After another summer of expecting the unexpected, Big Brother 27 sure had a pleasantly unexpected ending. During the two-hour finale, Ashley Hollis was crowned the season 27 winner by a vote of 6-1 against runner-up Vince Panaro. Going into finale night, Ashley probably wasn't who most fans were expecting to win, simply based on the competition dominance of Morgan Pope.
However, Ashley managed to win the second part of the three-part Head of Household competition, ensuring that she would go head-to-head against Morgan in part 3 on finale night. Once again, Ashley didn't miss a mark and won the final HOH competition, paving the way for her to split up the dynamic duo and wow the jury with her excellent answers and final statement.
While Big Brother fans are likely still surprised that Ashley beat out Vince and Morgan for the big win, some might not have realized that her win was historic for the series. She accomplished an impressive first for a winner in the show's 27-season history, and it's a feat that's unlikely to ever be replicated in the future. So, what did Ashley do that others haven't before?
Ashley's win made Big Brother history
Even though she was up against two competition beasts, Ashley only won one Head of Household competition and it was the final HOH competition. That's a first for a Big Brother winner. No other BB winner has won only the final HOH competition. Honestly, that's a remarkable statistic and proves that Ashley was making stealth social moves in the game behind the scenes.
Some might say that because Ashley won only one Power of Veto competition — the season's first, which took her off the block as a week 1 target — and one HOH competition, she isn't deserving of the win because she didn't "work as hard." Compared to Vince and Morgan, who each won multiple of each competition this season, Ashley's game wasn't as based in competition wins.
But there's something to be said, as Ashley explained in her finale speech, about a houseguest that's able to stay safe without winning. Ashley knew she wasn't going to excel at competitions and applied her strengths elsewhere, specifically in a social game. Both kinds of games can lead to victory, and this time around, the winning game made a new kind of BB history.
Big Brother 27's jury wasn't as bitter as you think
Following Ashley's win in the Big Brother season 27 finale, there have been a portion of fans who believe that Rachel didn't stick to her word in making sure the jury wouldn't be bitter in its vote. Just because Vince didn't win, or just receive more than one vote, doesn't mean that the jury voted out of bitterness. More competition wins doesn't make a game more deserving.
Placed side by side, Vince played a much messier game than Ashley because he kept winning. But Vince had to win most of the time to remain safe. He was playing a defensive game to stay off the block and in the house. Meanwhile, Ashley was playing an offensive game. The two times she won competitions were the times she needed to win. And she did. It's not passive gameplay because it's not aggressive gameplay. Strategic "floating" can yield smarter results than making "big moves."
Whether a defensive game or an offensive game, both deserved to win. But Ashley clearly came to finale night prepared to plead her case, and Vince didn't answer the jury's questions in a manner that took ownership of his game and how he spurned a number of the jury members. That's not bitterness. Simply put, Ashley outplayed Vince when it mattered most.