Love was definitely in the air in the Big Brother 19 house! As previously reported, Jessica Graf and Cody Nickson got engaged on Tuesday, February 13, but they’re not the only pair from the season taking big steps in their relationship! Mark Jansen, 26, and Elena Davies, 26, have been dating since the season ended and just moved in together.
On Tuesday, February 13, he carried her through the doors of their new place in Dallas, Texas, in an adorable Instagram video of them “crossing the threshold.”
“I didn’t decide I couldn’t live without him until we spent the jury house together … I didn’t know what our future would look like exactly but I knew it would be our future,” Davies tells Us Weekly exclusively about their decision to move in together, although Jansen said he knew while they were in the Big Brother house. She adds, “It became evident very quickly outside the Big Brother experience that we needed to live in the same city … a.k.a., Mark needed to move to Texas.”
Read our full exclusive interview with the couple below:
Us Weekly: How did the decision come about?
Elena Davies: This dialogue started with us in the jury house and now we argue about the details of it. I think our first time spent apart in October was what ignited the urgency in this plan to really move forward. Originally, we talked about Mark getting his own place here [in Texas] and us taking a shot at dating “normally” but we were already so far past normal that we just went all in.
UW: Mark, you refer to her as “Future Mrs. Jansen” in all your posts. Is a wedding in the near future?
MJ: Yes! I cannot imagine the rest of my life without her. So, as long as she doesn’t get sick of me, there will be a wedding in the near future.
UW: Have you talked about having kids and how many you want?
MJ: Five.
ED: That is about four too many. I definitely want a baby dwarf goat before I reproduce, though.
UW: What do you love about each other?
MJ: I love everything about Elena. She is an enigma, she has depth and she challenges me on so many levels. Never in my life have I been this happy.
ED: Mark is what a real life fairytale looks like. I could speak for hours about all the things I love about him but I think what stands out most to me is the way that he makes me feel. The way he loves me is extraordinary and he somehow erases all of my insecurities and makes me feel like I actually deserve him.
UW: Did you watch back your season of Big Brother together? Did you argue about anything?
ED: No! I feel like I have Big Brother PTSD. We only had one game-related argument that was settled before we left the jury house. We do still get into very heated Big Brother discussions together or with fans about our season. I think people fail to remember that for 110 days Big Brother took over the entirety of our lives so to say that we are invested or opinionated about our season is an understatement.
UW: Have you been watching Celebrity Big Brother? Who are you rooting for?
ED: We’ve missed a few episodes due to our road trip and moving but we’ve done our best to keep up. Occasionally I find it hard to watch because it really takes me back, and I get emotional but Mark and I are both fans of the show so we get into it. I am rooting for Ross Mathews. He was my pre-show favorite and I think he’s playing the game well. I’ve loved watching James Maslow evolve in the game, too.
MJ: When the cast was announced, I was rooting for Shannon Elizabeth and Metta World Peace. It’s been great to see Shannon play a hard game and actually compete. I think she started the game a little too strong and overplayed which is why she was targeted. It’s a shame to see her go.
UW: Have you watched Jess and Cody on The Amazing Race?
ED: We have loved cheering on Jess and Cody on The Amazing Race. They impressed us as competitors and humans since we first got to know them in the Big Brother house but following their journey on The Amazing Race, they have impressed us even more! Obviously we want to see them WIN! Team Jody!
MJ: I love watching Cody have a chance to actually compete! It’s been fun to watch them play.
UW: Would you guys do reality TV together?
ED: If the timing and opportunity was right, absolutely! I would love another shot at Big Brother but the chance of that is so slim and the thought of leaving Mark for that long terrifies me. We would definitely be open to another reality show that we could do together. There has been talk of applying for The Amazing Race!
MJ: I think I look good on camera! We’ve kind of been doing our own reality show by documenting the #MarlenaRoadTrip on YouTube and Instagram. But, I would love to do Survivor and do The Amazing Race with Elena. Looking back at our experience on Big Brother with cameras on us 24/7, it’s hard to imagine another reality TV show being much more invasive or challenging so I think I would be up for almost anything!
