Nicole Anthony of Bohemia was the last person voted off Big Brother on the reality show’s season 21 finale Wednesday, but the lovable underdog’s third-place finish still earned her $25,000.
Anthony, a 24-year-old special education preschool aide who works at Leeway School in Sayville, was voted America’s Favorite Houseguest by the audience, thanks to her good nature. She took losing out on the $500,000 grand prize in stride.
“I’m not shocked,” Anthony told host Julie Chen Moonves. “I was not expecting anything, but it is in my nature to always be hopeful and always have faith, and if it was meant to happen it would, and obviously it didn’t, so it is OK.”
She was one of 16 house guests who were in the house when the season started in June. But on the last episode, Anthony found herself struggling in the final head of household competition.
In the second leg of the competition, contestants match various pictures of events that took place inside the house to the corresponding days they took place. Anthony stumbled toward the end of the challenge, mixing up the dates of two pictures twice before locking in the correct answer. A 14 minute and 38 second finish was not enough to defeat contestant Holly Allen.
The final leg of the competition saw first leg winner Jackson Michie face off against Allen, which saw the former win then proceed to evict Anthony, who finished in third place.
“It’s OK,” exclaimed Anthony, who seemed to be in high spirits despite having lost the half-million dollar prize moments ago. “It’s a game.”
