Kelowna, B.C.’s Dane Rupert was the big winner on Big Brother Canada’s season seven finale night on Thursday (May 9). The hockey jock turned civil engineer went won the show’s final HOH competition and chose to take alliance member Anthony Douglas (of Richmond Hill, ON) to the final two instead of Kyra Shenker (of Montreal, QC).
We had a chance to speak with all three finalists, in this wrap up with Dane, we discuss his decision process of bringing Anthony to the final two with him over Kyra, jury management, and his emotional alliance.
Did you get a chance to weigh your pros and cons of who to take to the final 2 with you? What was that process like?
You know, there were certain pros and cons in taking either Kyra or Anthony to final two. If I had brought Kyra, I was going to have an unanimous decision and if I brought Anthony, I thought it was going to be a 4-3 either way. I gave my word to him on Day 2 and I didn’t want to break my trust with him. It turned out in my favour, anyway! Getting all those votes means that I did play an overall better game.
Was there any vote your were surprised with?
Against Anthony, I’d have to say Cory’s vote. They had a special bond. We also had a good bond but I did vote to evict her. She’s a fan of the game and she did tell me that she respected what I did this season. But at that time, I was not expecting her vote, at all.
What was your strategy with jury management and did it play a big role in your preparation to go to the end?
Your goal is to make it to final two. But you have to manage your jury votes as well. I knew that I had a very good connection with Estefania and Damien but I didn’t know how they were going to react that I cut them.
Which competition was the hardest or most difficult to compete in?
I didn’t get to be in too many comps. I only got 14 this season but the most difficult one was the one where I failed miserably at. That really broke me down and I second-guessed myself after that. But, I didn’t let it define who I was after that.
You made some difficult decisions, like Adam’s eviction and not taking Kyra to final two. How hard were those for you?
Honestly, cutting Adam loose really broke my heart. Bromance since day one. However, I knew that if I brought him any further, it would be a very difficult road for me. I didn’t think I’d win in final two with him. He’s my brother forever and it broke my heart. He told me it was all good after, but it doesn’t take away from the emotional side. I felt bad.
Was anything else hard on you?
The hardest part of the game is that you can be so emotionally connected to people. You saw me getting very close to Estefania and Damien and you saw me loyal to the Pretty Boys alliance. I was loyal to them 99% of the time. They wanted to cut Estefania and Damien loose and I couldn’t go against the grain. The Pretty Boys got me to where I was. I didn’t want to disrespect them. So those evictions votes were hard on me as well.
You guys were very emotional.
It was such an amazing experience with those guys. I’m an emotional person. I wear my heart on my sleeve. Look at Adam, he’s very caring. Anthony is loyal as well. That moment where Adam and Anthony hugged it out, those close to 500 pounds of crying men! It goes to show you how close we are as brothers.
Any plans with the winnings?
No, not right now! It hasn’t really sunk in. I’m going to take care of my mom and grandma. It has been a tough year, this past year, and they have been my rock. I’ll spoil them when I get home.
You’ve been a big fan of Big Brother all these years. Who is your favourite player — from either the Canadian or American series?
Dane Rupert, of course! [Laughs] From America, I can’t just name one. It would be Chill Town, Mike Boogey and Will. For Canada, John stole my heart in season two! He did the big move at the end and cut Neda. That shaped my game when I looked at it. But there’s only one Dane Rupert!
Exactly, no you are up there with them. Congratulations!
Thank you!
For The TV Watercooler’s full coverage of Big Brother Canada Season 7, click here.
