The Winner of Big Brother is the player who has been awarded the victory of Big Brother (U.S.), typically out of the Final 2 by The Jury. For Big Brother 1 (US) and Big Brother: Over The Top, the winner was determined out of the Final 3 by America, while Big Brother: Reindeer Games had the winner determined out of the Final 4 by the final competition.
Criteria[]
There are no formal constraints on the rationale that jury members may employ in choosing the winner of Big Brother. The only built-in requirement of eligibility for the title is to make it to Finale night and be eligible for voting. In seasons with a Jury, voting takes place between the 2 contestants left standing, but in seasons where America votes for the winner, they vote between the 3 remaining contestants.
At the Live Finale, the finalists are subjected to interrogation by the jury, who may ask any questions or make any statements that they feel will help them make the best decision possible. As there is no objective definition of 'best' in this case, the methods by which contestants have won the game, and the reasons adopted by jury members in voting for them, have varied widely throughout the history of the series.
It should be noted that in the game of Big Brother likeability and respect are not always fungible qualities. In some cases, the winner may have played a game strategically dominant enough to overcome the fact that other finalists were more likeable. At other times, the opposite may be the case, and a more sociable player may win due to the quality of their personality even in the presence of a more strategically "active" but socially inept competitor. It is up to the idiosyncratic interpretation of the jury to determine who has played the best game and it is up to each finalist to present a compelling argument in their own favor, emphasizing their strengths and eliding their weaknesses, at Finale.
Prizes[]
The winner receives a check of $500,000 ($750,000 as of Big Brother 23 (US), $250,000 during Big Brother: Over The Top and the Celebrity seasons, or $100,000 during Big Brother: Reindeer Games), to be received after the season finale. The winner also gets to take home any other prize money they have won throughout their time in the game, via rewards and luxury competitions. However, making it to the Final 2 forfeits the stipend they received as payment for playing in the season, leaving them only with the grand prize money, and any other addition winnings they earned, including the America's Favorite Houseguest prize money if they end up winning that too, as seen with Taylor Hale.
List of Winners[]
Civilians[]
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Celebrities[]
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Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- Only two winners were voted by the American viewers, Eddie McGee of Big Brother 1 (US) and Morgan Willett of Big Brother: Over The Top. The winner of Big Brother: Reindeer Games, Nicole Franzel, was determined by a competition.
- Because of this, Curtis Kin, Kryssie Ridolfi, and Frankie Grande and Xavier Prather (in a tie) are the only people to place 3rd and still be eligible finalists to win the season.
- There have been 17 men and 13 women who have won Big Brother (US). One of those women, Nicole Franzel won twice, so 14 seasons were won by women.
- 9 women have won the main series, while the remaining 4 all won spin-off seasons: Morgan won Over The Top and all three winners of Celebrity Big Brother have been women. Nicole also won Reindeer Games in addition to her win on Big Brother 18 (US).
- Dan Gheesling, Tamar Braxton, Cody Calafiore, Xavier Prather and Chelsie Baham are the only winners to win with a unanimous Jury vote.
- Dan, Cody and Chelsie are the only winners to play a Perfect Game.
- Dan, Cody, Xavier and Taylor Hale the only winners who have played multiple times and never be evicted or eliminated across their first two seasons. Cody did get eliminated on his third.
- Dan is also the first person to reach the Final Two twice, followed by Paul Abrahamian, Cody, Nicole and Taylor.
- Taylor Hale is the first winner to also win America's Favorite Houseguest, which also gave her the record of highest amount of prize money earned by a winner in a single season, at $800,000.
- Prior to the prize money increase in Big Brother 23 (US), Derrick Levasseur held this record with $575,000.
- Jun Song is the first winner to reach the Final Two with zero eviction votes, while Drew Daniel is the first winner to reach the Final Two without facing eviction.
- Derrick Levasseur is the first winner to reach the Final Three while avoiding being nominated, while Cody is the first winner to reach the Final Two without being nominated at all, including the Final Three.
- Jag Bains is the first winner to be evicted and then return in the same season. He also has the most eviction votes cast against him with 12. Counting votes for his opponent in the Final Two, he has 14 total votes against him.
- Jun Song is the first Asian-American, and first person of color to win Big Brother. She would be followed by Kaycee Clark and Jag.
- Josh Martinez is the first Hispanic-American, and the first man of color to win Big Brother.
- Tamar Braxton is the first African-American to win Big Brother. She would be followed by Xavier Prather, the first African-American to win a civilian season, Taylor Hale, and Chelsie Baham.
- Andy Herren is the first open member of the LGBTQ+ community to win Big Brother. He would be followed by Kaycee Clark.
- Eddie McGee is the first person with a disability to win Big Brother. He would be followed by Ian Terry.
- Dick Donato is the first parent to win Big Brother, followed by Derrick, Marissa Jaret Winokur, Tamar, Miesha Tate and Nicole (in Reindeer Games).
- Dick is also the oldest winner by date of birth, being born in June 1963. Marissa is the oldest winner at the time of winning the game, being 45.
- Jag Bains is the youngest winner by date of birth, being born in February 1998. Ian is the youngest winner at the time of winning the game, being 21.
- Nicole Franzel is the first woman to beat a man in the Final Two. Until Nicole's second win, every season with a female winner since then saw her beating a male to win.
- Nicole Franzel is the first, and so far only American, two-time winner.
- Will Kirby is the first winner to be a Returning Player.
- Nicole Franzel is the first winner to return twice after winning.
- She is also the only houseguest to win on a fourth attempt.
- Mike Malin is the first person to win as a Returning Player. He was followed by Rachel Reilly, Nicole (twice) and Cody.
- Only Nicole (the first time) and Rachel competed against new players and sat next to one in the Final Two. Rachel is the only one so far who has not returned again since winning.
- Ian is the first new player to beat a Returning Player in the Final Two. He was followed by Morgan and Josh.
- Taylor is the first former winner to lose to a fellow former winner.
- Taylor is one of three winners to finish as a losing finalist in their subsequent season, alongside Dan Gheesling and Xavier Prather.
- Dan Gheesling is the first former winner to be a runner-up in a subsequent attempt of playing Big Brother. He would be followed by Taylor Hale.
- Cody Calafiore is the only losing finalist to win the game on a later season.
- Cody holds the record for the most jury votes received in his Big Brother career, with 11.
References[]
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