Celebrity Connection: ‘Brothers’ in Charm
Reality show ends, real life begins for Tyler Crispen & Angela Rummans
Story by Dean Rowland
Real life moves on for Tyler Crispen and Angela Rummans after the popular reality television show “Big Brother” ended Sept. 26.
Ohio native and Hilton Head Island lifeguard Crispen, 23, was the runner-up of the show’s 20th season and won $50,000, plus another $25,000 for being voted the “favorite houseguest” by TV viewers. He was working on the beach here for his fourth life-guarding season when the show called him in June and told him he had been selected to compete.
Angela Rummans, 26, who grew up in Sea Pines, graduated from Hilton Head High School where she starred as a champion pole vaulter and moved to California at 21 to become a fitness model and entrepreneur, finished fourth in the competition.
At some point along the way of their three-month stay with other contestants under one roof and isolation from the outside world, they fell in love. Being filmed 24/7 daily obviously didn’t affect their romance.
When the show ended, they jetted to Las Vegas with the rest of the cast, then moved to Los Angeles, where they are living happily together.
LOCAL Life caught up with the couple by phone on a Sunday 18 days after the show ended. When Tyler picked up the phone, this writer said to him, “Greetings from Hilton Head.” To which he replied, “It’s good to hear a voice from home…awesome.” Here are excerpts from the conversation:
LOCAL Life: Describe your lives from the time you were chosen for “Big Brother” to now. [Tyler Crispen] It’s a very complete 180. It’s just a little bit different (laughs). I left the beach on the island and now I’m in California.
What were your expectations of being a contestant? [TC] I’ve always been a big fan of the show. You can kind of prepare, but actually watching the show and being on the show is completely different. There’s a lot on there that I expected, but I absolutely loved it at the same time.
How difficult was it living in the house with complete strangers in virtual isolation? [TC] Yeah, we were strangers at first but you get to know each other so fast living together 24/7. We became family after like a week. To be isolated and cut off to what was going on in the outside world was definitely the hardest part.
Did you ever second-guess your decision to join the team? [TC] Yeah, I mean there were a couple times when you felt kind of spiraled and your mind goes to some weird places when you’re alone in the house. It’s like, why did I get myself into this?
What was your strategic game plan for competing? [TC] I wanted to build genuine relationships with everybody, you know. I feel like having a strategy and implementing it are totally different, especially when you don’t know what you’re getting yourself into. Get to know people first and go from there.
When did you and Angela know that your relationship was more than just being roommates? [Angela Rummans] I think it started pretty early on, and we always had the Hilton Head connection that brought us close together initially. And the more time we spent with each other, we realized that when we escaped the game for a little bit, we would talk about Hilton Head and memories from home. It brought us close.
What’s special about each of you? [TC] She has a personality that I’ve never really come across. She’s the whole package and she was very distracting in the house. [AR] Tyler has a heart of gold. He’s the most genuine, thoughtful person I’ve ever met. He cares about everybody more than himself, always putting other people first. On the game level, I don’t know anyone who knows the game better than Tyler. It amazed me how good he was the entire time.
How are you planning to capitalize on your fame and celebrity now? [TC] Right now we’re just kind of working on our relationship outside of the house. And basically just relaxing, as long as we’re together. [AR] Right now we’re trying to find our new normal. I came into the house thinking that everything would be normal when I left. We’re having a great time doing it and finding our new normal.
Even though you were on a reality show and are living real life now, are you still coming down from that high being on the show? [AR] It’s a steady incline now. [TC] It is real. It keeps changing every day; there’s something new we find out.
Why do you think the show has been popular for so long? [TC] I think it’s because it’s such a unique concept. There’s no other reality show or any show that’s like “Big Brother.” It’s such a crazy experiment.
What’s your takeaway from what you experienced? [TC] I’d say, it’s the best 100 days I’ve ever had. It was a life-changing experience. I met some people I’ll have for the rest of my life. I hold that to the highest standard.
What do you think lies ahead in your future…professionally and personally? [AR] Professionally, I think we’ll have an amazing opportunity to grow a brand together, something you can share together with a person you love. There’s nothing better than that. [TC] Professionally, I just want to be with Angela and ride on the business side with her, and personally, I want to be with Angela and ride on that side with her. As long as I have her by my side, we can take on the world.
Do you have any plans to visit the island again? [AR] Yes, I’m so excited, and we’re coming home soon. I think it will be close to Thanksgiving.
Do you still keep in touch with people here? [AR] I spend time with friends, and we have a group of four or five families on Hilton Head that we spend every holiday together. I’ve always kept in touch with them.
What’s your favorite moment or memory about Hilton Head? [AR] There are so many. One of my favorite things growing up was going out to the sandbar on a boat, and spending time on the ocean in boats with my friends. I absolutely love being on the water. [TC] Hilton Head has a deep place in my heart. I grew up in Ohio, but when I first came to Hilton Head, I felt like I was at home. Everyone was so welcoming. All of the relationships I made with locals and tourists and friends I worked with, it was all great. I’m really happy that Hilton Head was the thing that clicked our relationship. [AR] I hope we’ve made Hilton Head proud of us.
