When it came to matches throughout the season Big brotheralmost no one held a candle for Makensy Manbeck. At the beginning of the season, she felt like she was in a bit of trouble after getting into a “showmance” with Matt Hardeman and becoming the target as a result. But thanks to her immense strength on the playing field, she kept herself safe time and time again. All told, she managed to win three Head of Household matches (including, importantly, the final one) and five Power of Vetos, and she redeemed herself three times with victories in the AI ​​Arena.

After narrowly winning the final Head of Household challenge against fellow finalist Chelsie Baham, Makensy had the choice of taking Chelsie to the final two for the judges’ vote or Cam Sullivan-Brown. With Chelsie having four HoH wins and an arena win, some fans might have expected Makensy to choose Cam, who only had one Power of Veto win to his name. However, she boldly announced that she was not afraid of competition and chose to face Chelsie, who ultimately won.

So was it a strategic mistake on her part to choose Chelsie over Cam? What did she think of those results? TV Insider spoke with Makensy to discuss the Big brother final.

(Be sure to check out our previous exit interviews with Matt Hardeman, Lisa Weintraub, Kenney Kelley, Cedric Hodges, Brooklyn Rivera, Tucker Des Lauriers, Joseph Rodriguez, Quinn Martin, T’kor Clottey, Leah Peters, Angela Murray, Kimo Apaka, Rubina Bernabe and Chelsie Baham!)

What does it mean to you to be competition queen this season?

Makensy Manbeck: Oh, the world. I came in Big brother I wanted to win, and maybe I didn’t win first place, but you know what? I’ve won a ton of comps, and… now I’m tied with Jag (Bains, season 25 winner) for the most comp wins of anyone. I mean, hey, talk about some form of female empowerment.

Speaking of which, given how good you were with the physical stuff, have you thought about moving on to some more physically oriented competition shows?

If I had the chance, I would definitely consider it. I enjoy that. I like competition. I like going against people. I like to beat people. So if that was an opportunity for me, I definitely think it would be hard to pass up.

So if you go to the final tonight, do you think you’ll ever regret taking Chelsie to the final?

No, I’ve been asked this question a million times. Before I made the decision I was asked if I would regret it if she won and my answer will be no, always because that was a testament to the game I was playing. I came to this house wanting to be a loyal, respectable player, to play with grace, to play with kindness and to play with my heart, because a lot of people come into this house. Big brotherand they don’t and that’s why they get booted. And the thing is, I didn’t: I made it all the way to the end and I could have made a decision that probably could have won me first place. But I wasn’t afraid of coming second, and I wasn’t afraid of tougher competition to possibly get first place, because it was a loyal decision and one I would look back on with pride. And yes, I came second, but her taking first place is a win for me. Either way, she’s an incredible woman. Very deserving. She played an incredible match.

However, was there anyone whose voice surprised you?

I would say, at least I thought I was going to get Leah. But I get it. I will say that Chelsie articulates her playing very, very well. I didn’t have much to say. My game was shown. My game spoke for itself. I had to win and it was a lot like Taylor (Hale’s) season. And so it has been shown, it has been seen before. It’s been done before. Nothing new for anyone. It was a lot less complex than Chelsie’s. And even though I love Chelsie, she definitely dragged me into those answers a little bit – and, you know, respect, that’s what you’re supposed to do, I guess, but it’s not in my nature to do that. I never want to do that to anyone. I wanted my game to speak for itself, and if people can’t realize how great a game I was playing back then, then so be it, because at least I do.

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So what are you looking forward to when you get home and watch the show?

I don’t know if I’ll look forward to it. Except watching me win, because I feel like a lot of people were talking about me wanting to go home. I’m sure I had the whole house against me for a while. I’m sure Chelsie even talked about me. Maybe. Don’t know. I am not aware that I am in the Big brother house. You’re probably being lied to, cheated and so on. So I’m looking forward to that? No, because I don’t want to be seen as a naive 22-year-old. But I can only take what is given to me. I’m going to accept it with all my heart and just trust and believe, and allow myself to just enjoy my process Big brother. And that’s exactly what I did and I’ll probably watch it again in a few weeks. I need a break. I definitely need a break. I’ll probably look back and say, ‘Damn good on them,’ and I’ll look back and say, ‘Damn, you really held your weight, Makensy. Well done.” And I will be proud of myself, and I will also praise other people’s games.

Who are you most looking forward to spending time with outdoors?

I’m definitely looking forward to seeing Leah again…. I know I took her out, but she was someone I was in touch with day one and night one, and she was an incredible person to me and we have a lot of similarities, funny enough. But she was a great friend to me, and I can’t wait to explore that friendship beyond this house.

What do you think the vote ultimately came down to?

Honestly, I think the vote came down to the complexity of the game and the ability to word it in a way that allowed the judges to understand why the moves they made and how they played were winning. And Chelsie is a great speaker. That’s what she does for a living. So I was afraid to choose her knowing that. But again, I can’t say much about winning, but I just hoped my play spoke for itself. That didn’t happen, and that’s okay, because what it did is put me in second place and make myself proud.

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