Entertainment

'BB17's Austin Without A Beard Is Unrecognizable

I have something very important to share with you all: Austin Matelson from Big Brother 17 , without a beard. I KNOW! The sometimes-Judas, hot-in-a-confusing-but-awesome-way, former wrestler is pretty much known for his mane of hair and thick beard. It's all part of his charm and allure. But, in case you were curious what he looked like before that became his personna, I have the answer.

My fellow Bustle writer Allison Piwowarski found an image floating around of a young Austin, without a beard, and with many less tattoos. It's worth noting, of course, that the image might not be real. But, as far as I can tell, it seems to have originated on his MySpace page. (Assuming that's real, too.) The sleeves of tattoos do matchup, and if you cover the bottom half of his face with your finger, his eyes look the same.

If it is real, it just goes to show that beards (and wild hair) can really be transformative, because, wow, is it hard to recognize the man I know today. It's kind of shocking how different he looks. Granted he's younger, has much less hair, and doesn't have a chest full of tattoos. But, when I set out to find a beardless-Austin, I didn't quite know this is what I would be getting.

He's still attractive here, so that's good to know. I hope that as Austin keeps playing, more old photos of him surface. He's a mysterious guy, but I desperately want to know more (everything) about him. OK, I'll stop being creepy now. Enjoy the pic.

For all the up-to-date info on Austin, Judas, and everything else going on in the house, check out Bustle’s very own Big Brother podcast, The Diary Room. Listen to the latest episode below, and be sure to check out future episodes on Bustle’s SoundCloud page.

Want even more Big Brother? Bustle’s App has you covered. It’s THE go-to place for any BB fan looking for round-the-clock Season 17 updates. BUT FIRST, you need to download the app from iTunes.

Images: Sonja Flemming/CBS; aRmReKK/Imgur