After That Fateful Night, One Houseguest Holds the KEY to Dominating ‘Big Brother’ Season 27!

With only five players remaining, Big Brother 27 is nearing its conclusion. Though it’s still anybody’s game, there is one Houseguest who has the clearest path to victory: Ashley Hollis. Since the jury phase began, she has steered clear of being a target for eviction. She sat as a pawn for Lauren Domingue‘s Head of Household, but there was no threat of her leaving. And then, during the intense Double Eviction, her name didn’t even come up for consideration as an original nominee or renom.

Not only has she not faced the serious threat of eviction since the beginning of the game, but almost every single person in the house going into the night saw her as part of their endgame. The only individual who did not want her in their final 3 was Kelley Jorgensen, who just so happened to be the first person evicted in the Double Eviction. Here’s how Ashley’s managed to be the top player this season.

Ashley’s Social Game Has Saved Her on ‘Big Brother’

 

Credit: Image via CBS

Big Brother has evolved over the past 25 years. With new mechanics and twists being introduced, how they navigate the game has shifted, but at its core, establishing a stellar social game has been crucial to many winners. Some have combined it with an equally strong or stronger challenge record, but if you’re not connected to the individuals voting for you, it’s a harder battle to plead your case to the jury. For Ashley, her game has been all about social connections. Her ability to stay out of the line of fire while always having a target in front of her, also known as Rachel Reilly, has given her a say in big game moves without any blood on her hands. Following Rachel’s shocking elimination, it didn’t deter her; it actually improved her placement in the game. Everyone wanted to avenge Rachel’s elimination, so they kept her number one safe.

Now, Ashley has the ability to sway the rest of the game by selecting the majority alliance she wants to ride to the end with. With Vince Panaro picking up another HoH, he has a strong desire to keep Morgan Pope happy. To keep her happy means keeping the Judges Alliance alive. Who is the third member left in the alliance? Ashley. There does come one roadblock: to win it all, she must win the Final 3 HoH to have the chance to plead her case to the jury, as Vince and Morgan likely would take one another to the end.

With Ava Pearl and Keanu Soto now on the block, one of them is most likely to be evicted next. Yet, both Ava and Keanu want Ashley sitting next to them, so she has a lock at the Final 2. The third option, though risky, would be to split up the pairs to guarantee she’d be all four’s Final 2 pick. Then, by the time she talks to the jury, she’ll likely have their votes, as she is the most socially aligned with the jury. Her pitch to the jury would focus on how strong relationships got her to that point. With the Houseguests frowning about the importance of solely winning comps, the jury may want to give Ashley the win to send a message that a strong social game is necessary to win Big Brother.

Ashley Winning ‘Big Brother’ Is More Exciting Than You Realize

Just like the game, the makeup of Big Brother winners has evolved over time. It wasn’t until Season 24 that Taylor Hale became the first Black woman to win the game. That came on the heels of Xavier Prather‘s victory a season prior as the first Black contestant ever to win Big Brother. Should Ashley find a way to take home the crown on finale night, she would become the third Black woman to win the title. It would also mark back-to-back wins by a Black woman following Chelsie Baham‘s win last season.

Though Big Brother 27 isn’t living up to the hype of last season’s exciting cast and exceptional gameplay, the season will be marred by The White Locust twist. If Ashley doesn’t win, it’s likely the victor will win by a slight margin. This group of Houseguests, sans Ashley, has not been the strongest at jury management. It’s been bittersweet knowing Rachel will not be our first two-time winner, but the fandom’s support and push to make her America’s Favorite Player should make up for it.