he knew how to play the game did give him an advantage, but he was never seen as a game player by the audience or the contestants. Fans could see that the way he played the game was because of the love of it, rather than him being desperate to win. This knowledge of the rules may have helped to keep him in the game a little longer though, as he was in the position of seeing most of his allies evicted quite early on.
2. He Was The Janitor At Kellie Pickler’s High School
Before he starred in Big Brother his claim to fame was that he was the janitor at the high school that American Idol contestant Kerrie Pickler attended. They are both from the town of Albemarle in North Carolina. This is the place that he considers home and he still lives in the town. He had to give up his job at the high school when he went on Big Brother but he now has a similar role at the local community college.
3. He Paid For His First Home In Cash
He has said that one of his biggest achievements is that he was able to pay for his first home in cash. He has not given any details of how much this home cost, but it is still something that not many other people are in a position to do. It is something that he is quite proud of. It means that he has always been able to have jobs that he enjoys, rather than worrying about finding one that is going to pay a high salary.
4. He Is The Oldest Person To Win America’s Favorite Player
He was 42 when he entered the Big Brother house and this makes him one of the oldest people to take part in the competition. He became the oldest person to win America’s Favorite Player when he beat Nicole and Zack. He received 5.2 million votes when he got this award, and this is also a record for the most votes ever received. The fact that he tried his best to get along with everyone in the house made him a favorite with the fans, and they all felt that he was really genuine when he was in the house.
5. He Stayed In Touch With Some Of His Housemates
When CBS caught up with him a few months after he had left the Big Brother house, he revealed that there were still some housemates that he kept in touch with. Some of the housemates have a group chat where they all keep in touch with what they are all up to. Hayden and Nicole are the two housemates that he remains closest with and he tries to meet up with them in person as often as he can.
6. He Is Good Friends With Kevin From Season 19
As well as remaining good friends with housemates from his own season, he has also formed a close friendship with Kevin Schlehuber who was a contestant in season nineteen. The two of them meet up on a regular basis and he often shares photos of these meetings on his Instagram page. Donny was there to support Kevin through his battle with cancer, and the two of them attended a number of cancer awareness events alongside other Big Brother contestants.
7. He Has Always Been Careful With Money
He has always been good with money, as was seen by the fact that he did not need a mortgage to buy his first home. He received some prize money for winning America’s Favorite Player and for being part of Team America, but he did not want to waste this money. He could have treated himself to a new vehicle, but he decided not to because there was nothing really wrong with his old one.
8. He Does Not Feel His Experience In The Big Brother House Changed Him
He does not feel that he came out of the Big Brother house any different to when he entered. Big Brother Fandom reports that before he went into the house he didn’t think that his personality would be changed by fame. When he came out of the house he said that the main thing that surprised him was that he was recognized everywhere that he went. Even though he was a big fan of the show, he never realized just how many people all over the country also watched it.
9. He Is Strongly Opposed To Animal Cruelty
The way that he dresses means he sometimes gets asked if he is a hunter. Some of the publicity shots that were taken for Big Brother showed him wearing camouflage. He finds these assumptions quite offensive because he is actually a big animal lover. He does not agree with killing animals for sport and hunting is something that he would never get involved in.
10. He Still Has His Trademark Beard
One of the things that made him most recognizable in the Big Brother house was his long beard. This is something that he still has to this day, and he has no plans to shave it off. When he had been out of the house for twelve months or so he joked that he was keeping it in case he was ever asked back on to the show. He sometimes lets the students at the college where he works groom his beard as part of their practical experience for their course.
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