When Jeff Schroeder was auditioning for Large Brother, he didn’t even know what a showmance was.
“I bear in mind within the questionnaire, you stuffed out this large factor and one in all them was, ‘You down for having a relationship — a showmance?’” Jeff, 47, completely recalled to Us Weekly earlier than the season 27 premiere of Large Brother on Thursday, July 10. “I didn’t know the ins and the outs of issues.”
After getting into the Large Brother home for season 11 in 2009, Jeff not solely received competitions and made it the High 5, however he additionally was a part of one of many present’s biggest showmances as he fell in love with fellow houseguest Jordan Lloyd.
“Everyone saved arising in interviews and the press stuff, they usually’re like, ‘Oh, so what’s up with you and Jeff?’” Jordan, 38, recalled after successful the season. “I imply we preferred one another, however I didn’t know we had been going to get so many questions on that.”
Almost 16 years after collaborating within the CBS actuality present, Jeff and Jordan are elevating sons Lawson, 8, and Layton, 6, in Colorado and proving that sure, you could find love on one in all summer time’s most addictive actuality reveals.
Jeff Schroeder and Jordan Lloyd Courtesy of Jeff Schroeder / Instagram
“We’ve had loads of ups and downs, and we’ve been by all of it collectively,” Jeff shared with Us when reflecting on their love story, which included a marriage on the Beverly Hills courthouse in March 2016. “I feel Jordan’s assist is the rationale why we’ve made it by a few of these onerous instances. I feel you simply need to be accepting that life isn’t going to be good or honest on a regular basis. However extra so than that, I feel the key for us so far as Large Brother relationships go, once we had been on, we didn’t actually know the present.”
When Jeff and Jordan’s season aired, Instagram wasn’t a factor and social media influencers didn’t exist. As a substitute, contestants merely competed for a $500,000 money prize and hoped their fellow houseguests wouldn’t evict them earlier than finale evening.
“There was no strain for us. We had been simply greatest pals in the home,” Jeff stated. “The connection we had in the home and us having one another’s backs by all of the ups and downs of Large Brother is sort of like a mirrored image of how the previous 16 years have been with us. … We received one another’s backs by thick and skinny.”
Jeff Schroeder and Jordan Lloyd Courtesy of Jordan Lloyd / Instagram
As a substitute of residing their lives in Los Angeles and attending crimson carpets, Jeff and Jordan selected to lift their household in Colorado the place they’ll deliver out their garden chairs on any given night and hang around with neighbors.
Whereas Jeff briefly stuffed in as coach for his son’s flag soccer group, he prefers to be on the sidelines as a result of the “dad and mom are insane.” As for Jordan, she likes to be a part of faculty pickup and volunteer in her sons’ school rooms when the room mother calls.
“So far as suburbia goes, we’ve embraced it,” Jeff joked. “I grew up a metropolis child and I find it irresistible. I embraced it. We’re chain restaurant folks. We maintain it easy.”
Jeff Schroeder and Jordan Lloyd Courtesy of Jordan Lloyd / Instagram
Jordan added, “We love doing yard work. We don’t go to fancy locations. Every so often we are going to if it’s like a birthday or one thing, however usually, like my birthday, we went to Outback. We’re very low-key.”
Like so many {couples}, Jeff and Jordan battle to prioritize date evening. Whereas they’re planning a kids-free journey to Europe onboard Celebrity Cruises later this summer time, the truth stars admit they may do a greater job at making house for alone time.
“After we do do one thing, we now have the very best time,” Jeff stated.
Jordan added, “After which I’m like, ‘Why don’t we do this extra?’”
As a brand new season of Large Brother kicks off, each Jeff and Jordan can’t assist however smile on the reminiscences they made on the present. One second each events will always remember is their engagement on nationwide TV.
“The whole lot simply fell into place,” Jeff recalled of his proposal in season 16. “It was meant to be.”
Large Brother returns to CBS Thursday, July 10, at 8 p.m. ET. And sustain with Jeff and Jordan with their weekly “Togethermess” podcast.