‘Big Brother’ Makes History With Show’s First-Ever Black Winner

Martin Holmes
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It’s taken 23 seasons, but finally, CBS reality show Big Brother has crowned its first-ever Black winner.

The final came down to a battle between Wisconsin attorney Xavier Prather and Pennsylvania safety officer Derek Frazier, with host Julie Chen-Moonves reading out the votes to determine which man was about to make history and become $750,000 richer.

“Congratulations, Xavier. You are the winner of Big Brother,” said Chen-Moonves as she pulled out the deciding key. It was later revealed that Prather had received all nine votes from the jury, completely shutting out his opponent.

Prather and Frazier worked together throughout the season in a six-person alliance named The Cookout, along with Azah Awasum, Kyland Young, Hannah Chaddha, and Tiffany Mitchell. The alliance’s goal was to ensure a Black winner — an accomplishment that had only happened in a celebrity edition of the show (Tamar Braxton won season 2 of Celebrity Big Brother in 2019) but never in the regular version.

The Cookout operated in secret, each member pairing up with someone outside of the alliance. This pairing strategy kept them safe, as it meant there was never a situation where two members were nominated against the other. By always having enough numbers to protect their teammates at the eviction votes, The Cookout made it to the final six intact, becoming one of the most dominant alliances ever.

“I wouldn’t have been here without all the members of The Cookout, and every single member of the jury, and those members not in the jury who were part of the season,” Prather told Chen-Moonves as he soaked in his victory. “I’m so blessed to have met every one of you. We all made history this season, so I think we should all be proud.”

Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Prather discussed the importance of his win and what it means to those watching at home. “Being the first Black winner in BBUS history is an honor. And it’s something that the individuals of the Cookout came together to make happen because we felt it was something bigger than this game. Representation is important,” he said.

“And now we want little Black boys and little Black girls to see: Hey, there are ways to be successful. There are ways to make an impact without being an amazing entertainer or being a professional athlete. You can still be successful in other ways. We wanted to show that with this season, and we accomplished that.”

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Prather’s alliance-mate, Mitchell, also had reason to celebrate as she was crowned America’s Favorite Houseguest, taking home $50,000 (increased from the usual $25,000 given out in past seasons). “Thank you, America!” Mitchell said. “Hey, America! I love you guys. Thank you for giving me something!”

Check out some of the reaction to Prather’s win below.

Big Brother 23, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, 8/7c, CBS

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