How Big Brother 26 winner Chelsie Baham won the big prize

Chelsie Baham, winner of Big Brother 26, played the game the right way since day one. Never staring away from her goals, she set goals in the house and achieved every one.

ByRichard Jelinek|Oct 17, 2024, 9:00 AM EDT

BIG BROTHER season 26 Thursday August 22 on the CBS Television Network and streaming on Paramount+ (live and on-demand for Paramount+ with SHOWTIME subscribers, or on-demand for Paramount+ Essential subscribers the day after the episode airs)* Pictured: Chelsie Baham. Photo: CBS ©2024 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Highest quality screengrab available.

Big Brother26concluded withChelsie Baham winning the big prizeof $750,000. While it should not be a surprise to most, Baham winning should be taken into account in how toplay the perfectBig Brothergame.

She was the complete opposite of how most houseguests play the game and she used that tactic to her advantage while taking her closest ally, Makensy Manbeck, close enough tofinish as the final two.

Baham won the competition bya surprising 7-0 voteagainst Manbeck in the finale. They were similar in gameplay throughout the season, but the deciding factor was the style of play that Baham played. She had a mix of a good social game with the perfect blend of competitive play in the comps. That competitiveness saw her capture the Head of Household (HoH) four times (weeks 2, 8, 20 (day 73) and 12).

Her gameplay was second to none, competing in 11 events during her tenure in the house. Her social game was close to perfect as she did not backstab any of the houseguests, stuck to her guns as to who she wanted out, and her conversations within the house led to eight houseguests being evicted. She had an impressive resume and one that may see her go down as one of the best game players in the history ofBig Brother.

Baham played asmooth game with confidence.She did not have a showmance, did not stir up drama, she never jumped from alliance to alliance, and she never went back on her word. While Manbeck was also good throughout, Baham led the charge and had a big part in some big players going home and she herself did not come close to being evicted at any point of the season. This was a well-deserved win and one that future houseguests should take note of how to play the game.

The 27-year-old nonprofit director from Rancho Cucamonga, California became thesecond black female competitorto winBig Brotherbehind Taylor Hale, who won season 24.

Baham has some claim to fame, as she is related to actress Niecy Nash, as her niece by marriage.

While she did not winBig Brother 26, Manbeck did play a good game andwill take home $75,000for her second-place finish. Taking second in this competition is not a bad consolation prize as he truly was the second-best player in the game.

Big Brother 26should go down as one of the best seasons ever. There was anew side character, Ainsley, and there were more twists and turns than in years previous.

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