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Big Brother 2026 winner crowned after turbulent, record-breaking ITV2 series
Six finalists faced the public vote as a complaint-hit but hugely watched run reached its live climax.
ITV
- Katelyn Mensah
Published: Thursday, 5 November 2026 at 10:19 pm
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Big Brother 2026 reached its climax tonight as the winner of the reality series was finally crowned after eight weeks of shopping tasks, several celebrity house guests and divisive nominations.
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The final, hosted live by hosts AJ Odudu and Will Best, saw finalists Catrin, Lynx, Rochelle, Samuel, Twinks and Yasmin find out one-by-one where they placed following the public vote.
After much anticipation, Rochelle was revealed as the winner!
Rochelle. ITV
On their final night in the house, the finalists shared one last meal together and reflected on the whole experience in the diary room.
"This experience will live on with me forever," said Lynx. Samuel thanked Big Brother "for choosing this random old nerd from Slough to go on and live his dream", while Catrin called it "the highlight of my life".
Twinks offered a typically witchy sign-off: "I came, I saw, I got nominated. This has been magical. And you're speaking to a witch. Remember that, Big Brother."
While Rochelle struck a more reflective note, saying she hoped other people her age would "try something different", adding: "Because I'm so f*****g proud of myself."
Yasmin said simply that she didn't want to leave, saying: "It’s been such a crazy experience, and I can’t believe it’s like, come to an end. I’ve met like the most amazing people. I wouldn’t change any of them."
Big Brother 2026 cast. Initital
The final concludes a turbulent run for the ITV2 series, which quickly became the most complained-about season in the show's modern history, with an episode broadcast on 19 October alone drawing more than 7,000 Ofcom complaints, largely centred on housemate Omar's treatment of fellow contestant Rhianna.
Responding to the concerns, a Big Brother spokesperson told Radio Times: "All housemates receive respect and inclusion training and an extensive briefing from the Big Brother senior team to prepare them for living in the house and to set out Big Brother's expectations for appropriate behaviour and language.
"Housemates are monitored 24 hours a day and any instances of inappropriate behaviour are responded to appropriately. Welfare and safeguarding are prioritised throughout the production, with a dedicated welfare team available to support housemates before, during and after their time in the house."
The series still proved a hit for the broadcaster. ITV reported 12.7 million streams by late September, up 50 per cent on the equivalent point in 2025.
Big Brother is available to stream on ITVX.
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Authors
Katelyn MensahSenior Entertainment Writer
Katelyn Mensah is the Senior Entertainment Writer for Radio Times, covering all major entertainment programmes, reality TV shows and the latest hard-hitting documentaries. She previously worked at The Tab, with a focus on reality TV and showbiz news and has obtained a BA (Hons) in Journalism.
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