VOTE FOR SAM: Sam’s older brother, Daniel, left, housemate Sam and dad, Dennis Wallace.
THE father of Tamworth’s resident Big Brother housemate is urging the city to get behind his son and vote for him to win the 2012 title.
Sam Wallace entered the Big Brother reality television show as an intruder, nearly halfway through the series in mid-September.
It only has a few more days to go before the winner of the series, and the $250,000 prize, is announced.
Sam, 21, now lives at the Gold Coast but grew up in Tamworth.
He attended McCarthy Catholic College before moving to Queensland in 2008.
His dad, Dennis Wallace, says it would be good for a country bloke to win and hopes the local community will support him.
“An intruder has never won the show,” he said.
Mr Wallace, who still lives in Tamworth, said his son was not hamming it up for the cameras like some of the other housemates.
“What you see is what you get with Sam,” he said.
Mr Wallace said he has been stopped in the street by some Tamworth people saying nice things about Sam.
“And he’s been getting plenty of support on Facebook,” he said.
Mr Wallace and Sam’s mother, Lisa, who also lives in Tamworth, have both made appearances on the show, on separate occasions, to tell their son what he’s been missing on “the outside.”
On Monday night’s episode, Mr Wallace revealed in a video message to his son that he missed out on the marriage to his new wife, Ann, about a month ago.
Mr Wallace said Sam works in a nightclub as a bartender and waiter but could easily see him becoming the face of a company’s marketing campaign after the show.
“Even if he doesn’t win, he’ll get something out of it,” he said.
Sam has said if he won the prize money he would open a cafe or restaurant at the Gold Coast.
During the past few weeks on the program, Sam has become close with another housemate, 24-year-old Layla Subritzky from Britain.
While there is a three year age gap between the couple, they have formed an alliance and confirmed their fondness for each other, quashing rumours from other housemates that they are in the relationship to win the competition.
Mr Wallace said Layla seemed like a nice girl and it would be nice to meet her.
He commented on Sam’s relationship with some of the other housemates, including 32-year-old Ben.
“(Ben) doesn’t really seem to like him,” Mr Wallace said.
He said Sam wasn’t “catty” like some of the housemates.
“He’s nice and polite and can get along with anyone,” Mr
Wallace said.
“He can talk to a three- or a 93-year-old.”
He said he was surprised Sam hadn’t gotten along better with fellow country contestant,
23-year-old Zoe Westgarth, from the Central West town of Warren.
This year’s revamped Big Brother series came after a four year hiatus – after Channel Ten axed the show in 2008.
The NBN network picked the show up this year, touting it as “family-friendly.”