Big Brother Croatia Update: Dead Heat

Sanja Kvastek in her first post interviews given after her departure from House was quite unrepentant about the biographic details that might had lead to her eviction – poetry and inter-racial romances. She was "shocked" with the media interest created by her poetry and said that the people who saw something negative with her having relationship with black and Asian men had "problems". Sanja said that she wasn't surprised by Friday's nomination. She also refused to name her favourite among those two because she was unsure "what public thought".

In the meantime, at least some of the housemates tried to give their own explanations for Sanja's eviction in Confessions Room. Valentina said that she had preferred Sanja to stay and that the voters probably received only "superficial" portrait of Sanja on TV screens making them too aware about her lifestyle and vocabulary. Antonija also mentioned possible intolerance of alternative lifestyles as the reason for eviction and wondered whether the only people who vote are "14 year old girls".

Obviously aware that "privacy hour" might make nominations, based on strict gender lines, a formality and later evictions quite predictable, Big Brother intervened by giving the housemates a new daily task – to sleep in different bedrooms at random. Last night Valentina slept in men's and Zdravko slept in women's bedroom, which made any early morning nomination talk somewhat more difficult than before.

This week's eviction race promises to be even more exciting and even less predictable than last week's. Alen appears to be recovered from shock and his mood was slightly improved after the discussion with Marina during which she tried her best to convince him that she hadn't nominated him. So, it seems unlikely that he would crack and request voluntary departure, at least not in next few days.

However, conventional wisdom that points to Alen as clear favourite is being challenged by Željko who reacted to the nomination in a completely different nominationmen's ite predictable it of Sanjans Room. Antonija said thaway than one week before. What used to be source of frustration and anxiety is now the source of confidence – his survival in the contest with House veteran has boosted his ego. He spends increasing amounts of time with Marina and both discovered their mutual fondness for French literature – in Marina's case it is The Stranger by Albert Camus (which explains why she handles some of the more traumatic aspects of House life so well).

Željko's new confidence is beginning to reflect on at least some polls which show him in virtual dead heat with Alen. Another factor that works in his favour is his poor blue-collar background which allows most of the potential voters to identify with him rather than with rich and spoiled Alen. Same considerations that made Saša (Sasa) into undisputable favourite are turning Željko into his most formidable rival.