First Celebrity Big Brother evictee: 'It was easy to read I was in trouble'

Welcome to Celebrity Big Brother! Now go home!

After only nine days in the house — but only three nights on CBS — Big Brother‘s special celebrity edition evicted its first houseguest. But first, a spoiler! Don’t read any further if you haven’t watched the show.

At first it seemed as if James Maslow was the target of everyone’s ire, but ultimately the majority of the house voted to boot Chuck Liddell. After saying his goodbyes to Julie Chen, we grabbed the mixed martial artist for a couple of burning questions.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: What was your reaction when you heard your name?
CHUCK LIDDELL: I was pretty sure I was gonna be gone. The day before everybody was saying I was fine. Today, they would look away every time I asked, ‘Am I okay?’ It was pretty easy to read that I was in trouble.

Do you think you were more likable in the house than James?
He rubbed a few people the wrong way a couple of times. I like James. Him and Keshia [Knight Pulliam] didn’t get along, really, and him and Brandi [Glanville] didn’t get along. But it is what it is.

Friday was your ninth day in the house. What was it like for you?
It was a long time but it was fun. I was ready for it to start ramping up so I could actually start to do something every day. I had to sit through the long part and now I’m missing the short run.

Did you get bored?
We were keeping ourselves entertained. Everyone was making me laugh. We had a lot of great discussions. I wasn’t that bored. I would have liked to be a little more active and do more things. I was also worried about when they were going to do the challenges so I wasn’t working out as hard as I would have liked. And the food was amazing! Keshia’s kitchen was amazing. She was cooking some really good food, not to mention Omarosa. Shannon [Elizabeth] made some great stuff, too.

So who you were the most surprised to see when you came into the house?
James, just because he’s a friend of mine and I know him outside the house. I met him through a mutual friend and we hung out quite a few times. I have his number in my phone. I’ve known him for a while.

What do James and Chuck do when they hang out?
I might plead the fifth on that. We go out and have a good time. We’ve been to quite a few places, quite a few parties.

Do you think the fact that you knew each other helped the both of you to get into the house? Did one refer the other?
Neither one of us had any idea we were going to be in the house. He and I have been busy and haven’t talked in a long time. It had probably been a year. It was nice to reconnect with him.

You came into this game with a tough-guy image. Did you have any fear of someday having to dress up like, say, a baby?
I was less worried about that than James. That’s why it was so funny that James had to wear it. I don’t care. Doing something like that to be funny is awesome. I would have worn it. That’s one of the reasons Mark [McGrath] and James wouldn’t grab the bags. They were worried about getting the BB swag and having to walk around in a Borat costume. I’m like, ‘And? What’s wrong with that?’ Who cares!

What did you think of Omarosa?
Everyone said her reputation was being a source of trouble. I met her before at a UFC event and we were cool. I thought she was great. I had nothing but great conversations with her.

Did you just view this as a stepping stone to The Amazing Race?
Yes. I’m hoping they get me into The Amazing Race now. I’ve been trying to get in that for a long time. My wife loves that show. Maybe it will work.

Celebrity Big Brother airs Sundays, Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 8 p.m. ET on CBS. For more about how the show will work, click here, and check out the full recap of tonight’s eviction here.