Big Brother Season 26 is one of the best seasons of the show over the past decade, and we're in the final crucial weeks that will decide the winner. In a season where the veto was used a record-breaking number of times and blindsides became a common practice, one Houseguest has stood among all others to earn this win. Her name is Chelsie Baham, and she might be one of the greatest players of the show we've seen in years.
I said weeks ago that Chelsie was one of the power players emerging after Tucker Des Lauriers' eviction, but I was wrong. She's been dominating since the very start, and I didn't see the quiet emergence of one of the best Houseguests to play the game in a while.
Chelsie's Ability To Influence Nominations Is Incredible
She only has two HOH wins and a victory in the A.I. Arena on her resume, but it's fair to say she's influenced and orchestrated bigger moves even outside of her Week 8 HOH that ended in Quinn Martin's eviction. We constantly saw Chelsie angling for specific targets every week, and getting who she wanted out most of the time.
Few will be as impactful for her game than how she managed to convince Week 10 HOH Makensy Manbeck to put Leah Peters on the block after MJ's veto win. In doing so, she not only got her biggest target headed toward an almost assured eviction, but kneecapped MJ's chances of surviving eviction right before the double. If she wins this season, this will be the move many people look back on.
I also have to shout out her convincing T'Kor Clottey that nominating Tucker was a great idea. That shifted the entire power of the season to her direction when it easily could've been T'Kor, Tucker, Kimo Apaka, and Rubina Bernabe skating to the end. She still has a road to travel, but she's much closer to winning than she was several weeks ago.
She's Overcome A Lot Of Early Adversity To Become Season 26's Most Flexible Player
From the time she stepped into the house, Chelsie was dealing with problems. She was given a disadvantage that prevented her from participating in any challenges the opening week, and she couldn't vote in the eviction. Fortunately, the Season 26 Houseguests were gracious enough to not nominate her or Cedric Hodges out of fairness. I can say with certainty that would've made them a target in other seasons, so credit to the cast for the classy move.
Just when it seemed that Chelsie had things on track with The Collective, Quinn flipped on the alliance, ultimately sending Cedric Hodges and Brooklyn Rivera out the door. She weathered the storm and found her chance to turn the tables during T'Kor Clottey's HOH. Making T'Kor feel secure in putting Tucker on the block ultimately led to his eviction and allowed a full reset.
Chelsie has found a way to remain calm even when things didn't look good for her and twist the week around to work out the way she wanted. Some will say that she's had the advantage of Big Brother 26 being a season where there aren't really any other big strategists in the game, and I think that's a fair criticism.
That said, I would argue that she would do just as well in another season, and I think she'll get more flowers in the years to come, even if she doesn't end up winning this season. If there's one thing I've learned about watching Big Brother over the years, it's that no player can really compare because they all played according to the rules of their season. Honestly, I think even a few of the greats to play this game would've struggled to deal with the A.I. Arena.
She's Managed To Keep A Target Off Her Back Despite Her Power Moves
I think the most important thing Chelsie has done this season is minimize the target on her back as much as possible. Somehow, she's maintained loyal and trusting bonds with enough people in the house that they rely on her advice and consider her a trusted ally. It's a necessary trait to have if you want to win Big Brother, and she has it down to a science.
It's more complicated to do than readers might realize, especially if you're angling to make big moves. It's only a matter of time before other Houseguests begin to realize you're untouchable with a lot of others, and that's when they all begin to plot against you. For some reason, it seems like no one ever picked up on the fact that they were on good terms with Chelsie and never questioned why.
T'Kor had every reason to feel a little salty when she was sent out of the house under Chelsie's watch, as her secret ally's vote would've been integral in saving her. And yet, she didn't call her out for not sticking her neck out and she doesn't seem bitter about it even though no one would've blamed her for feeling that way. I'm not sure how Chelsie manages to do this, but she's damn good at it.
I don't know for sure if Chelsie Baham will win Big Brother 26, but I can say that if she does, she's put in the work to earn it. If nothing else, she's officially on my shortlist for Houseguests who should be invited back for a future all-stars season because it's been a real joy to watch her play thus far. I'll be rooting for her until the end of her run, especially since all my other picks to win BB26 are now out of the running.
Big Brother airs on CBS on Sundays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, but we're at the point in the season in which the times shift around thanks to new television shows and sports. As such, be sure to stick with CinemaBlend for all the updates on what's happening in the game as we count down the days to the big finale, where we'll see a new winner walk out of that house.
