The recently concluded Big Brother 26 -- a major title on the 2024 TV schedule -- was a season unlike any fans have seen in the modern history of the show. Fans absolutely loved the twists and turns that came with the A.I. Arena, as well as the unpredictable actions by the Houseguests. Now, with calls for the A.I. Arena to be a permanent fixture in the game, CinemaBlend had to ask the winner of Season 26 and BB super-fan Chelsie Baham how she felt about it. And her true feelings were enough to make me laugh.
I had the wonderful opportunity to speak to Chelsie the morning after her big win. In addition to discussing what shocked her about finale night, we talked about Season 26 itself. Chelsie is a self-proclaimed superfan of the series, so I wondered what her thoughts were on the season as an actual Houseguest who experienced it. The winner was as straight up as she was throughout the game and didn't hold back her disdain:
I was over it. I was like, ‘Wait, this ain't what I've been studying.’ They had just messed up all of my plans to have three, almost four nominees every single week for 6-7 weeks. Having to have conversations about evicting in three different scenarios every week, you have to get blood on your hands. You have to have conversations. So, it really messed up any type of strategy that a normal Big Brother fan would have. So it was a hot mess express in the first half. I was like, ‘When is this arena thing? Oh, could we get more unpredictable? Uh Let's end it now.’ So, yeah, it messed up any strategy that I had coming in.
It's hilarious that all the twists of Big Brother immediately peeved Chelsie, and she still managed to play as well as she did. I was already convinced that she was the most deserving winner of Season 26, and there's not a doubt in my mind about that now. Those who want to win BB have to adapt quickly, so the season's format shouldn't impact any feelings about her win versus other iconic winners. Honestly, I'd even argue that she's more accomplished than some of the greatest winners, considering how many nominations happened on a week-to-week basis.
I never really thought about how the changed season format would upend any familiar player's strategy going into the game, but that makes sense. I also think it's humorously ironic that while fans loved to watch this season, Chelsie and others were just about tired of it. CinemaBlend also spoke to Joseph Rodriguez about the twists and, while he generally liked them, he felt they dragged on a little long.
While Chelsie might not have loved re-shaping her whole game plan to win Big Brother 26, she might be the blueprint for how someone can survive a season with a twist similar to the A.I. Arena. Should it become a core part of the game moving forward, future Houseguests can look at her for the blueprint of always working to shape the game in a way that benefits you while still keeping a low profile. It was such a joy to watch her play that I'm about to binge this season by streaming it.
For those who missed Big Brother 26 or feel like me and just want to watch it all over again, it's available to stream right now with a Paramount+ subscription. Of course, there are plenty of other seasons to check out as well on the platform, and nothing better than spending a day watching one of the greatest game shows to hit TV screens.
