PN-G grad makes TV debut on Big Brother

The Port Arthur News

February 07, 2008 08:26 pm

— By Amy Moore
The News staff writer
Darlene Welch knows that when her son sets his mind to something, he doesn’t stop until he gets what he wants.
And Welch’s son, Josh Welch, has set his sights on winning the latest installment of CBS’s hit show, Big Brother.
A Groves native, Josh, 25, will make his television debut Tuesday when the new season of the show premieres. He and 15 roommates will live in the Big Brother House for nearly three months while having every moment of their lives videotaped. Josh’s goal is to outlast his other roommates and be the last one standing at the end of the series.
“Once my boy puts his mind to something he’s there and it’s one hundred percent,” Darlene said. “We’re very proud of him.”
Darlene said she and her son, who graduated from PN-G High School in 2000, are very close and usually speak at least three times a day. However, one of the rules of the show is that contestants are not able to talk to family and friends while in the Big Brother house. That’s one rule that Darlene said she’s still having a hard time getting used to.
“This is the longest I’ve gone without talking to my son,” she said of the week that Josh has been in the house. “It’s driving me crazy, but I know he’s in his element. I’ve got to get thick skin.”
Josh, also a University of Texas graduate, now lives in Dallas where he works as a Media Buyer at MindShare USA. While in college, Josh met Todd Keel and the two have become close friends. While Josh competes on the reality show, Keel is serving as Josh’s media relations director.
Both Darlene and Keel said they were not surprised when Josh first mentioned that he wanted to be a contestant on the show that he’s been a fan of since its first season in 2000.
“He was home for Thanksgiving when he read online that they were casting for the new season of the show in Houston. He told me he had to go and he left home at seven in the morning to be the first in line,” Darlene said. “I thought ‘What are the chances?’.”
Josh was chosen out of millions to be a contestant and Keel thinks his friend’s chances of winning the $500,000 grand prize are pretty good.
“I knew he’d get it,” he said of Josh’s spot on the show. “He gets what he wants and I’ve got a strong feeling he’ll make it to at least the top three.”
Keel said Josh’s strategy is to fly under the radar and make friends with his house mates.
“He’ll come across as sweet and then he’ll stab them in the back to get further,” Keel said.
No matter what he gets himself into, Darlene said she and her husband, Mike, and Josh’s sister, Kealee, are excited and prepared to see how the show turns out.
“You never know with him,” she said.
To help kick-off the premier of the show, the Welch’s are holding a premier party at Dylan’s at 6 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 12. Darlene said family, friends and supporters are invited to celebrate and be a part of Josh’s new venture.
Big Brother 9 airs Tuesday’s at 8 p.m., Wednesday’s at 7 p.m. and Sundays at 7 p.m.

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