Makensy Manbeck had won Big brother. After coming out on top at the last Head of Household and placing herself in the final two, all Makensy had to do was pick Cam Sullivan-Brown to sit next to her and take her win (and the $750,000 that comes with it ) was complete. But that’s not what Makensy chose to do.

Instead, Makensy chose loyalty over money and chose Chelsie Baham to join the latter two. The move backfired when Chelsie won over the judges, winning by unanimous decision 7-0. Makensy was happy with her decision after the defeat, but would she make the same choice again? And what votes did she not get that surprised her? We asked Makensy all that and more when we spoke to the runner-up shortly after she emerged from the house and went deep into her emotional rollercoaster of an evening,

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: I know you’re processing a lot right now, so how are you feeling after the emotional juggernaut of the last few hours?

MAKENSY MANBEK: Honestly, I’m great. I’m ecstatic to make it all in 90 days Big brother house. That is an achievement in itself. To win how many competitions I have done as a woman is an achievement in itself. And to get second place Big brotherwhich not many people can say they have is an achievement. Of course I wanted to get first place, but I knew it would be a risk if I chose Chelsie, but I’m not ashamed of that. I played the game I said I was going to play when I came in, and that was one of respect and loyalty, and if that got me second place then so be it, because I’m proud of the decision that I took and I’m proud of who won.

It’s interesting because we as viewers see so much more than you see, so we know more than any of you, and so for us, when you make the decision to take Chelsie, on the one hand it seems crazy, while maybe it’s not crazy seems. to you because you do not have the same information.

Precisely.

So I guess the question I have is, if you could do it again, knowing what you know now and knowing that the object of the game is to win the game, would you still take Chelsie to the end or not?

I would really do it again because I still had hope in myself. I didn’t think I would lose 7 to 0, or at least as badly as I did. But I was confident in my own game. I was convinced I had played a great game. I survived a lot in that house and I proved myself every week. And if people in the jury didn’t see that and didn’t want to praise my playing, then so be it. They can praise her.

But what I know in my heart is that I’ve won for myself and I’ve proven a lot to myself, and hopefully I’ve proven a lot to America as well, and I can walk out with my head held high knowing that I have decisions taken that will make me happy inside, and will make me happy outside this house. If I can look back at this match knowing how I spoke to people, what moves I made and just everything in general, it will make me very proud. And hopefully it will make my family proud and show other people that they can be authentically themselves and still go far in this game.

Well, I think the person you want to make proud is Jankie, but that’s neither here nor there. Anyone in your position is going to do jury math to go into that, and I was talking to Chelsie a few minutes ago and she said at one point she thought you would have had the votes, 4 to 3. What did you think you Were the odds stacking against Chelsie before you met the jury?

Before I met the jury, I thought it would be a 4-3 vote, me or them. I didn’t know what those diverse people would be, but I did think it would be a very tight vote.

What were the votes that surprised you the most and that you thought you would get or had a good chance of getting?

I thought I had a good chance of getting Leah and Angela because they said they would. And I also thought I could have gotten Quinn and Rubina, but I didn’t. So be it. I don’t know why, but I can’t do it again.

Those are the exact same four that Chelsie said at one point she thought you would get.

Yes, look at us.

Do you think Chelsie would have taken you to the end if she had won the last Head of Household?

I want to say yes, based on the conversations we had. However, based on the questions and how she answered them, I don’t think so. I think she manipulated and used me, and if that’s true then so be it. Because at least I can say that I was a good person and that I was true to myself. And whether that makes me a naive 22 year old for thinking I had a really good friend and a really good ally in this game, so be it, because I still won that last HOH I had to win. I have to make the decision, and I have to make a decision for my game that reflects who I am.

To be clear, I asked her and she says she would have taken you to the end. Now, that’s easy for her to say now, but that’s what she says. She does say she would have taken you. but we will never know.

Well, thank goodness, because she said she would have, and I hope she would have. But yeah, I mean, who knows what would have ever happened anyway. We will never get that moment back. Cam definitely wouldn’t have taken me. I think Cam was lying to me the whole time, which is so funny. But that’s why I took him to the final three, because I knew I could beat him.

Yes, you would have beaten him. I don’t think there is any question.

Yes.

Makensy, did you feel it slipping away during the travel questions and about after Chelsie gave her final speech. Is that the moment you were able to figure out how it was going to go?

I did. When Chelsie was given the questions she asked, and answered them the way she did, they were able to really understand her playing. And it allowed her to show that she had very complex sides to her playing. And for me, I’m so proud of her, I’m so happy. But for me, it really made my game a one-sided game. It was winning. That was the game I had to play. I was pushed into a corner the first week. As soon as I started winning, I was seen as a threat.

So nothing I did in that house helped me improve socially, because everyone already had their own group, everyone had what they wanted, and all I had was myself. And that’s exactly why I kept winning. And constantly winning also creates equality bigger aimed at you as a threat. So I had to win more and more! So it was a great match, but for me it was a very one-sided match. And it’s been seen before. Taylor did a fantastic job with the same kind of survival game, and she won. But again, it’s seen, it’s done. And so be it.

Which of your 10 comp wins was your favorite?

Either AI Arena two, take out Tucker, the comp beast himself! He said, “Someone has defeated me!” and I did. And apparently he likes puzzles, but apparently I’m better at it. And voting him out was great and allowed me to move on and become the massive comp beast of the season, leading me to one of my favorite comp wins which was OTEV in one round. So crazy, so wonderful. And that’s what people get for giving me the boot the first week. I’m telling you, I won that match because no one wanted to play with me in the first HOH.

It’s not $750,000, but it is $75,000, so are there any plans for that money?

Maybe pay off my car note, save some money because I was going (censors himself with a beep) before I come over here to sort out all my expenses, and then buy me some coffee because it’s been a long, hot minute before I get some had some good coffee and I’m excited to buy lots of coffee for the next few days. And then the rest will probably be spent on my family.

I know it’s been a long time at this point, but you were in a showmance of sorts at the beginning of the season. I don’t know how much you and Matt got a chance to speak on stage, but any thoughts on that situation?

No, we didn’t talk much on stage or afterwards. I’ve been super busy, but hopefully a conversation will happen very soon. Matt is a great man and I would be very lucky to have a conversation with him. So stay informed about how that conversation goes and what it means.

Would you do it again? Would you play again if they asked you?

Would I play again? Absolutely, I would. I need a break. I need a little break, a little mental vacation, because being there is stressful. I’m 22 and I’ve gone gray! I’m now going to let everyone know that I have gray hair at 22! A difficult experience, but one I wouldn’t trade for the world, and one I would probably do again.

Sign up for Entertainment weekly‘s free daily newsletter for breaking news, exclusive first looks, recaps, reviews, interviews with your favorite stars and more.