Matt Klotz: Meet the Deaf Athlete Competing in the ‘Big Brother’ Finale
Matt Klotz, the first deaf houseguest to play ‘Big Brother,’ has a great shot at winning the show’s 25th season. Here’s what you need to know about him.
Matt Klotz came into Big Brother 25 as an athlete, so everyone expected him to dominate the challenges. But it’s been Matt’s incredible social game that has helped him make to the final 3 with a great shot at winning the show. Matt, who is the first deaf contestant to play Big Brother, has made hardly any enemies this season. As a professional swimmer in the Deaflympics, Matt knows what it takes to win — and he’s hoping to pull out another victory during the finale on November 9. Here’s what you need to know about Matt.
Matt was born deaf.
Matt revealed he is “not from a deaf family” in an interview with DeafPeople.com. “I was just born this way. It was before universal hearing screening was done on newborns, so my parents did not know I was deaf until I was two.” He noted that he could “read lips early on,” but it wasn’t until he received hearing aids that he heard his parents’ voices for the first time.
Matt kept a secret in the Big Brother house.
“I’m definitely not going to let anyone know my little secret, which is lip reading. I can read anyone’s lips from far away or up close, and I’m not going to let them know that because that’s going to be a huge advantage for me,” Matt said in the Diary Room before the season began, as seen in The Exclusive with Sharon Tharp’s “First Impressions of the New Cast” video.
Matt admitted that he’s a “decent fan of Big Brother” after having watched a couple of seasons. He revealed that his “main focus” going into the Big Brother house is to “try to win the first HOH so that people come to me to make the alliances so I don’t have to worry about that.” However, he doesn’t want to “burn too many bridges right away,” so he’ll be holding himself “back a little” in some of the challenges.
Matt is the first deaf contestant in Big Brother history.
The Big Brother season 25 cast is quite the ensemble. In 23 years and 25 seasons of the hit CBS series, Matt is the first hard-of-hearing contestant in Big Brother history.
Matt has competed in the Deaflympics.
Matt received two gold medals in the 100M Backstroke at the 2013 Summer Deaflympics. He also competed at the 2017 Summer Deaflympics, where he earned 3 gold medals in the 50M, 100M, and 200M backstroke events. Like the Olympics, the Deaflympics are held every 4 years.
Matt went to Louisana State University.
Matt attended Louisiana State University from 2016 to 2020. He was a member of the school’s swim team. Matt was part of the 200 Free Relay team that broke the school’s record at the SEC Championships during his senior season, according to his LSU bio.