The curtain has fallen on Season 26 of “Big Brother.”

This season showcased 16 contestants who entered the “Big Brother” house and broke new ground by voting for a 17th contestant to join them. Among the houseguests were a celebrity chef, a retired undercover cop, a former marine, and a crochet business owner, all competing under the season’s theme, “Big Brother Artificial Intelligence,” or “BB AI.”

After a 90-day competition filled with twists and turns, here’s a summary of the season finale, including the winner and the results of America’s Favorite Player vote.

Who emerged victorious in ‘Big Brother 26’?

Chelsie Baham triumphed over Makensy Manbeck with a unanimous vote of 7-0.

Who claimed America’s Favorite Player title on ‘Big Brother’?

Tucker Des Lauriers was awarded America’s Favorite Player for Season 26, making history as the first pre-juror to receive this honor.

What events unfolded during the ‘Big Brother’ Season 26 finale?

The finale kicked off with the last three houseguests: Chelsie Baham, Makensy Manbeck, and Cam Sullivan-Brown, who participated in the first segment of the Head of Household competition.

Makensy was the first to be eliminated after about 25 minutes, followed by Cam, who lost a little over 10 minutes later, allowing Chelsie to take the win in this first round.

Derrick Levasseur, the champion from Season 16, made a special appearance, leading into the subsequent round of the HOH competition between Makensy and Cam.

Makensy secured her spot in the final round by winning this part of the contest.

During her diary room session, Makensy expressed uncertainty about who she would choose to go to the final two if she won the last part. Chelsie shared similar hesitations during her own diary session, unsure whether her choice would be Makensy or Cam.

The jury roundtable was hosted by Season 24 winner Taylor Hale, who welcomed Rubina Bernabe to the jury and discussed the events of the past week.

The evicted contestants shared their thoughts on Makensy and her qualifications for winning, recognizing her numerous competition victories. On the contrary, Quinn Martin voiced his bewilderment regarding Makensy’s decision to evict Leah Peters.

During discussions about Chelsie’s strategy in the game, Angela Murray mentioned that her jury management could have been improved, while T’kor Clottey stated that Chelsie’s overall gameplay was more impressive than Makensy’s competitive record.

The jury members analyzed Cam’s performance, noting his strong social skills but lackluster results in competitions, which they felt tarnished his game record.

In part three of the final Head of Household challenge, Makensy and Chelsie battled it out, with both answering every question correctly until the last one, where Makensy triumphed with a score of 6-5, earning the final HOH title of the season.

Makensy chose to evict Cam, bringing Chelsie along to the final showdown.

As Cam exited the house, he spoke with Julie, admitting it would be a challenge for anyone to compete against Chelsie thanks to her solid gameplay. He also expressed frustration over his inability to win competitions, revealing he would have likely made it to the final two if he had performed better.

The jury then took to the stage, where they learned of Makensy’s eviction of Cam before directing their inquiries to both finalists.

During the Q&A, Chelsie maintained she hadn’t lied or deceived her fellow contestants, asserting she strategically knew when to hold back information. Conversely, Makensy claimed her most beneficial tactical move was eliminating Leah from the house.

Chelsie and Makensy delivered their final pleas to the jury before the vote took place.

The eliminated houseguests returned to reflect on the season. Joseph Rodriguez from Tampa shared that he almost missed the finale due to the impact of Hurricane Milton on his loved ones.

Tucker Des Lauriers extended an apology to Cedric Hodges for a disagreement that affected his decisions during the season and brought flowers for Rubina.

Julie questioned Makensy about her relationship status with Matt Hardeman, to which Makensy responded she was open to seeing where things lead.

Matt approached Angela to discuss their earlier conflict during the season, concluding that it ultimately resulted in positive outcomes. They shared a hug, during which Angela expressed that she wasn’t regretful about her feelings but was glad to reconnect with him.

The houseguests observed a segment in which Brooklyn Rivera and others enjoyed Angela’s charcuterie. Subsequently, she apologized to Angela for indulging in her meat and cheese and promised to prepare a charcuterie board for her in Utah.

Tucker disclosed to the other houseguests that he was behind the fabricated AI messages. He expressed regret for unintentionally upsetting Rubina with one of the messages that revealed their romantic connection.

Julie then informed the jury, along with Chelsie and Makensy, about President Joe Biden stepping down from the election and Vice President Kamala Harris taking over as the Democratic nominee.

Julie proceeded to tally the votes, announcing Chelsie as the winner. The first four votes all favored Chelsie, securing her victory. Ultimately, all seven votes were for Chelsie.

The host also recognized the top three contenders for America’s Favorite Player, which included Tucker Des Lauriers, Quinn Martin, and Angela Murray, with Tucker winning the title.

The show concluded with everyone singing the theme song for Jankie World.

Who won part 1 of the final Head of Household competition on ‘Big Brother’?

Chelsie Baham emerged victorious in the first part of the final HOH competition.

Who won part 2 of the final Head of Household competition on ‘Big Brother’?

Makensy Manbeck won the second part of the final HOH challenge.

Who won part 3 of the final Head of Household competition on ‘Big Brother’?

In a close contest, Makensy Manbeck claimed victory in part three with a score of 6-5 against Chelsie Baham, securing the last HOH title of the season and a chance to select her companion for the final two – either Chelsie or Cam Sullivan-Brown.

Who made the final two on ‘Big Brother 26’?

Makensy Manbeck chose to evict Cam Sullivan-Brown, advancing Chelsie Baham to the final two alongside her.