In his candid and comedic exit interview, Cory Wurtenberger holds nothing back about his shocking backdoor eviction from the #BigBrother 25 house. Right off the bat, he admits knowing that fellow houseguest America had a reputation for spreading information. In hindsight, he wishes he was more proactive about her conversations that ultimately led to his game's demise.

Cory knew from the start that Survivor legend Cirie could be dangerous, however, he didn’t see her as a threat since she struggled in competitions. He considered working with her but it didn’t pan out. Cory feels his game really flipped with Izzy’s eviction.

Contrary to perceptions, Cory reveals he was extremely paranoid going into his final week and somewhat certain he would be backdoored. He was hopeful but not overconfident that the target would stay off his back.

Cory says his showmance with America didn’t really change his strategy. He became a bigger target once he flipped sides during Izzy’s eviction. People were also less likely to share information with him thinking he’d tell America everything.

The #BB25 move Cory is most proud of is masterminding Izzy’s blindside, calling it Big Brother gameplay at its fullest. His biggest regret is evicting Mecole over Felicia, thinking Felicia would be less of a competition threat. In hindsight, Mecole could’ve been a useful ally against bigger targets like Matt and Jag.

In a hilarious moment, Cory says he’s more surprised to have left with a girlfriend than with his signature mustache! He credits America for his various makeovers that transformed his nerdy look.

Spearheading Izzy’s eviction definitely caused Cory’s target level to skyrocket. But he says it gave him more agency in the game, which he’ll never regret even if it was risky.

Cory admits lying to the other houseguests about saying “exquisite” to Julie just to cause some chaos and deviate from the house’s plan. He later came clean to some people.

In the end, Cory became a big target without winning competitions because people saw him as a schemer pulling strings, even though he was pretty transparent in his approach. He also acknowledges perceptions were likely shaped by gender, noting America played a similar strategic game but wasn’t seen as a similar threat.

One thing Cory missed about the outside world was having personal time to turn his brain off and recharge. He’s looking forward to feeling mentally and emotionally renewed after being on high alert in the #BB house 24/7.