On last night’s episode of Big Brother 28, Julie Chen Moonves told Rome Seymour that the first dance at his wedding to Lyric Medeiros needed to be to “Nothing’s Gonna Change My Love for You.” And CBS has already tried the song on for size, in an exclusive sneak peek of tonight’s episode of Big Brother: Unlocked.
Now in its second season, Unlocked is the first-ever broadcast companion show to the iconic summer reality series. Co-hosts Taylor Hale, Derrick Levasseur and Jerry O’Connell give their thoughts on everything going down in the past two weeks, from late-night alliances to dramatic fights to — in this case — quick-start showmances. That’s because Rome, the second person evicted from this season, got off to a hot and heavy start with Lyric. In a mere handful of days, the two had speedrun the courting phase, skipping “will-they-won’t-they” to promptly answer “they will.” In fact, by the end of their 17 days together, the two were declaring their love for one another, with Rome going public with his relationship with the rest of the house on his way out the door.
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So, when Rome gets the chance to sit down with the Unlocked hosts, Lyric is going to be the topic du jour. And, for such a special relationship, the Big Brother editors rolled out all the stops.
“I’ve always been a huge supporter of people finding love in the Big Brother house,” Jerry says to start the clip. “You guys know that I’m a huge romantic. As you know, Lyric’s father was an ’80s one-hit wonder. And listening to it, we got inspired to put this tribute together for America’s Sweethearts, Lyric and Rome, set to the incredible 1987 hit ‘Nothing’s Gonna Change My Love for You.'”
Indeed, Lyric is named appropriately, given how much music there is in her blood. Her father is Glenn Medeiros, a singer who first rose to prominence with his cover of the George Benson tune. The song peaked at number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100, opening the door for a fruitful music career (and a couple of other hits to boot). And so it only makes sense that his dulcet tones has us time traveling back to the ’80s.
“Look, Stranger Things put Kate Bush’s ‘Running Up That Hill’ back on the charts,” Jerry explains. “And I think Big Brother fans are ready to do the same for Lyric’s dad. Get some tissues ready and enjoy!”
The video kicks off in style, with Rome talking to Lyric about his love of anime and collection of Pokemon cards. But it’s not long before we’re hit with the ballad, as we’re treated to a sequence of slow-mo shots where the two canoodle, kiss, run their hands through each other’s hair and, in one particular case, stare at the other shirtless. Think of it like the Gen X parent of a TikTok fancam edit.
“I love you,” Lyric says. “But I won’t be watching anime with you.”
“You’d be surprised,” Rome responds, before kissing her on the cheek.
Related: ‘Big Brother: Unlocked’ Host Jerry O’Connell Says the Reality TV Vets are ‘Drunk With Power’ (Exclusive)
Mind you, Rome himself was quite surprised by all of this. As we interlay shots of the Unlocked studio, the pickleball coach has his head in his hands, mouth open in shock. By the end, however, he’s one of the many who can appreciate a good montage, and is beaming from ear to ear.
As we go back to the studio in full, guest Ross Matthews asks Rome, “Is there anything you’d like to say to her father right now?” And, taking the assignment head-on, Rome Seymour look down the barrel, straight into the eyes of a former teen idol watching miles away from Hawai’i.
“Mr. Medeiros,” he says. “Your daughter is special, beautiful inside and out. I am sorry.”
For what it’s worth, his message gets a positive response from the people in the room. But we’ll find out in due time which version of “aloha” Glenn Medeiros will be saying to Rome: “Hello” or “goodbye.”
A new episode of Big Brother: Unlocked airs tonight at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT on CBS.
Related: ‘Big Brother 28’s Rome Seymour Reveals the Actual Moment He Fell in Love with Lyric (Exclusive)