Taylor Brown's Finale Upset Leaves Drew Campbell Powerless

After beating Drew and Devens in Part 1 of the final HOH, Taylor Brown faces Devens live while Drew Campbell sits unable to control his own fate.

The finale-night reversal came in Part 1 of the final Head of Household competition, an endurance challenge on a rolling log under fake rain. USA Today reports Drew was the first to slip off, setting up a showdown between Rick Devens and Taylor Brown, and that after prolonged screaming and cursing, the "Survivor" player ultimately fell — handing Taylor the win. In her confessional, Taylor said, "Shoutout to the field. Drew and Devins definitely underestimated me. I showed them." Gold Derby's account frames it as an even bigger surprise, noting Devens had promised Drew he would drop so Drew could win — yet Drew, self-anointed "mayor of Choke City," fell anyway, and Devens went on to fall at the 50-minute mark, giving Taylor an automatic spot in Part 3.

Part 2, set in the time of William Shakespeare per Gold Derby, required Rick Devens and Drew Campbell to shoot down cardboard cutouts of evicted houseguests with a slingshot, assembling casts of players based on playbill clues. Gold Derby reports Devens suffered back pain from the first competition and struggled to hit targets, yet still won a four-round tiebreaker sequence — non-Veto winners, non-Zingbot targets, non-replacement nominees, and finally only former HOHs — eliminating Drew and securing his own place in the final two. USA Today confirms Devens advanced to the final stage of the game, meaning Devens and Taylor will meet live in Part 3.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel emphasizes how precarious Drew Campbell's position is heading into the live episode: either Rick or Taylor can guarantee a final-two seat by winning Part 3, and "only Drew does not control his fate" after losing both Parts 1 and 2. That is a striking reversal for a finalist in a season the paper describes as historic — 87 days in a time-trip-themed house, a celebration of the franchise's 1,000th episode, and seventeen houseguests including three reality TV icons competing for $750,000. A player who expected an alliance carry from Devens, according to Gold Derby's reporting on the Part 1 promise, now needs his rivals to choose him.

A second upset shaped this finale before it even aired. USA Today reports that Dee Valladares, 29, was evicted at the final four on September 24 with Drew Campbell casting the sole vote, ending a run that included two Head of Household wins and two survived appearances on the block. According to USA Today, her elimination means she falls short of becoming the first person to win both "Big Brother" and "Survivor," having previously won Season 45 of the CBS competition in 2023. syracuse.com notes Dee and Melody Morris were the most recent houseguests sent to the jury house.

Per syracuse.com, the winner takes $750,000, the runner-up earns $75,000, and the fan-voted America's Favorite Houseguest award is worth $50,000, all announced during the live broadcast. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel lists the six-person jury — LaTrice Verrett, Angela Murray, Barrett Pfeiffer, Yash Patel, Melody Morris and Dee Valladares — with one more juror added after the final eviction.

Gold Derby notes host Julie Chen Moonves brings back the early outs and announces the audience vote for America's Favorite Houseguest, and the Bergen Record reports former winner Chelsie Baham hosts the season's jury roundtable and that Rome Seymour and Lyric Medeiros were teased to make an announcement. Fans who missed the episode can stream it: USA Today reports Paramount+ Premium subscribers get the live stream while Essential subscribers get it the next day, October 2, and the winner's first interview was scheduled for CBS Mornings Friday at 7 a.m. ET, according to the Bergen Record.