Hodaya Cohen returned to her Bat Yam apartment after being unexpectedly eliminated from Big Brother, where she had entered as one of the show’s standout and most dominant contestants. She was the top name in viewer polls and had been aiming for the finale, but said she chose to take time off from interviews to recover, process the experience and be with family and close friends. A week after leaving the house, she said she preferred to “refresh” her music and her old life, adding, “What logic tells me to do is what I do, and that suited me best.”
Cohen, 27, said she does not dwell on regrets about her behavior in the house or her tense, stormy relationship with Gl Rubin. She said she acted from emotion and was honest throughout. In a podcast, she described the challenge of being filmed around the clock, saying it is difficult to live under constant cameras and rules, especially for someone who likes to break them and is drawn to what is forbidden.
Outside the show, her relationship with fellow contestant Zohar Yitzhak Zaken has strengthened. She said, “We are together and I love him very much and he is my anchor,” while he said he was waiting for her and missing her constantly. Cohen is also resuming her work as a DJ and content creator with 205,000 followers.
The apartment itself is a pink-themed showcase in Bat Yam, filled with pastel decor, fluffy textures, a DJ setup, and a neon sign reading “My happy place.” It also includes a memorial corner for her brother Avraham, who was murdered in the Re’im festival attack in October 2023. Cohen said he would have been angry to see the tribute in pink because he loved black, and she also kept his guitar in the living room. At the end of the home tour, she admitted she still has a difficult relationship with the camera but is learning to present herself and open up.
