The final three contestants, Chelsie Baham, Makensy Manbeck, and Cam Sullivan-Brown, faced off in competition, with Cam getting eliminated soon after.

After a fierce showdown in the last episode hosted by Julie Chen Moonves, Chelsie claimed victory in the final two against Makensy, sweeping the jury vote 7-0. Her dominant performance sealed her as the unanimous winner of “Big Brother 26.”

The announcement of the winner was followed by strong opinions from viewers. One viewer bluntly shared, “Mackenzie played too good to be so gullible. Chelsea definitely deserved to win. It was like taking candy from a baby, she was MacKenzie’s puppet master!” Another fan held a different opinion saying Chelsea “Manipulated her way to win.”

Other fans praised Chelsea’s strategy, “Congratulations to Chelsie 👏 she played a great game and definitely played poor naive MJ.” These fans felt that Makensy was not up to the task, as one commented, “Mackensy deserves to lose she was manipulated.”

However, not everyone agreed with the outcome. One fan declared, “Makensy should’ve won she won 10 or 11 competitions she deserved to win.. it’s about winning, it’s not just a social game that was crooked.”

The finale left viewers divided, with one fan outrightly stating, “Chelsea doesn’t deserve to win! BS,” and another declaring, “Makensy won 11 comps. Clearly the jury didn’t care. Makensy deserved to win!🥇” Some even went as far as calling the result unfair, “It’s rigged.”

As much as fans’ reactions to her win are mixed, Chelsie earned all the jurors’ favor, taking home $75,000 for her efforts after 90 days of fierce competition.

Another winner, Tucker Des Lauriers made “Big Brother” history by winning America’s Favorite Player, becoming the first pre-juror to ever claim the coveted favorite houseguest award.

The “Big Brother 26” jury, Quinn Martin, T’Kor Clottey, Leah Peters, Angela Murray, Kimo Apaka, and Rubina Bernabe, have also spoken out about their experience this season.

In reflecting on their time in the “Big Brother” the jurors disclosed who they would have wished to be in the house with them and their reasons for choosing their company.

Quinn was adamant about missing Joseph Rodriguez, describing him as one of her best friends in the house and a strong contender for her final two. She lamented that he was voted out just before the jury phase, noting that his insights would have been invaluable on finale night.

Similarly, Leah echoed this sentiment, highlighting Joseph’s humor and their shared comedic bond. She eagerly anticipated reuniting with him during the just-concluded finale, emphasizing how much she missed his presence.

T’Kor then said his choice was Cedric Hodges, despite having voted him out to keep Rubina. She reminisced about their strong connection and noted Cedric’s impressive gameplay during his time in the house.

Angela also voiced her affection for Cedric, fondly recalling how he brought joy and laughter to her days in the “Big Brother” house. She believed he would have kept everyone entertained and engaged if he were in the jury house.

Kimo highlighted his desire to have Tucker Des Lauriers with him, describing how much he missed their summer bond. He looked forward to reconnecting outside of the game.

Finally, Rubina expressed a similar wish for Tucker, admitting that it would have been wonderful to spend more time together.

Overall, these jurors’ reflections on their pre-jury companions illustrated the strong friendships forged in the competitive environment of the “Big Brother” house.

While winning is a significant achievement, as it is for Chelsie, the connections made throughout the game highlight the social aspect of it that is just as crucial as the competition itself.