Big Brother geek Bradley Darke shocked by eviction
Holly Byrnes, National TV Writer
From: News Limited Network
October 07, 2012 9:52PM
LADIES of Australia, Bradley Darke aka B-Rad is a changed man and ready to bust his new moves on you.
The 19-year-old Coraki checkout geek says he's learned more in the eight weeks he spent in the Big Brother house than his entire life.
Still shocked by his elimination, Darke admitted he'd hoped beefcake intruder Sam would go the way of femme fatale Ava and he'd be saved for a fourth time by the public.
But it was not to be, with the teen pulling just 14 per cent of the votes to save, against house genius Michael (48%), Sam (21%) and Angie (19%).
Transformed by the TV experience, Darke said: "I have changed a tonne in the past two months. I think I have grown more in the house than in my entire life."
The other upside of his eviction is Darke taking on his next challenge - pulling a woman when he hits the post-BB party circuit.
"Josh gave me some advice...I have to have a drink in my hand, which was a soda water with a bit of lime, go out on the dance floor so then when a girl goes up to the bar I can follow, give her a compliment and start a conversation."
It's when you ask for his go-to pick-up line the cheeky geek gets frisky, declaring: "I can't repeat them in a PG newspaper, it will have to be saved for the moment."
Darke has clearly come a long way since the awkward country boy who entered the house, down on confidence and struggling with a speech impediment.
While his stutter returned in high stress moments like nominations (and this interview), Darke said it was the support and tolerance of the other housemates which made him feel "comfortable and accepted for being me."
"It was so positive to have the house accept me for being me. They accepted (the speech impediment) and even had fun with it."
The man child who still lives with his parents said his BB housemates had "become a second home and felt very much like the small town I come from so that was cool and a comfortable and enjoyable place to spend two months."
Celebrating his birthday with a superhero-themed party was his BB highlight, while consistently being nominated hurt more than he let on, Darke said.
"Each Monday after I'd been nominated...that's probably when I felt the most down in the house...it hit pretty hard. The first time I was able to shake it off and the second wasn't all that much different. But the third and fourth time were just a bit too much."
Discovering Stacey had nominated for him had "shocked the most because we had become fairly good friends in the house."
While he appeared cocky when talking with host Sonia Kruger about his first kiss with housemate Estelle, Darke admitted the TV smooch was more "comforting."
"It was all a bit strange to have that connection with someone in the house, but it was comforting to have her in the house. She was a very cool, good girl."
Watching footage of Estelle's BB beau Ryan as her kiss with Darke was telecast was a devilish delight, Darke said.
"Ryan's face during the kiss was just priceless, but I might just keep out of his way on the outside," he laughed.
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