Wayne Nichols Admits Creating "Chaos" Didn't Serve Him Amid 'The Anonymous' Exit (EXCLUSIVE)

USA's competition reality TV show, The Anonymous, has often kept viewers on our toes. So far, the inaugural season has provided several twists and turns, including unexpected eliminations and the introduction of several new players to keep the game as unpredictable as possible.

In an August 2024 episode, DANI introduced new players Wayne Nichols, Bismah Ahmed, and Victoria Vesce into the fold. However, just one week after the "newbies'" arrival, one of them was sent packing in Season 1, Episode 6.

Sadly, Wayne was the first of the newbies to go home after barely settling into his bunk bed. The elimination came at the beginning of the episode, though some fans may have already seen it coming.

In an exclusive interview with Distractify, Wayne shared his thoughts about his exit and whether he's stayed in contact with any castmates he briefly encountered.

While many players had sneaky skills before entering The Anonymous, such as being a famous poker player or Big Brother champ, Wayne was the only real-life sleuth in the building. As a retired police detective, the new player had a trained eye for detecting a criminal and spent most of his career specializing in cybercrimes. Wayne planned on using his skills of "pretending to be someone he wasn’t online" throughout the competition and was sure it would earn him the $100,000 pot.

Unfortunately, he only made it through Robbi Jade Lew's elimination in Episode 5 before his housemates began putting a target on his back. Wayne first got on Xavier Prather's bad side when he fanboyed over his Big Brother win upon entering the house. Then, he accused Xavier and Marcel Cunningham of being in an alliance during Week 5's face-off, which never bodes well, especially when you just arrived at the party.

Although Wayne wasn't Xavier's favorite in the group, Jack Usher ultimately eliminated him after winning The Anonymous player position during Anonymous mode (again). Jack's reason for eliminating Wayne was that he wanted the other players to "feel safe" and knew he couldn't jump to get rid of a more prominent player. Basically, the newbie was collateral damage.

During Monday's elimination, Wayne revealed he was a former detective, not a janitor, as he had led the cast to believe. He also shared he was behind the character "Lightbulb," who was notoriously quiet in Anonymous mode.

Wayne exclusively talked to Distractify about leaving The Anonymous before he was ready and how he became involved in the experience. Keep reading for our full Q&A!

​​(Editor's note: This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.)

Q: How did 'The Anonymous' become an option for you?

A: It all started when I saw a post from Meg Malley (a former Big Brother player who now does casting). She posted a casting notice about the show, and I was immediately intrigued, so I applied, and the rest is history.

Q: Did you always know you, Bismah, and Victoria were entering the competition after the initial cast? Do you feel you missed out on anything by coming in later?

A: I had no clue about Bismah and Victoria until we all entered. It was very exciting because I felt an instant bond with them (since we were the 'newbies'). I definitely felt the pressure of entering the house later, having to work quickly to make bonds with the established players, and not knowing of their potential alliances, but I was thrilled for the challenge.

Q: As a retired police detective with experience going undercover, what strategies do you think you could’ve leaned into more to remain in the competition longer?

A: My biggest strength from my law enforcement background was quickly establishing a rapport with everyone. That was a strategy I leaned into. My dilemma was balancing how fast to hit the ground running — do I play it cool and lay low initially? Do I find a player who will work with me and go all-in with the hopes of building something with them? It was tough finding that balance. Also, this show is unlike ANY other competition show in that you never know who holds (or held) the power of being "the anonymous;" in every other competition show, you can decide to align with someone who holds the power or stay clear of someone who's never had any power. This experience was much different; the level of deceit never stops, even when you're having the most genuine one-on-one conversations with someone.

Q: You discussed wanting to be portrayed as a “wide-eyed, stereotypical dad” around your competitors. How did being a dad and husband prepare you for The Anonymous?

A: Being a dad would've served my game better if other (or more) parents were in the house.

Q: You had an outgoing personality in the house, but your character, Lightbulb, was quiet in Anonymous mode. Was that intentional? Why or why not?

A: It was very intentional. Undercover chatting is something that I currently teach to law enforcement. And I teach that in an undercover chat, you must be deliberate and calculated when communicating. I think that approach in the game was difficult, given it was always a group chat we were in. Instead of worrying about what one person might think or react to something I said, I had to constantly consider what SEVERAL others would be thinking or reacting to what I said...very dynamic and I loved every second of it.

Q: You purposely ruffled a few feathers among the group in Episode 5 after discussing Xavier and Marcel’s alliance. Can you tell us about this?

A: When I was nominated, I knew I was in trouble and had to do something...I felt my back was against the wall (and it certainly was)! I just had this feeling that Christopher was in a strong alliance, and I hoped that what I said during the challenge would cause him to doubt their loyalty and perhaps cause chaos. It didn't work out in my favor, but I tried my best.

Q: What were your thoughts after seeing Xavier say you were “too much” after you admired his work? Was the fan-out moment genuine?

A: Let me just say this: I was genuinely shocked when I saw Xavier the night I entered the house. My thoughts were: How could a guy who won his season of Big Brother still be in this house after three previous eliminations?! But that's his secret weapon, his social game. So yes, the fan-out moment was genuine. And I didn't take offense to what he or anyone else said about me in the game.

Q: Who do you think won ‘The Anonymous’ and why?

A: You know how sometimes you replay a moment in your mind and think, I wish I would've said this, this, and this? Well, this is what I wish I could've said to the anonymous who voted me off instead of Christopher...In front of you, you have two items to choose from: a bullet and a pen. If you don't take your shot at Christopher, you might as well use that pen to write him a check for the grand prize.

Q: Are you in contact with any of your castmates now?

A: YES! This experience has been amazing, and I'm very grateful to have shared it with them. Just last week, I met a group of castmates for dinner. It was a great night. And the best part is there is no game talk; we get to know each other (and our significant others). We're all enjoying the ride!

Q: What have you been up to since your elimination?

A: Although I'm retired from law enforcement — I still work full-time — teaching law enforcement how to combat online child exploitation (something I'm very passionate about). So I travel quite a bit. But as a family, we also enjoy traveling and visiting some amazing places this year. And after seeing 'dad bod' on TV, I realized it was time to hit the gym hard! My goal in 2024 is to lose 10 lbs...so far, only 20 lbs more to go! (I even got a dad joke in).

Catch new episodes of The Anonymous on Mondays at 9 p.m. EST and stream it the next day on Peacock.