For nearly 20 years, Sharon Tharp has been breaking news, landing exclusive interviews, and covering reality television’s biggest stories. On The Exclusive, she takes fans behind the headlines with insider analysis, exclusive conversations, and behind-the-scenes access they won’t find anywhere else.
332: Big Brother 28 Week 6 Recap: Sophi Balerdi on Why Devens Using the Diamond POV May Backfire
Aug 17, 2026
Show notes
Survivor 49's Sophi Balerdi joins Sharon Tharp to recap week six of Big Brother 28, less than an hour after Rick Devens used the Diamond Power of Veto to pull Dee off the block. Balerdi, who knows Dee outside the house, questions whether Devens revealed his position too early and weighs what the move costs both of their games heading into the Blockbuster. Also discussed: Kamu's case as the strongest newbie of the season, the newly formed Mosh Pit alliance, and whether a newbie jury will hold the returnees' advantages against them at the end.
331: Big Brother 28 Exit Interview: Chuk Anyanwu on Kamu's 'Biggest Red Flag Ever'
Aug 14, 2026
Show notes
Chuk Anyanwu joins The Exclusive fresh off a 9-1 eviction from Big Brother 28 — with only Haley Thogmartin voting to keep him — and he doesn't hold back on the ally he says ended his game: Kamu Kirk. Chuk breaks down the moment Kamu refused to use the veto on him ("that was the biggest red flag ever"), who he believes walked into LaTrice "Lala" Verrett's room and flipped the house, and why he refused to campaign even as Taylor Brown pushed him to fight. Plus: why he'd have backdoored Kamu with the HOH, and the flowers he's still willing to give Lala.
330: Howie Gordon Looks Back on Big Brother 6 & 7
Aug 13, 2026
Show notes
Hurricane Howie Gordon is officially on the Memory Wall. The two-time Big Brother legend (Season 6 & All-Stars) sits down with host Sharon Tharp to look back on one of the most beloved seasons in the show's history — the secret pairs twist that built his cast, the rise of the Sovereign Six, his infamous feud with April, and the real story behind the vote Ivette still hasn't forgiven him for. Plus, what it was actually like walking back into the Big Brother house 20 years later.
329: Big Brother 28 Week 5 Recap: Jason Guy on the Blindside That Blew Up Haley's HOH
Aug 11, 2026
Show notes
Big Brother 3 legend Jason Guy returns to The Exclusive to recap Week 5 of Big Brother 28, breaking down the blindside that rocked Haley's HOH and why Dee's fingerprints are all over the flip. Jason unpacks Lala's historic Wall win over Kamu, makes the case for Yash's quiet "stealth game" as the season's most dangerous, and explains why he needs to see the reality TV icons sweat before Dee and Devens cruise to the end. He weighs in on the secrecy around Deven's Diamond Power of Veto, calls Kamu a "free agent" living on borrowed time, and celebrates Mallory's feel-good BB Time Capsule win. Plus: his read on the Melody–Drew slow burn, Angela's cooler head, and who he predicts is heading out the door this Thursday.
328: Big Brother 28 Exit Interview: Lyric Medeiros on Melody's Punch Comment & Rome Romance
Aug 07, 2026
Show notes
The latest houseguest evicted from Big Brother 28, Lyric Medeiros, joins The Exclusive to break down the last-minute flip that sent her home 8-3 and why she insists she "knew" the vote was coming the moment Haley put her up. The attorney reflects on getting shut out of the Red Corner despite Chuk and Kamu's support, the apology she owed Mallory and Melody after "confirming" their target list, and Rome's ground rules for her flirting strategy — "no handholding and no kissing." Lyric also opens up about the "magnets" pull she felt with Rome from day one and reveals who she's picking to go all the way.
327: Survivor's Q Burdette Watches Big Brother for the First Time
Aug 06, 2026
Show notes
Q Burdette, fresh off Survivor 50, joins The Exclusive to watch a Big Brother episode for the very first time — and he's not holding back. The Survivor vet breaks down last night's episode in a mask, from Haley's "limited power of attorney" Head of Household run to Lyric throwing her closest allies under the bus to save her own game. Q also weighs in on Deven's mysterious power, the "scripted" feel of the diary room confessionals, and why the live feeds are proof the show is designed to "make people fail in real life." He explains why the game left his 2-year-old son begging to go outside, why he needed a new TV by the end of the episode, and whether this whole ordeal changed his answer on ever playing Big Brother himself (spoiler: hell no). Plus, Q previews Survivor 51's "open era" and calls his shot on getting an invite.
326: Diane Henry Looks Back on Big Brother 5
Aug 05, 2026
Show notes
Big Brother 5 and All-Stars houseguest Diane Henry McFarland joins The Exclusive for the latest edition of the Memory Wall, looking back on one of the show's most iconic OG seasons two decades later. The reality TV vet reveals she never actually applied for Big Brother and reflects on the infamous blowup with Scott that had her begging producers in the middle of the night to let her quit. Diane also sets the record straight on the backdoor plan that changed the entire game, revealing who really came up with it, and opens up about the sting of Drew choosing Cowboy over her at the final two. Plus, she gets candid about the "trauma" that lingered long after the cameras stopped rolling and weighs in on whether she'd ever step into the Traitors castle.
325: Big Brother 28 Week 4 Recap: Izzy Gleicher on Drew's Refusal to Believe He's the Target
Aug 04, 2026
Show notes
Big Brother 25 alum Izzy Gleicher returns to The Exclusive to recap Week 4 of Big Brother 28, breaking down why Drew is still in denial even after being warned he doesn't have the votes. Izzy discusses the power imbalance fueling drama inside Haley's HOH, calls out the "chucklehead three" running the house, and makes the case for Taylor as this season's "sleeper agent." She also unpacks the secrecy around the Diamond Power of Veto, weighs in on the controversial BB Bribe, and reflects on Jason's blindside exit and the "fumble" she thinks is costing both sides the game. Plus: her read on Yash's floater era, Barrett's next move, and who she predicts is heading out the door this Thursday.
324: Special BB28 Live Podcast: Breaking Down Drew's Game With His Closest Friend
Aug 02, 2026
Show notes
Drew's closest friend, who has been running his social media while he's in the Big Brother 28 house, joins The Exclusive for a special live podcast to break down one of the season's most talked-about games. After helping Drew prepare for the season and competing alongside him on Beast Games, he shares behind-the-scenes insight into Drew's strategy, the pregame planning that shaped his approach, where things went wrong with The Crossovers, and why he believes Drew can still recover. They also discuss Drew's relationships with Barrett, Melody and Angela, the mystery surrounding the Time Capsule power, and whether there's still a path forward if Drew survives the week.
323: Big Brother 28 Exit Interview: Jason De Puy Talks Tea Party & His Secret Plan for Salina EsTitties
Jul 31, 2026
Show notes
Big Brother 28's third eliminated houseguest, Jason De Puy, joins The Exclusive to break down the house's unanimous vote to send him packing. The RuPaul's Drag Race alum (better known as Salina EsTitties) shares his surprise to finding out that Taylor — not Barrett — cast the mystery vote for Rome, admits he regrets not scrapping his "generic" final pitch, and opens up about the isolating "Tea Party" confrontation with Kamu that he says "felt personal." Jason also addresses the lack of LGBTQ+ representation in the house, reveals the full-drag nomination speech he never got to deliver, and names exactly who he'd have targeted had he kept his HOH. Plus: why he's ready to run it back and prove his "messy" game deserves a redo.
Our TOPPODCAST Picks 
Stay Connected
