The milestone 20th season of Big Brother quickly garnered the praise of viewers as being one of the best seasons to ever air.
Now, imagine growing up watching the longtime series and hoping one day to compete in the game you loved.
For 23-year-old Tyler Crispen this dream became a reality. And not only did he play the game, he fought until the end and walked away a winner.
Sitting next to Kaycee Clark as the final two contestants of the season, he didn’t technically end up with the winning title and the $500,000 grand prize, but he was voted as “America’s Favorite Houseguest” and walked away $75,000 richer. And the experience was “the best summer of my life,” he tells The Hollywood Reporter the morning after finale night.
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Below, Tyler talks further about his journey in the game, why he thinks he came in second place, the future of his showmance with Angela Rummans and what it was like meeting the Big Brother legends he’s watched for so many years. Would he ever want to play against them?
Congrats on everything. You and Kaycee both played stellar games.
Dude, thank you. I really appreciate that.
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As a superfan of the game, if you were watching the finale from home would you have said that you should have won?
Oh man! I always say whoever won deserved it. It’s all about how you work the jury. Kaycee deserved it. She had the personal relationships better than I did. And I was a nervous wreck before those speeches. I couldn’t get across exactly how much I played.
Fair enough.
(Laughs.) You know what’s up!
Did you really upset that many people in the jury?
They couldn’t see how much I was doing behind the scenes. It was hard to get that across because we were such a solid alliance, and I don’t take any of that credit away from them.
Would you change the current format of the jury?
I don’t think I would. Yeah, there have been a lot of emotional votes the past few seasons, but that’s because the world is changing. People are changing. People are taking things to heart more. It now just adds another level of strategy that you have to throw into your game. I was always aware of that, but I feel like that was the hardest thing for me to try and get it across to the jury in the right way. You have no way of knowing what they’re thinking. I wouldn’t change anything.
Why do you think you won the “America’s Favorite Houseguest” prize?
That was the biggest shock of my entire life! It feels better than a win. There was a thing in my head that said, “America does not like you.” But I feel like they saw how passionate I was about the game and I just let everything out there. I didn’t think I could cry, but I cried a lot! I played the game to the best of my ability.
Who have you voted for to win “America’s Favorite” in the past?
I remember voting for Victor [Arroyo] for sure. In [season] 16 I voted for Zach Rance because he’s entertaining as hell. I like the entertainment that people bring. It didn’t cross my mind that somebody could get first or second and “America’s Favorite.”
It doesn’t happen, but because you played such a great game they must have said, “We have to give him more money.”
I cannot believe it!
Why do you think viewers voted for Brett and Haleigh as well?
Brett was the biggest character of the season and was in a power alliance. Haleigh was such a genuine sweetheart. Even though we were against each other in the game, I had nothing but love for her. I knew anything I would tell her she would tell her alliance. That’s why we didn’t get close.
How did you hide being a superfan of the show? You slipped up mentioning the Safety Servant from Big Brother: Over the Top. Alex Willett is “pissed” you didn’t win.
(Laughs!) Oh, I know! I put it in my brain that I watched a little bit of season 16 and a little of 19 and people believed it too because the long-haired surfer dude is probably a recruit! Obviously a recruit! Had no clue what was going on. It was the easiest thing ever to believe, and I just stuck to it. I made myself believe it, (laughs.)
You said that Ika Wong is the queen.
She is!
And Derrick Levasseur is the God. Who is Tyler Crispen?
Tyler Crispen is the random dude that showed up and somehow made it on Big Brother and got “America’s Favorite.” I’m nowhere close to them whatsoever. I never will be.
Which alumni that you met in the house this season were your favorites?
Meeting Josh [Martinez] was cool! There’s just something about Josh. He has such an energy. And meeting Derrick was like meeting a God. That was the hardest thing for me when they did that proposal not to freak out! I wanted to explode. They were all legends there.
What have you learned since the finale about the game that is the most surprising to you?
The JC vote with Kaitlyn and Rockstar! He was fifth in my head when thinking who could have done it. That was crazy. He was the most adamant about Kaitlyn leaving.
Was there anyone based on first impressions that you thought you were going to align with and are glad you didn’t?
Bayleigh. I truly like Bayleigh so much, and then in the first competition when she yelled at me for putting the dot in her [tube]. How am I supposed to work with you? You’re yelling at me in front of everybody! It really disappointed me too because Bayleigh’s beautiful, I loved her personality, but from that moment on I just knew she was not going to be somebody I could work with.
Are you going to her wedding with Swaggy C?
I don’t think I’ll be invited, but if I’m invited I’ll totally go. I know Swaggy is so mad at me. All he said to me [last night] was, “We’ll talk. We’ll talk.” I love those guys. I really do.
If you were on the other side of the house would they have done better?
They tried to get me in on it and I said, “Let me ask your leader real quick.” I asked Swaggy and he said, “Nah. That’s too big of an alliance.” And I said, “All right cool! I don’t want to be a part of it anyway, thanks.” They had no clue what was going on ever! If I joined them I wouldn’t have made it to jury. I picked the right team and we stuck to it.
Fessy getting out Scottie: how did that happen?
(Laughs!) That was awesome. That was JC’s doing! And that’s what we needed. I don’t get it! And then Fessy voted for Kaycee to win, he told me because she got him out. Whatever. It’s Fessy, man.
Which jury vote surprised you the most?
In my head I always thought either Fess or Scottie would vote for me. People say they were surprised by Sam’s, but I always calculated that Sam would vote for Kaycee over me.
