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Dick Donato

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Richard Louis Donato, known as "Evel Dick" Donato (born June 24, 1963), a 44-year-old bar manager from Los Angeles, California, is the winner of Big Brother 8. He and his daughter, Daniele Donato, are the only family member pair to win the American Big Brother program's top two prizes in the same competition. Dick holds the record as the show's oldest winner (age 44 at the time), and Daniele is the youngest person (having turned 21 during the competition) ever to win one of the American program's top two prizes.[citation needed]

Biography

Dick was a stand-in for Keith Richards in the motion picture Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End.[1] Because of Dick's claims to have met, known, or even dated various celebrities, he has been accused of lying just to drop names. However, Dizzy Reed of the rock band Guns N' Roses says that Dick is not a name dropper, that people drop his name.[2] The nickname "Evel Dick" originated with an email address Dick once made up.[3]

Dick is the father of Vincent and Daniele Donato. One year older than Daniele, Vincent looked after things for Dick during Big Brother. Vincent became known to the viewing public because Dick and Daniele would talk about him and because Dick would frequently talk to his son through the cameras. Vincent appeared briefly in episodes of Big Brother 8, including the first and last episodes.

Dick is an atheist[4] although his mother Charlotte is an ordained minister.[citation needed] Charlotte also appeared in the final episode of Big Brother 8.

Big Brother 8

In 2007, Dick was one of fourteen Big Brother 8 contestants. In the eighth season of the American version of the Big Brother series, broadcast by CBS in 2007, six contestants were confronted with people they had unfinished business with from their pasts. Dick's daughter Daniele, from whom he'd been estranged for two years prior to the beginning of the show,[5] was the other person in the house for him. Although they were nominated against each other three times (in weeks 2, 6, and 10), they made it to the final two together. Among Dick's records is that he was the first Big Brother contestant who ever won a Power of Veto competition but used it to protect someone other than themselves from eviction,[6] that being his daughter Daniele. Daniele became the second when she used the season's final Veto to protect Dick.[7]

Dick was consistently on top of many reality website's popularity polls when viewers are asked to choose their favorite member of the House, including the main poll on the official CBS site.[8]

On Day 81, the jury cast a 5-2 vote that crowned Dick the winner of Big Brother 8 and the recipient of $500,000. In the final episode, broadcast September 18, 2007, Dick received the votes of Dustin Erikstrup, Eric Stein, Amber Siyavus, Jessica Hughbanks, and Zach Swerdzewski to win $500,000. The season's concluding episode featuring Dick Donato's win made CBS the most-watched television network that night.[9]

After Big Brother

Dick said he plans to use a portion of the $500,000 to pay for his daughter's college education, and Daniele reports that he will buy her a car.[10] Although directly splitting prize winnings is banned by contest rules and law,[11][12] he can legally pay for his daughter's education and buy presents.[13]

He was nominated for[14] and won[15]the Golden Realitini for Favorite Reality Performer[16] in the Fox Reality Really Awards for 2007 against Len Goodman, New York, Sanjaya Malakar, Ant (comedian), and Christopher Knight & Adrianne Curry.[17] He was also nominated for Best Winner, Favorite Villain (which he also won[citation needed]), Favorite Potty Mouth, and Best Fight for his confrontation with Jen Johnson.[18] Fox Reality Channel recorded the ceremony on October 2, 2007, and aired it on October 13.[19]

References

  1. ^ Grodner Looks Forward to Getting 'Interactive'
  2. ^ http://www.realitywanted.net/2007/08/10/big-brother-8-recap-thursday-august-9th-big-brother-live-eviction-show/ Big Brother 8 Recap - Thursday August 9th Big Brother Live Eviction Show
  3. ^ The 'Big Brother 8' Winning Father-Daughter Team Sounds Off
  4. ^ Big Brother 8 Episode 812
  5. ^ Big Brother 8 on Reality TV World
  6. ^ Zimbio Big Brother 8 Spoilers
  7. ^ Big Brother 8: PoV Competion #11; Live Eviction #11; Final HoH
  8. ^ http://www.cbs.com/primetime/bigbrother8/polls/results.shtml HouseGuest poll] CBS official site
  9. ^ "Big Brother" finale boosts CBS to most-watched status Tuesday
  10. ^ http://www.mortystv.com/big_brother_interviews.shtml Daniele Donato Interview
  11. ^ Real Chat with Nick, Dani and Dick pt 2
  12. ^ BB8 Big Brother's Evel Dick and Daughter Daniele Sound Off
  13. ^ 'Big Brother' finalists talk about the experience
  14. ^ Fox Reality
  15. ^ Big Brother Takes Top Honors at Fox Reality Channel Really Awards 2007 with Five Awards Including Audience Nominated Golden Realitini
  16. ^ Really Awards 2007
  17. ^ Announcing the Reality Remix Awards 2007
  18. ^ Reality Rollcall
  19. ^ Fox Reality Doing Second Really Awards Show
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