The vote was narrow, but one more vote than your opponent is all it takes and the half-million dollars is your on Big Brother. This was not only a big win for Nicole but also for the series as she became the first woman to defeat a male opponent in the F2. So how did Nicole win Big Brother? We asked her that very question.
Big Brother Network (BBN): You asked at the end of the finale “How did I win??” How do you think you won?
Nicole Franzel: I don’t know what put my game a little over the edge against Paul besides, um. I just played super strategic this season. It was a bit secretive and sneaky and I think people kind of caught on to that.
I mean I only sat on the Block once and it was the very last week when I kinda had to. So to be a target on Day 1 and be called out the most in the entire house and avoid the Block like that and come out and win when I needed to. I think people appreciated that. I’m happy that they saw my game moves. I think I definitely aligned with the right people at the right time.
I think Paul played a great game. It feels great to beat someone I that I consider to be so great.
BBN: Which Jury vote surprised you the most?
Nicole: I was very surprised by Da’Vonne’s vote and that it was last. I thought Paul had Day’s vote for sure. That was the one that seemed to matter the most and I can’t believe that I saw my name on that key. I was literally in shock.
BBN: If Paul had evicted you after Round 3 and taken James then how would you have voted?
Nicole: Oh I would have voted for Paul. Paul played a great game. There’s no denying that. There’s no bitterness. There’s nothing worse than a bitter Jury and so I would never vote bitter out of those two.
Paul would never have to elaborate his game to me. I know what he did. He worked hard. I saw who cared, who didn’t, and who was working hard. You want to see someone win who worked hard. My vote would have easily gone to Paul.
BBN: You promised Paul you’d take him to F2 then we heard you whisper your plans to evict Paul and take James. Did Paul’s threat to lose his vote if you blindsided him change your plans?
Nicole: No, my guilt and feelings changed my plans. I was in the DR crying and talking myself in and out of things a lot of times. I think that him and I had such a great bond changed my mind. [Paul] deserves to be taken [to F2]. I hadn’t made an emotional decision all season and I knew strategically it’d be better to sit next to James so that’s why I was fighting.
I thought if I know I can beat James then I should take him. That’s a $500,000 mistake, but my heart wants to take Paul. I hadn’t listened to my heart the entire game playing nothing but strategically this whole time. Without Corey I started to play emotional.
I realized I could live with myself better if I took Paul. If I lost to Paul that’s fine. He played a great game. That’s what it came down to.
BBN: You said you stayed in bed to avoid relationships and possible backstabs like you experienced in your last season. Were you ever worried that would hurt your chances, though clearly it didn’t in the end.
Nicole: No. I read an article before I went in the house that people vote for who they like regardless of game play. But I definitely don’t think it hurt my game play because the fact that Corey had such a great social game is why he got voted out over me. The fact that no one wanted to sit next to Corey in F2 is what saved my game. Also that Paul was afraid the Jury liked James so much that Paul wanted to take me. That saved my game.
The fact that I didn’t have a great social game was something I used to my advantage. It was in people’s minds that I couldn’t get Michelle’s vote and it’d be hard for me to get votes. I would hammer that in to people’s minds all the time. It was the theme of my season and I just kept rolling with it figuring if I could at least get a shot to speak and show how strategic I had been, but if you don’t get to speak then you don’t even have a chance.
BBN: Final 2 decisions. If you were in F3 with James and Corey, won R3, and knew for a fact you would lose to Corey in F2 would you still have taken him?
Nicole: Yes. I would have taken Corey no matter what. That’s what I told Paul, if you were Corey then I’d gladly take you to F2 but I just feel like you’re going to beat me but my heart wants me to take you. I was straight up with Paul.
But yes, I would have taken Corey. The fact that him and I worked so hard I would have never have cut Corey. I don’t care if I would have known that I would have gotten second place, [cutting Corey] is not something I would have done.
BBN: One of your tips to the future Big Brother Over The Top HGs was “try not to fall in love.” Did you fall in love with Corey?
Nicole: That was just kind of a joke. I don’t think I’ve ever fallen in love in the Big Brother house. I just somehow end up in showmances every single time.
BBN: Are you still going to pursue a relationship with Corey after the season?
Nicole: I don’t know. I haven’t had a chance to talk to him much. I know we’re hanging out later. I haven’t even gotten my phone and everyone is already ‘Did you hear this? Did you see this?’ and I’m like no I haven’t even been able to speak to anyone yet! So I don’t know where him and I stand, but I think we’ll definitely be best friends for life. Our bond was instant. No one has had my back in that house like he had my back.
BBN: There were times when you would talk to Corey and give contradictory statements then you told Corey you were “giving DR footage.” This made it difficult for us to know when you were being sincere even when alone. What was going on?
Nicole: I guess it would depend on what it’s referring to. [Corey] would get mad when I was comparing evicting Paul to Vic. No, I really thought that was something we needed to think about regardless if it was obvious or not. I mean no, I definitely thought that. It was just a funny thing.
[Editor’s note: Nicole wandered off at this point and started talking about what a threat Victor was and I didn’t get much of an answer to the question of why she repeatedly said she was “giving DR footage.”]
BBN: There were discussions out here over your talk with James about the “ten grand ten grand ten grand” promise for your F4 with Corey, James, and Natalie. Do you think that had any influence over the final Jury decisions? [James had told Natalie if he or Nicole won then everyone in their foursome would “get a care package.”]
Nicole: Ohhh, noooo! Nobody even in the Jury, like nobody in the Jury I even talked to about the ten grand thing. James and I were just… James said Natalie was broke. James and I had a great friendship. He said something about for sure giving Natalie money and for sure liked me and Corey. He was just kinda like we’re just like bored and I love you guys. Like if I had all that money I’d be like the most giving person in the world type situation. If anything it would have hurt me.
I think James didn’t vote for me because, I don’t know why James didn’t vote for me. James and I were super close but I think that was the least like big deal out of anything. I don’t even, yeah, I don’t even, you’re not allowed to even talk about sharing, you’re not even allowed to, I wasn’t even allowed to say I would take Corey on that trip that I won. You know. You’re just not allowed to say anything like that.
BBN: What’s going to be your very best memory to take away from this season?
Nicole: Obviously that vote. My heart just couldn’t be happier. I just couldn’t believe it. Just a great feeling.
BBN: Thank you Nicole. Congratulations on your win.
Nicole says she would have taken Paul on to the F2 even though she thinks it was an emotional decision versus strategy although she spent all season making all strategy choices and nothing personal. I’m not sure I’m convinced she wouldn’t have made the smarter game move and taken James though. Either way it looks like she would still have won.
Then again, if she was willing to take Corey and lose then maybe she would have taken Paul. I’d really hope Nicole wouldn’t have thrown away a potential win by taking Corey even if she thought she’d lose to him though. That seems like a horrible choice, but I guess Houseguests do odd things when they’re in showmances together.
In the end those choices didn’t play in to her game and she walked away with the title of Big Brother 18 winner and a half-million dollar prize. A huge victory for sure especially against a competitor like Paul.
What do you think of Nicole’s takeaways from her season on Big Brother this summer?
Interview by: BigbrotherNetwork.com
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