After graduation, many students look forward to going into the work field or taking a break before getting a master’s degree; Blake and Bryce Holliman went to compete for almost $5 million. 

The Hollimans are originally from Greenfield, Tennessee, about 20 minutes away from Martin and home to a little over 2000 people. As they began to describe their experiences at The University of Tennessee at Martin, Bryce said, “Our first two years of college, we did absolutely nothing. We only spent time with each other and a small number of friends we met along the way.”

However, during their last two years of college, they wanted to get involved and do as much around campus as possible. They would both get involved in various leadership roles. “We are big introverts; we really did not like talking to people. But we knew that we would have to learn how to for our everyday lives. We used our leadership roles to build up those characteristics, and that allowed us to become more open to conversation,” said Bryce.

Both Hollimans crossed the stage back in May 2025, but by this time, they had already known what the future had in place for them. “The week of graduation is when we found out we were on the show,” said Blake. “I remember getting ready for [graduation] practice, and then I saw we had gotten a call from one of the ladies we had been talking to during the process.”

The twins were ecstatic; they did not know how to express or explain what news they had been told. Blake said, “She had called me to say that we both had made it. I immediately started screaming; I was excited and so happy. It all just felt so surreal. We could not believe that people from the middle of nowhere, Tennessee, got cast on a show.” 

Blake explained the process of applying for the show. He was sitting at his job in the Student Life Center, and he came across an ad for the show asking for applicants. His coworker left to go on break, and he figured that he would take that hour to apply. He would finish up his application and not think anything of it until the next day, when he would get a call from a number based in the United Kingdom. He conducted his phone interview with a lady and recommended for his twin to get a place on the show too.    

After getting their message back, they quickly scrambled to prepare for filming, which would be taking place in a few months. “I love the show and watched all of the first season. So I had an idea in my head of what to expect; however, Bryce [had] never watched it, so I made him watch it to get an understanding of how everything worked,” said Blake.

Even though they understood how the show worked, it would be a completely different experience once they actually went to the filming site. Blake said, “The time change was something that really affected us both. Once we got off the plane, we were both extremely tired, but over there, it was still the middle of the day. They had people ready to pick us up from the airport, and we rode through London. It was our first time being there and we loved it, besides the food, which was different from what we have in Tennessee.” 

He went on to explain the process of getting the cast photos taken and preparing for the first day of filming. The time difference was a major factor for both of them; they struggled with sleep since nighttime in London is close to midday in the US. A lot of the nights on set were spent watching TV until the morning of filming. 

While the actual set experience was completely different, Bryce said, “The production team had snacks for everyone. They also made sure to check on everyone, even though there were over 400 people on set at any given time…We also made friends during the filming of the show. Since we were the babies of the show, many people would look out for us and check on us to make sure we were okay.” 

*SPOILER*

Bryce talked about their final moments on the show. “We made it past the first game, but once we got back into the dorms, we were hand-selected by another group to be voted out. We were only there for a week, but the experience was completely worth it.” He continued, “It was so much fun. Of course, we wanted to win, but we made it past the first game and had a memorable elimination. Most people do not get any designated screen time, but we got our own moment to shine.”

*END OF SPOILER*

Assistant Director of Campus Event Service & University Center Lindee McCurley and a close friend of both Blake and Bryce, reflected on getting to know them. “They were fantastic employees in our office during their time as students here, and they hold a particularly special place in my heart because I’m also a twin. We’d often bond over ‘twin things’—the assumptions people make, the quirks, and the unique experiences that only twins understand,” said McCurley. 

She mentioned how important it is to her to keep up with students and their future endeavors, especially when it comes to what they do after graduating from the university. 

She talked about how excited she is to watch them on Netflix. She said, “With a new 3 1⁄2-month-old at home, I haven’t had the chance to actually sit down and watch yet, but it’s at the top of my Netflix list for the next holiday break. So far, I’ve only caught the screenshots they’ve shared, and it’s hilarious how I can practically hear their voices when I see them talking. I find myself thinking, “Oh, I’ve seen those faces before…”

The twins finished with words of encouragement for people who are looking to pursue their own dreams. They said, “Always be yourself. That is the biggest thing. You do not want to fake your personality; once you start acting differently, people will see that and realize you are not that same person anymore.”