New Delhi: The popular American reality show Big Brother’s finale was concluded on Thursday with contestant Jag Bains creating history by becoming the first Sikh American of Indian origin to win the show. Jag Bains, a 25-year-old entrepreneur from Washington and owner of a trucking company, is also the first Sikh American of Indian origin to participate on the show.
Jag defeated the other two finalists - Matt Klotz, a 27-year-old Deaflympics swimmer, and Bowie Jane Ball, a 46-year-old Australian DJ and barrister. After former contestants voted, Jag won over Matt by 5-2 votes.
"To be able to win this with integrity and loyalty the whole time is exactly what I wanted to do," Bains told host Julie Chen-Moonves after winning the 25th season of the show.
Bains took home a prize money of $750,000 whereas the runner-up, Matt, got $75,000.
During his final speech before the voting, he said, “I am the most dominant, masterful, strategic player in this house. I don’t only deserve to win, I have earned this victory. I am the first Sikh player on Big Brother, and not only that, you all need to make the right decision tonight so I can be crowned the first Sikh winner of Big Brother. It is the right thing to do and I have earned it every step of the way.”
Before going inside the Big Brother house, Jag made the announcement on Instagram of his participation and wrote, ““IT’S OFFICIAL!!! I am beyond thrilled that I will be stepping into the world of Big Brother 25 as a houseguest! Words cannot express the level of excitement I am feeling as I embark on this incredible journey in the Big Brother house this summer! From watching the show as a wide-eyed kid to now becoming a part of it, it feels like an absolute dream come true! As the first-ever Sikh on the show, I feel truly honored, humbled, and blessed. I’m deeply grateful for this opportunity to represent my community and share my story with the world. And of course, I couldn’t have reached this milestone without the unwavering support of my incredible family and friends. You’ve always believed in me, pushed me to chase my dreams, and shown me nothing but love. It wouldn’t feel right to start this journey without giving you all a massive shoutout first!”
“And a HUGE shoutout to CBS for making this all possible and opening doors for a small town kid like me– this is the opportunity of a lifetime. THANK YOU. So… mark your calendars and get ready to join me as I navigate alliances, competitions, and cold showers in the Big Brother house! Catch me, this Wednesday, August 2nd @ 8/7 Central on CBS for free. Let’s light up social media, rally our forces, and show the world what we’re made of! Cheers to a summer for the history books,” he added.