Nicole Franzel: The Controversy of a Two-Time Big Brother Winner

The Controversy of Nicole Franzel's Two-Time Win

Big Brother Reindeer Games winner Nicole Franzel may have taken the holiday-themed competition's title, but fans are arguing she's not truly a two-time Big Brother winner after fighting her way to the end of the spin-off. Nicole first appeared on Big Brother 16, where she made it to the final before being evicted, and returned for Big Brother 18. Nicole won the game during her second season, winning next to Paul Abrahamian and becoming the first-ever woman to win sitting next to a man in the final 2. Nicole's third season was Big Brother 22, where she made it to the final 3. While some feel Nicole's win on Big Brother Reindeer Games season 1 makes her the first-ever two-time winner of Big Brother, others are adamant that it doesn't count as a true Big Brother win as the series was a spin-off with a different set of rules.

Montage of Big Brother Reindeer Games' Nicole Franzel with pink background

According to Reddit user Jasoneven, 'She’s the first two-time winner of the Big Brother franchise, but not of the game.' Others agreed, like SorryDidIMention, who shared, 'I’d say no. It’s impressive to win sure, but not nearly the same length/difficulty or even the same game as BB. This doesn’t detract from Nicole playing a great game though.'

Instagram article posted by coconuts_

Nicole Franzel's Big Brother Gameplay Explained

While Nicole may or may not be the first two-time winner of Big Brother, her gameplay style on Big Brother Reindeer Games was a masterclass in strategy and understanding how to use her positioning to her advantage. Nicole may not have been the most competitive or strategic player in the game, but she was able to use that to her advantage throughout her time on the series. According to PopAShotAllStar, 'I think the goal for RG is to be good at comps, but not TOO good...middle of the pack...makes it to the end more easily and then win when it really matters.'

Throughout her time on Big Brother Reindeer Games, Nicole stayed in the middle of the pack. She wasn't targeted as a threat against the rest of the competitors like Cameron Hardin or Cody Calafiore, who went out in the first two eliminations of the game, nor was she deemed to be weak like Big Brother seasons 12 and 14 alum Britney Haynes. Nicole, instead, was aligned with the majority of the players in the game and did her best to win when she needed to but stayed below the radar otherwise. For Nicole, the strategy helped her to get far and then her own competitive skill was able to shine later.

While Nicole's position on the Big Brother winner's list may or may not be changing, it's clear that she's done something tremendous for the franchise by winning Big Brother Reindeer Games. With a second franchise win under her belt, it would be great to see Nicole come back to play Big Brother again in the future, but she has said she's retiring. Though Nicole's tactics may not always be the most pleasant to watch or follow, she's got some incredible skill with the right strategy and clearly knows how to pull out a win when she has to.