By John Powell – GlobalTV.com

He took the heat and he didn’t get out of the kitchen for a single second.

Matt Hardeman had a rough time in the Big Brother house namely due to his turbulent relationship with fellow houseguest Angela Murray. What began as Angela taking offence at him not hugging her blew-up into Angela accusing him of being “aggressive” towards her during his one-on-one with him in the HoH room.

We spoke with Matt to get his take on things.

John Powell: Matt, you have had some time away from the house and the game. How are you feeling today?

Matt Hardeman: Just an overwhelming sense of gratitude. I got to play one of the biggest games that there is! I’m so thankful! I’m a small town guy. I really am a normal guy. I was working a normal job before coming here. I’m not like I am an influencer or a model. I really have a modest life. This my first time in L.A.! I literally came here to play this game. How did I get so lucky to be here? I’m so thankful I got to do the show!

John Powell: Have you spoken to your mother yet? How is she with everything?

Matt Hardeman: I have not but man, it is the number one thing I’m excited to do. I hope she’s doing well. I hope she’s proud! I know that she is just in awe that I got to do this just as I am.

John Powell: She was a big fan of Big Brother Pinoy when she lived in the Philippines, right?

Matt Hardeman: She was! When she came here in 1993, Julie (Chen Moonves) was the only public figure who was an Asian representative that she had and my mom watched Julie to help her with her English. To get to sit with and have a moment with Julie, the fact she let me do the whole sign-off together, I was like: Let’s go! So cool! That meant a lot to me and also my family!

John Powell: When did you first realize that you weren’t hitting it off with Angela?

Matt Hardeman: When she came down the stairs and called me ugly, dumb, aggressive and said my mom raised me poorly.

John Powell: What sparked the confrontation was your conversation with her in the HoH room. She claims you were intimidating. Many fans and viewers, including myself, didn’t interpret it that way. You were just casually chatting about scenarios. How did you feel your message got across at the time?

Matt Hardeman: John, hearing you say that means a lot. For me as a man to be accused of being aggressive towards a woman is a serious deal. It’s serious and if true I need to be held accountable and I need to learn and grow…For her to say that: Oh, maybe passionate is a better word. I was like: Those are not synonymous words by any means, especially in terms of how they relate to how a man talks to a woman.

My parents have raised me correctly. I can own being passionate. I’m sure you could leave this conversation say Matt is a passionate speaking individual but aggressive is not synonymous with passionate. I was a professional communicator for multiple years. I’ve spoken in front of thousands of people. I know how I control my tone. I know the impact of my words. I am not a typical 25-year-old that’s figuring that out in real time…I understand what I’m saying and how I’m saying it…I told Angela that I will not own that I was aggressive to her.

John Powell: Before the big blowup did she speak privately to you about it?

Matt Hardeman: I wish because we wouldn’t have not had that situation. Every person in the house came to me regardless of their vote and said they do not agree with what she did.

John Powell: Kenney was really in your corner. How much did that mean to you to have him there to comfort you?

Matt Hardeman: Oh, my goodness! That meant the world to me!…For Kenney to come and say: Screw the game! To say: I look at you like a son…That meant the world to me because my family means everything to me. To have a fatherly figure put his arm around me in that moment was a powerful, powerful moment for me.

John Powell: How do you feel about Angela as a player and a person?

Matt Hardeman: I’ve communicated this multiple times, if there ever is a time where I down-talked to Angela or I choose to not forgive Angela, I give the BB nation the ability to come for me because you will never hear that.

It is not how Matt Hardman has chosen to live his life. It’s not how I was raised…I will forgive her over and over and over because that’s how I’ve chosen to live my life. I forgave her in front of everybody and it was important to me that I sat with Julie (Chen Moonves) and I forgive her publicly again. I will continually do so whether she thinks she deserves it or that’s been merited or not. I can only control what I can control. I am focused on my lane and who I want to be in my life and that is to forgive.

John Powell: Well, you said in the house you would forgive her and you did exactly that multiple times. Angela has had a confrontation with you, Kenney and Lisa. Why do you think this keeps happening?

Matt Hardeman: I genuinely don’t know. John, she also had a confrontation with Joseph too! Someone who she’s working with! There’s a point where people were like: Hey, man, if we just were to vote based off of explosions you would be safe…I do think maybe she’s become such a target and will pitch herself in such a way that people are like: Maybe we should just keep her here because I don’t know if anybody’s going to want to work with her to some extent?

I have no idea what’s going on. There was a point where I was concerned for her just as a human being. If there was anything I could have done to get her back to a place where we could have just played even despite what she had done to me, I would have. Lisa, Kenny, Joseph, there’s multiple people at this point and people catching strays like Mackenzie. Everybody is getting winged here. I couldn’t have played the game that way if it was me.

John Powell: You and Makensy really hit it off. What do you see the future for you two and what do you plan on doing after Big Brother?

Matt Hardeman: Thanks for asking!…Our story isn’t over yet. I whispered in her ear and I’m glad we got to have that moment. Obviously I’ll come her when she’s out…My biggest fear in the game in terms of our situation is that I didn’t want there to be pressure because that will that will ruin the authenticity of it.

I think Makensy is gorgeous! I think her personality is incredible and the way she carries herself! We’ll continue to figure it out together.

As far as me, so much of the work I’ve done in my personal life has been to as a man is understanding how my masculinity interacts with my emotions…In my younger days knowing I feel something but all I’ve got is happy, angry and sad to work with. I didn’t even know how to talk about it…I never change how I played the game because in my real life that is really where I’m at. I’m trying to exercise that and learn that.

I’ve been through a lot of really difficult relationship situations, even at the beginning of this year, that I had to learn that I needed counseling, I needed to talk about what I was feeling. I needed other guys to talk about it. I needed other women to talk about it. I needed people to talk about it.

I think I would have played Big Brother better in a different season of my life but where I’m at is where I’m at. I want to be a representation of men who have the ability to communicate what they feel…I hope to start a podcast to talk about that exact thing.

Stay tuned for more news, views, interviews and live feed spoilers all season long and watch the latest episodes here.