Big Brother host Julie Chen Moonves has said she hopes Taylor Brown wins season 28, with the final three contestants preparing to compete for the $750,000 prize.
The CBS reality competition’s 56-year-old presenter will return for the season finale on Thursday October 1, when the winner of the series will be decided.
Speaking ahead of the broadcast, Chen Moonves said she wanted Brown to secure the final head of household competition before going on to win the show.
“I want to see Taylor win the last HOH, and I want to see her win the show. That’s my hope,” she told Entertainment Weekly.
Explaining her support for Brown, Chen Moonves pointed to the contestant’s awareness of the game and her performances in crucial competitions. She acknowledged criticism that Brown had not left her “pod”, but said: “Guess what? Every Diary Room session, she knew every beat of what was happening.”
“She’s smart. And she won competitions when she had to,” the host added, recalling that Brown won a veto while on the block and later began winning increasingly difficult competitions.
Chen Moonves said Brown’s potential victory would be an “ultimate ‘expect the unexpected’” result because she had not been viewed as the likely winner throughout the competition.
She also cited their shared Christian faith as another reason for backing Brown, referring to the contestant’s reaction after winning a vampire puzzle competition. Chen Moonves said Brown fell to her knees and thanked Jesus rather than taking sole credit for the victory, adding: “I think she has mercy and grace, and I like that about her.”
Brown won one of the final head of household competitions after completing the puzzle first in the episode broadcast on September 24.
The Big Brother season 28 finale airs on CBS at 8pm ET/PT on Thursday, when viewers will also find out who is named America’s Favorite Houseguest.
