“Big Brother” Crowns Its First-Ever Sikh Winner, Makes History for Third Year in a Row

Jag Bains became the first Sikh-American to win the reality television show with his 5-2 victory over the show's first-ever deaf contestant, Matt Klotz

Warning: This post contains spoilers for the Big Brother 25 season finale.

For the third straight year, the winner of Big Brother is entering the show’s history books.

Jag Bains, a 25-year-old truck company owner from Washington, was crowned the winner of the record-setting 100-day season over fellow alliance member Matt Klotz, a 27-year-old Deaflympics swimmer from Louisiana, and Bowie Jane Ball, a 46-year-old Australian DJ and barrister.

Bains was the first Sikh-American to enter the Big Brother house in the U.S. and is now the first Sikh-American houseguest to win the U.S. version of the international series.

After his 5-2 victory over Klotz, Bains said he was "on top of the world," adding, "This has been the greatest experience of my life."

"To be able to win this with integrity and loyalty the whole time is exactly what I wanted to do," Bains told host Julie Chen-Moonves at the end of the episode.

Related: 'Big Brother' Season 25 Casts Show's First Hearing-Impaired, Sikh and Australian Houseguests — Meet the Contestants

Bains is now the third straight winner to make history on the U.S. version of Big Brother. Xavier Prather was first, becoming the first Black individual to win the game in 2021. He was followed by Taylor Hale, who became the first Black woman to win in 2022.

The 2023 winner also entered the show’s history books this season by setting the record for the most Power of Veto competition wins in a single season, with seven.

Related: Julie Chen Moonves Reveals Who She Thinks Is Running the House on Big Brother Season 25 (Exclusive)

Bains nearly left the competition in Week 4, but was saved by Klotz, who won the Power of Invincibility that same week. During the Jury Roundtable, 34-year-old stay-at–home father Cameron Hardin applauded Bains’ resilience.

“The fact that he left, came back in and he’s got an opportunity to win this entire game on the back of all of the people who voted him out,” Hardin told his fellow jurors. “That makes him look like an incredible competitor.”

Bains and Klotz were aligned for much of the game. On Day 38, the two dubbed themselves “The Minutemen” — an alliance inspired by Derrick Levasseur and Cody Calafiore, who formed “The Hitmen” on Big Brother 16.

In Week 10, Bains and Klotz linked up with Ball to form an alliance called “The Mafia.” The trio went on to win nearly every single competition left in the game (with the exception of the Double Veto in Week 11, when 25-year-old brand strategist Blue Kim claimed one of the two Golden Power of Veto necklaces).

As a result of their dominance, The Mafia was able to knock out their biggest adversaries — including Survivor legend Cirie Fields, who placed fifth in the competition — as they cruised to Thursday night’s finale.

Related: The Wildest ‘Big Brother’ Moments Ever, from Dan’s Funeral to Keesha’s Birthday

Klotz won the first part of the three-part final Head of Household competition of the season, but Bains eked out back-to-back wins in parts two and three. Ultimately, Bains opted to take Klotz, his longtime ally, to the final two over Ball, who was the first Australian to compete on the U.S. show.

During his final speech, Bains emphasized how crucial he was in every single eviction.

“My hands are covered in your blood,” he said confidently in his final speech before imploring the jurors to give him their vote.

“I am the most dominant, masterful, strategic player in this house. I don’t only deserve to win, I have earned this victory," Bains explained. "I am the first Sikh player on Big Brother, and not only that, you all need to make the right decision tonight so I can be crowned the first Sikh winner of Big Brother. It is the right thing to do and I have earned it every step of the way.”

Related: Julie Chen Moonves Reveals Who She Thinks Is Running the House on Big Brother Season 25 (Exclusive)

Ultimately, the jury rewarded Bains with the $750,000 grand prize, while Klotz received $75,000 for second place.

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Big Brother season 25 aired on CBS.

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