Nothing matters more in Big Brother than making it to Finale Night.
An entire summer of backdoors, blindsides, and betrayals is all part of the game. However, they mean nothing if you’re not sitting in the Final 2 chairs.
The long game is facing the jury vote. Winning Big Brother is the ultimate goal.
That’s easier said than done. Winning the jury vote is a tough battle, and the houseguest’s fate is in the hands of 7-9 jury members.
They can vote however they like. Sometimes it’s a slam dunk, other times a complete surprise. No matter how much you can plan, the jury members can surprise us.
The list below captures those types of outcomes!
Below, we’ve picked seven Big Brother finales where the outcome surprised us when Julie Chen Moonves read out the votes. Whether it was a complete flip by one jury member or the whole group pivoting from what we expected.
These finales below kept us on our toes. Let’s take a look!
1. Will Beats Nicole (Big Brother Season 2)
The first jury vote in Big Brother history flipped every expectation.
Now, in hindsight, a “Dr. Will” victory makes sense. He’s one of the best Big Brother winners in franchise history, thanks to his strategic gameplay and manipulations.
However, during Big Brother Season 2, that outcome seemed impossible.
Will, a founding member of the Chilltown alliance with Mike “Boogie” and Shannon, rubbed the entire house the wrong way. The houseguests hated the group; they found them annoying and targeted them weekly.
And in the previous world of seeing the diary rooms, the jury members all knew how he played a villainous game.
Nine jury members voted during this finale. At most, Will had Shannon’s and Boogie’s votes locked up.
By extension, he could’ve gotten Boogie’s showmance Krista’s vote and potentially first evictee Sheryl’s vote. Still, he would’ve lost 5-4.
No one expected how much the rest of the jury hated Nicole’s game.
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In theory, Nicole should’ve had the winning vote. Her close alliance with Hardy led most of the season, pulling in many other houseguests into a majority group.
Unfortunately, her betrayals soured their opinions of her, especially when her diary room entries backed them up. Meanwhile, the jury members valued Will “owning” his evil side.
It’s a surprising outcome that, in hindsight, benefits Big Brother’s strategy. Somehow, voting for the mastermind villain of the season seemed more appealing; that rarely happens in seasons nowadays.
2. Lisa Beats Danielle (Big Brother Season 3)
When discussing early Big Brother, the Big Brother Season 3 finale is one everyone talks about. This final vote changed the franchise for the better.
In the future, all jury members would be sequestered. No one could watch episodes; everything would be kept secret and wouldn’t affect the game.
Unfortunately, the Lisa vs. Danielle vote didn’t avoid this change.
This outcome became the catalyst for sequestering jury members. Some have argued it stole the win from Danielle; in reality, it’s more complex.
Danielle lost the game in a 9-1 vote against Lisa. However, no one expected how angry the jury members were at Danielle.
Her diary room sessions were raw, cutting, and direct. She laid her thoughts bare; she spoke her mind and called everyone out. Unfortunately, the jury members didn’t like that.
They felt personally victimized by Danielle and didn’t want to reward her for her “behavior.” This negative sentiment didn’t prepare us for Finale Night.
You could argue Danielle wasn’t winning Big Brother Season 3 either way.
She had Jason’s vote locked in. She could’ve had Marcellas’ and Amy’s votes, but the Power of Veto (POV) betrayal threw it up in the air (Chances are it wouldn’t happen).
And she had Gerry and Chiara’s respect.
Was it a guarantee? Probably not, but the uncertainty is enough for a debate.
On the other hand, Lisa had Lori, Tonya, Eric, Josh, and Roddy set. All of them would’ve voted for her to win, regardless.
Most likely, Roddy would’ve convinced his showmance, Chiara, to vote for Lisa. And Gerry liked Lisa as well.
The consensus was that Lisa was a popular and well-liked player; someone who utilized their social and competitive game. The jury members worked closely with her, and for the most part, they weren’t burned by her.
The true outcome is more obvious than people realized.
However, the jury members’ surprising attitudes are what made this outcome the most-talked-about one to this day.
3. Jordan Beats Natalie (Big Brother Season 11)
Shifting gears to Big Brother Season 11, this Finale Night throws everything for a loop. Specifically, the votes weren’t there for Jordan to win.
At most, she had Jeff’s and Michele’s votes. He was her BFF (now husband), and Michele was her closest ally.
Plus, with Chima’s expulsion, her jury vote became an America’s Vote. Jordan was way more popular than Natalie or third-place finisher Kevin; she would’ve received that vote either way.
On the other hand, Natalie worked very closely with Jessie, Lydia, and Kevin.
Russell’s vote, however, was up in the air going in. He valued strong gameplay and had argued with Jeff/Jordan. Chances are he would vote for Natalie to choose the better game.
The 5-2 outcome is a victory that no one saw coming. How did Jordan secure the unpredictable votes?
In a word: Natalie.
Similar to Big Brother Season 2, the jury soured on Natalie’s gameplay. The jury segments hinted at the growing resentment, but it never seemed enough to flip Jessie’s and Lydia’s votes.
But in the end, they gave Jordan the win.
She is one of the rare instances where a strong social game and being a well-liked houseguest won her the vote.
Granted, some votes stemmed from an “I’m not voting Natalie” mindset. However, jury members still have to feel good about giving their vote.
Jordan benefited from a surprising win.
4. Ian Beats Dan (Big Brother Season 14)
Ian’s win/Dan’s loss on Big Brother Season 14 is much simpler in the grander Big Brother universe.
Sometimes, a Big Brother jury doesn’t want to vote for a returning houseguest. Add the fact that he is a Big Brother winner, and the negative sentiment was already high.
Still, no one could’ve predicted how much resentment the jury had against Dan.
Losing in a 6-1 vote seemed like the outcome was set before the finale. The jury wanted Ian to win, but more so, they wanted Dan to lose.
So, when Ian won the final Head of Household (HOH) and brought Dan to the finals, it seemed like a terrible move. Dan had the strongest game of Big Brother Season 14; however, Ian came back with the surprising victory.
5. Josh Beats Paul (Big Brother Season 19)
A “bitter jury” is a negative connotation when, in actuality, it’s just a reflection of poor jury management.
Returning Big Brother houseguest Paul is a prime example of poor jury management. He’s lost twice in the finals, but his performance on Big Brother Season 19 is the true standout.
Going into the finals, Paul controlled the season. He built factions, manipulated his alliances, and fostered a house of negativity.
The jury was filled with his allies, so it seemed like a victory was all but ensured. But what went wrong?
In essence, Paul’s lies and schemes caught up with him.
The jury segments teased a growing resentment against Paul, fueled by Cody, Elena, and Mark. But from the outset, it seemed Paul had Matt, Jason, Raven, Alex, Kevin, and Christmas.
Big Brother Season 19 would’ve ended in a 6-3, in Paul’s favor.
However, no one could’ve predicted Josh’s 5-4 victory. Poor jury management won out, making this a surprising night for all Big Brother fans.
You just had to be there! This was a finale in Big Brother history.
6. Taylor Beats Monte (Big Brother Season 24).
Taylor’s well-deserved win on Big Brother Season 24 completes a turbulent season, one where she spent the early portion being targeted by a negative bullying campaign.
Reaching the finale was already a huge win in her book. Securing the jury vote? That seemed tougher in the grander scheme.
She had Joseph, Brittany, and Michael locked in, but she needed two more for a majority. With most of the jury having earlier negative opinions of her, Monte’s win seemed guaranteed.
The Big Brother Season 24 Finale Night, however, flipped the vote, giving her a win that valued perseverance, resourcefulness, and resiliency. An outcome viewers collectively manifested, one that surprised us all when it came true.
Having Taylor’s former enemies vote for her to win the game is a reality no one could’ve guessed at the start of that summer.
7. Ashley Beats Vince (Big Brother Season 27)
The Big Brother Season 27 Finale Night seemed like an impossible feat for Ashley.
Going in against a strong duo was going to be a tough fight; they would take each other, or cut one another to secure the win. Plus, Ashley’s resume didn’t stack as high against Morgan or Vince.
If Morgan made it to the Final 2, she’d win regardless. Vince, on the other hand, managed the jury poorly along the way.
So, Ashley not only won the final HOH but also secured a near-unanimous jury vote (6-1), catching everyone by surprise.
Her win looked to be an uphill battle. She played a strong strategic game, but the consensus was that the duo were leading the jury vote.
This vote pleasantly flipped all expectations and guesses, reminding everyone of the importance of good jury management.
Let’s keep the conversation going — it’s the only way the good stuff survives.
Which Big Brother finale was the most surprising for you?
Do you agree with the list above? Which finale should’ve made the list?
Share your thoughts in the comments below, and invite another Big Brother fan to join the conversation.
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