Jag Bains on Winning ‘Big Brother’ and BB26 Gameplay

INTERVIEW

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INTERVIEW ✦

The Big Brother house consists of complex social alliances, cutthroat strategic moves, and high-risk competitions all leading to a hefty paycheck for the final houseguest standing. Which, in Big Brother 25, was Jag Bains, who won an impressive 10 competitions and even faced his own eviction before efficiently utilizing a second chance to reach the coveted endgame goal.

Within the context of the game, Jag’s victory was a testament to his competitive and social prowess, earning him the title through sheer determination and skill. Though, on a larger scale, he also made history as the first Sikh-Punjabi contestant to win the show—marking a significant milestone for crucial representation in the Big Brother world and reality television as a whole. So, considering that Jag’s inspiring story is also one of perseverance and detailed strategy, it’s fair to say that his overarching Big Brother 25 journey proves he’s a worthy winner.

Here’s what the modern-era Big Brother competitor had to say about the idea of a potential winner’s season, the current BB26 cast, and more.

Jag Bains | Photography: Hillary Kim

Firstly, congratulations on your historic win, Jag! How does it feel to be the first Sikh-American winner of Big Brother?

Jag: Thank you so much! Honestly, I feel incredibly grateful for the entire experience and the opportunity to represent my community on such a big platform like Big Brother. Being the first Sikh-American on Big Brother is a huge honor and to emerge victorious tops it all off. There’s definitely a weight that comes with being the first, and I wanted to embrace it and show my community in the best light possible. I take pride not only in my win but also in how I played the game. My identity as a Sikh-American was a key part of my journey—it influenced my values of loyalty and integrity. This played a key role in how I navigated the game—loyalty was a big part of my strategy, which is why I chose to stay loyal to Matt until the very end of the game, even though there was arguably an easier path to victory.

Growing up, I would have loved to see someone who looked like me on TV, and to be that person now is truly amazing. It’s incredibly humbling to know that I might be a role model for others, inspiring kids who see themselves in me to believe they can achieve anything they put their minds to. As a huge fan of the show, just being in the Big Brother house was a dream come true. I never thought it would be possible, and this experience has shown me—and hopefully others—that anything is possible.

You had quite a journey in the house, including being evicted and then coming back—which usually makes someone a bigger target. What was the biggest change you made to your game with that second chance?

Jag: After being evicted, it was definitely a moment of reflection for me. I realized I needed to re-evaluate my alliances and strategy. Up to that point, I was playing a loyal game, which was very intentional. As the first Sikh contestant, I felt a lot of pressure to represent my community positively, and loyalty was a core value my family and I discussed before I went into the game. I knew there could be real-world consequences to my actions—people have committed acts of hate against the Sikh community over misunderstandings or negative portrayals, so I wanted to avoid reinforcing any negative stereotypes.

However, after my eviction and the revelations about the alliances in the house, I decided to change my approach. While I chose to remain loyal to Matt, with everyone else, it was time to play a different kind of game—a game where I could use the same strategies they had been using against me. It gave me the freedom to form new alliances, make bold moves, and play to my full potential. This shift allowed me to build relationships across the house, keep people comfortable, and take out threats to my game. It was no longer just about staying loyal; it was about finding the right balance between loyalty and strategy, which ultimately pushed me further.

You won a record number of competitions, placing you among Big Brother legends like Janelle, Rachel, and Michael. When you entered the house, did you already have that competitive mindset, or did it develop over time?

Jag: I've always been a competitor. Even before stepping into the house, I felt confident about my capacity to excel in competitions. Watching the show as a fan, I knew I had the potential to outplay others physically, mentally, and strategically, and I wanted to come in as someone people might underestimate—being social, goofy, and maybe a little airheaded. But behind the scenes, I knew I was observant, smart, and ready to outthink my opponents. For me, competitions came down to more than just mental or physical abilities. I found myself constantly strategizing on how to optimize my chances at winning every competition. I’m naturally a perfectionist, and focusing so heavily on optimizing my strategy for each competition gave me a unique edge over others in the house. 

With every win, I knew the target on my back was growing, and it eventually reached a point where there was no turning back. At that point, my goal was to control my fate, make bold moves, and protect my allies. Winning became a way for me to dictate the game and gave me even more influence over how the game would unfold. When I didn’t win, I would rely on my social prowess and relationships with my allies to have them target people that were threats to my game, and when I did win, I’d do it myself. Eventually, I got to the point where I thought, ‘If I'm already being seen as a threat, why not just go all in?’ It was a bold move, but I wanted to draw a clear line between myself and my targets and compete at my highest level—I'm a competitor at heart, and I embraced that fully.

Jag Bains | Photography: Hillary Kim

What was the most challenging part of your Big Brother experience, and how did you overcome it?

Jag: The biggest challenge was representing my community and navigating the moral complexities of the game. Big Brother is a game of manipulation, deceit, and power, whereas the values I wanted to represent—loyalty, integrity, and positivity—often clashed with the demands of the game. I felt a lot of pressure to uphold these values, knowing my actions might reflect on the Sikh community. And doing that without being able to talk to my family or loved ones for guidance made it that much harder. But I tried to stay true to who I am and what I wanted to represent, making decisions that I could look back on with pride. 

Even on the 100th day in the house, I won the final HOH and had to make a $750k decision– I knew if I took Bowie Jane, I would likely win unanimously and that was the “smarter” and easier path to victory. However, it was also disloyal to Matt, who I had a final two alliance with. On the other hand, I could choose to take Matt with me to the final two, who I knew I’d have a more difficult time beating when making our cases to the jury. I knew I had played a strong game, but he was my kryptonite. He had saved me from being evicted, and I understood there was a very real possibility that he could beat me in those final two chairs. $750k and the title of the winner of Big Brother 25 was at stake, and this was a life-changing decision, but I didn’t want it to be a character-changing decision. I told myself I’d rather lose to Matt than win against Bowie Jane. I made the decision I could look back at and hold my head up high, so I took Matt to the final two. The rest is history.

Looking back at your season, who do you think was the most underrated player?

Jag: I'd say Blue. She was a fierce competitor and had strong social relationships with almost everyone in the house. In fact, the reason she didn’t last more days in the Big Brother house was because I respected her game too much to let her stay. I recognized that she was a strong player and would be tough to beat in the end. She blew me away with how well she consistently did in competitions, and she was very well connected with people on all sides of the house. This put her in a strong position in the game. That coupled with how I knew she was a bold and cutthroat player made her a priority on my target list because I knew she had to be evicted before we got too close to the endgame. 

I’d also say myself. Even up until the final three, both Bowie and Matt underestimated me. Bowie believed she had a better chance of winning if she sat next to me in the final two, and Matt felt he could beat me as well. This was very intentional on my behalf, I wanted to ensure there was no room for error in the endgame– regardless of if Matt, Bowie, or I won the final HOH, I knew I would be sitting in the final two seats. They didn't realize how intentional I was in my every game move leading up to the final two.

I downplayed my accomplishments and highlighted theirs, I influenced their decision-making but made it seem like a group effort, I offered solutions uniquely advantageous to my game while my allies felt in control. I used my strong relationships to control the game even when I wasn’t in a position of power, convincing people to evict their allies and further my game. I successfully convinced Bowie to target Cam during her HOH (even though Cam was loyal to Bowie) and did the same with Matt when he placed Cirie on the block (even though Cirie was loyal to Matt). I paired this with my ability to win competitions, but I never mentioned any of this to anyone in the house. I only owned up to my game when it mattered most: when I stood in front of that jury. 

In regards to Big Brother 26, who do you think is playing the best long-term game?

Jag: Chelsie. She's built solid relationships with people across the house, positioning herself as a social strategist who can influence others to make moves that ultimately benefit her. If she can navigate to the final two, I think she has the strongest shot at winning. She’s also shown that she’s able to win competitions, and when she doesn’t, she has a lot of influence over Makensy, arguably the strongest competitor in the house right now. If everyone else doesn’t realize how strong Chelsie’s game is, they’ll be in for a shocking finale night when she owns up to her game and rightfully earns the victory for this season. 

With everyone left in the house, who do you currently anticipate ending up in the final two or three, and why?

Jag: I fully expect Chelsie to make it to the final two, unless the other houseguests realize how much of a threat she truly is. In my eyes, she has the best chances of making it to the final two and also winning the game. Currently, Chelsie seems to be controlling the moves in the game, even when she’s not in power, and actively targeting people who are threats to her game. This alone places her in a uniquely advantageous position that could lead her to not only the final two, but to victory as well. I wouldn’t be surprised to see MJ in the final two or three as well given her competitive streak and ability to win when it matters.

Cam could very easily find himself in the mix too, whether that’s through securing a win in the late stages of the game or through being kept in the game simply because people may perceive him as someone who may be easy to beat in the final two. Between Kimo and Rubina, I think it’s more likely that Rubina finds herself at the end. She’s managed her threat level fairly well and could again be seen as someone that will be less of a competitive or jury threat near the end. 

Jag Bains | Photography: Hillary Kim

Who would you have targeted or perceived as a threat this season if you were playing?

Jag: My disclaimer here is that someone who’s a threat to my game may be an asset to another person’s game OR someone may be an asset to my game today, but evolve into a threat later, so there’s no clear-cut answer. It depends on a series of factors that I actively considered during my time in the house: who I’m aligned with, how loyal they are to me, how beneficial they are to advancing my game, how much influence I have over their decision-making, how likely they are to win a competition, and how dangerous I think they’d be in front of the jury.

Of course, I’m not in the house and can’t accurately assess these factors, so setting aside that huge disclaimer, the players that jump out at me as threats are Tucker, Quinn, and Chelsie. Tucker is a comp beast and also plays a very bold game, which can be unpredictable and chaotic for people in the house (including alliance members). As the superfan he is, Quinn is always scheming which makes it hard to have him as a loyal alliance member, and he also has a strong strategic outlook where he wants to target big threats rather than float by. Chelsie has a strong social game and has shown her influence over others, which makes her a threat in the house as well. There’s something to be said about Leah’s charm over other houseguests as well, but those three are the ones that initially jump out at me. 

There’s been talk of another All-Star or an all-winners season—would you consider playing again? And if so, who would be in your dream alliance?

Jag: 100%. I'd love to go back in the house—as a fan of the show, it’s a dream to be in the house and to play the game I loved watching growing up. Also, that’s another opportunity to not only represent my community, but to fine tune my social, strategic, and competitive skills and see if I still got it (I do). I love everything about Big Brother from the social strategy, the competitions, the rush of making critical decisions under pressure, and not to be too sappy, but all the friendships I build with people in the house! 

Look, as for my dream alliance, it’s hard to say right now because you never know how things shake out in the Big Brother house. Sometimes the house is split in half and it’s survival of the fittest, as we saw in Big Brother 25. So I’d see who’s cast onto the season and base my alliances on who I think would be a loyal and strong team member to work with throughout the season. 

Lastly, outside of the obvious prize money, what's something you're grateful to have gained from Big Brother?

Jag: One of the most incredible parts of this experience has been representing my community. I've received videos from parents filming their kids watching me on TV—seeing young Sikh children jump up and down, cry tears of joy, or feel inspired just because they saw someone who looks like them on screen. For me, that’s what it was all about. It goes beyond money; it's about being the role model on the tv screen I would have loved to see growing up. To know that I am making a positive impact within my community and sharing my culture with people outside my community is such a blessing. It's truly humbling and a feeling I could never replicate.