As Julie Chen Moonves stated at the top of the broadcast, this season was unprecedented. The longtime fans of Big Brother have praised Season 26 as one of the best seasons in recent memory of the reality series. Between the use of the Power of Veto 11 out of 12 times, last-minute eviction night decisions, and some of the most iconic characters that defined the season, Big Brother 26 will be one that fans will celebrate for years to come.
Now, with Chelsie Baham becoming the ultimate champion of the season, Big Brother 26 ended exactly how it should have. She started from the bottom as a microchip, and now she’s here! Chelsie was one of the most dominating Houseguests of the season. When Makensy Manbeck foolishly decided to evict Cam Sullivan-Brown over Chelsie, Makensy lost it all. It proved that Chelsie’s hold over her house defined how the season was played. Her answers and speech to the jury were a masterclass. She owned her game and explained everything that happened from start to finish, even if she had to drag the woman sitting next to her. Chelsie may certainly go down in history as one of the best. While there certainly could have been improvements, including the size of the jury, Big Brother 26 was near perfect.
Chelsie Baham Was Silent But Deadly on ‘Big Brother’ 26
When Chelsie Baham’s season began, it was an instant uphill battle. Having lost the downgrade competition, she was forced to play as a microchip for a week, being ineligible to compete in any of the week’s challenges. Alongside her day one ride-or-die Cam Sullivan-Brown, they started from the bottom. She found herself in an alliance that quickly found themselves in immense doom and gloom. When the Pentagon alliance went down one-by-one, Chelsie managed to prevail. She didn’t leap off of the sinking ship. Instead, she fostered relationships with rivals from the other side of the house. Players like Cedric Hodges, Brooklyn Rivera, and Quinn Martin were steadfast in sticking with the individuals in their alliance. Chelsie went across the house and built a crucial relationship with T’Kor Clottey. Clottey, who had a tight grasp on Rubina Bernabe and Kimo Apaka, ensured that they would be hands-off Chelsie when the time came for her to be in danger.
Over the course of the season, Chelsie was victorious in four Head of Households. She became the first female player to win four HoHs in a single season since Season 17’s Vanessa Rousso. Compared to Makensy Manbeck, she may not have had more overall competition wins as Makensy found herself in more dangerous situations that forced her to compete more. Regardless, Chelsie won when she needed to and had a stronghold on many of the individuals who were HoH when she was not. Her ability to control the other players was a major factor in her success. She not only formed a strong bond that was centered on loyalty, but the trust that was built allowed Makensy to make a horrible $750,000 decision.
Chelsie Baham Had a Perfect Game
It’s hard to know exactly what is happening inside the Big Brother house when you’re physically inside it and playing it. Often, you learn things that happen in other rooms and in the Dairy Room that you didn’t know until after the fact. Makensy learned the hard way about the true nature of her connection with Chelsie. Their friendship was genuine, but Chelsie’s motives in the game were to win. And that meant ensuring Makensy would take her to the final two. Every viewer knew that should Makensy win the final HoH, she should evict Chelsie and bring Cam, and she’d win. Unfortunately, Makensy picked loyalty over strategy.
Upon speaking to the jury, Makensy soon learned the error of her ways. Regarding the Leah Peters eviction, Makensy told the jury, “Making that move was only done by me. Nobody can influence me. I made decisions for myself.” Mere moments later, Chelsie revealed that she was the one who pulled the strings to orchestrate it. Makensy was rendered utterly speechless. She learned at this moment how Chelsie played her all along.
Chelsie was strategic, social, and skillful. Her speech to the jury was simply masterful. She knew exactly how to defend and own her game. Big Brother 26 ended in a perfect way, with its winner completing a perfect game. A perfect game means that the winner never received a single vote for eviction in the season and then receives an anonymous vote to win from the jury. This is not a small feat. It should be acknowledged and praised. Chelsie’s victory ensured this season would be historic.