She dominated competitions. She usually managed who stayed and who left. And even the individuals she received out of the home appeared to love and respect her. It made Morgan Pope the most important menace to win season 27 of Huge Brother, which is strictly why eventual champion Ashley Hollis needed no a part of sitting subsequent to her on the finish.

Morgan’s quest for the $750,000 prize got here up only a bit quick when Ashley gained the ultimate Head of Family competitors and selected to carry Vince to the top, explaining to Morgan that, “I don’t suppose I can beat you in a remaining two. I believe it is going to be a toss-up with Vinny.” Thus marked the top of Morgan’s recreation, and the top of an unimaginable run by which the competitors beast gained two Head of Households and 5 Veto competitions.

How onerous was it for Morgan to get that shut, however not fairly shut sufficient? How does she suppose she would have carried out sitting subsequent to Ashley on the finish? And what was the jury query to Ashley that she didn’t ask? We spoke to the third-place finisher a couple of hours after she stepped out of the home to get solutions on that and far more.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: How powerful is to be that near successful Huge Brother and simply developing a bit quick?

MORGAN POPE: It's actually powerful as a result of I knew nearly a month in the past that I used to be gonna must win my option to the top to win. There'd be no different manner that I may have made it within the remaining two until I bodily gained. And I used to be doing it and I knew yet one more competitors was what it was gonna take. However I by no means underestimated Ashley. She may be very sturdy mentally, and I knew that I used to be dealing with the most effective psychological rivals, and if I did lose to her, I may not less than be proud I misplaced to the most effective psychological rivals within the recreation. However it is rather powerful. I’d not lie about that.

Do you suppose you win in case you're sitting subsequent to Ashley within the remaining two?

Sure. Simply plain and easy, sure. As a result of her and I, we performed very equally. We each had sincere and constant video games, so it's like we take that out of each of our video games. It’s important to boil it all the way down to the competitions, you must boil it all the way down to how get by way of.

And we navigated very equally. Like, I additionally had Keanu as a protect, similar to Rachel. And it simply so occurred to be that Keanu staying within the recreation was higher for my recreation, was an even bigger goal than I used to be. And so Ashley performed very equally, I simply had extra competitors wins and had a number of totally different allies in comparison with her. However I used to be very assured that if I did win that remaining HOH that I used to be gonna beat Ashley within the remaining two.

'Big Brother' runner-up Vince Panaro addresses final competition meltdown 'Big Brother' winner Ashley Hollis reveals how she crushed her final jury speech

What occurred on that remaining stage of the ultimate HOH competitors? Did you overthink it?

Yeah. Prior to now, there have been occasions I had the appropriate reply and switched on the final minute and received it fallacious. And it was no secret that the identical factor occurred at this time. And I knew as quickly as Julie mentioned solutions had been locked, I knew the appropriate reply and I knew I used to be holding the fallacious one. And it was simply issues the place you simply form of settle for that you simply didn't win.

Like I mentioned all season, I can take it to the chin, I can deal with a loss. And I'm pleased with her. It was the very first thing I advised her. I advised her I used to be so pleased with her, as a result of I do know all season lengthy she gained one [competition] week every person she saved saying was she wished she may want yet one more competitors, and that mattered.

We noticed you had been planning to ask Vince a query from the jury, then thought of asking Ashley one as an alternative, after which ended up teeing Vince as much as speak concerning the strongest elements of his recreation, clearly seeming to attempt to assist him articulate his recreation to the jury. Clarify to me what was going there along with your forwards and backwards?

So I knew I needed to ask Vince the query first. I used to be additionally very inquisitive about why Ashley thought that taking me out was going to be one of many strikes for her recreation. As a result of I needed her to have the ability to say why me over Vince, you recognize? As a result of the final week or so, she knew I used to be taking her, and I used to be underneath the impression that she was taking me as a result of she mentioned that if she was to lose to anybody, she would need lose to somebody who was deserving of the cash. As soon as she gained HOH, I knew that she was going to make the choice to take me out. I simply had a sense as a result of if I used to be her, like I mentioned, I’d've carried out the identical factor.

What was that second like? Ashley advised me she pulled you apart earlier than casting the vote and kind of mentioned, “Are you gonna be mad if I do that?” Inform me your response while you form of received that affirmation that you simply had been going.

Nicely, so she didn't truly say that after we completed our competitors. We had been strolling down. I advised her that I used to be so pleased with her and I used to be strolling down holding her hand. She simply mentioned that she didn't know what she was going to do. And that's why once I sat subsequent to Vince, I advised him, I used to be like, “I'm fairly certain I'm going residence. I'm going out to the stage.” I simply knew as a result of the very best transfer to make in her place was to take me out as a result of she was going to lose subsequent to me. And he or she had a greater likelihood going towards Vinny. She did, and he or she gained.

Have been you shocked while you received to the jury and also you heard the questions for Vince and noticed their reactions to his solutions? Have been you shocked that they had been so clearly not feeling his recreation?

No. [Laughs] No, as a result of individuals have been saying for weeks that he was enjoying my recreation. And in truth, he was. I had numerous technique in Vinny's HOHs. I discovered lots about him and I knew learn how to correctly talk with him and form of weigh out the choices, however I weighed them a bit of bit extra in my favor and it simply so occurred to work. I imply, I received his quantity two on the block, for actual.

I needed to do what I may to get so far as I may. And that's what I did. However I used to be not shocked that the jury was not pleased with him and his jury administration. He is aware of that. However he performed an awesome recreation. He simply did the other of what Ashley did, which was extra of a blind manipulative recreation. So whereas the jury is usually a little salty about it, he was the one within the second place, not them.

What was your speech to the jury going to be like? What had been your private home run traces that I do know you practiced?

My residence run traces hit on the truth that I had a powerful social recreation. I used to be on the block for Rachel and Keanu, got here off the block to being in an alliance with Rachel and being aligned with Keanu to an extent. Every time I used to be on the block as a goal, I got here off as an ally. I imply, that's large. How do you begin as a goal and finish as an ally? I gained my manner by way of the competitions proving that I need to be right here and I’m a powerful competitor.

And likewise simply hinting again that I'm a strategist. I imply, I'm a gamer. They’d no clue that they had been gaming with an expert within the constructing. Like, granted, I'm used to enjoying a personality in a online game, however I took that as like, I'm the character. I get to do what I wanna do and navigate how I have to, and play the roles that I have to. And it was so enjoyable.

The Zingbot made that crack about your relationship with Vince, and different contestants had been speaking lots about it. Keanu made a joke about being on Dishonest Island as an alternative of Huge Brother. Do you are feeling any traces had been crossed in any respect?

Yeah, I imply, Dishonest Island? I used to be like, to begin with, these had been in lockdown HOHs, and that was truly getting a life story that I went by way of that was extraordinarily troublesome. We had a hug about it and Keanu felt some kind of manner. Did I believe that crossed the road? Completely. Like. I used to be very conscious of him having a girlfriend.

So far as how Vince feels or any that, these are his emotions. I can’t converse on them. They had been strictly platonic from my finish, and a recreation relationship. I imply, the man gained 4 HOHs, he had nice social recreation and he was shifting ahead, it might be silly for me simply to disconnect due to a Zing. Like, was I shocked? Completely. I used to be shocked that that was the zing. I used to be like, “Actually? That's what y'all suppose? Okay. That's form of bizarre, you recognize?" It’s what it’s. And I really feel like on the finish of the day, I do know the place I stood and I do know my intentions. Do I do know his? No. And he can converse on that himself.

You talked about you're a gamer. You had no comp wins in first seven weeks of the sport, till you lastly gained a Veto in week eight, and from then on, absolute domination. What occurred to kick you in gear like that, after which keep in that gear?

You understand, I ask myself that on a regular basis. I keep in mind crying in Diary Room periods being like, “I'm getting evicted with nothing to indicate for it” And I made a decision that I used to be going to win. I needed to show that I got here right here to play a recreation. I'm a gamer. There was no manner I used to be gonna be capable of go away this home with nothing to indicate for it. And I don't know what it was, however it was simply one thing within me, whether or not it's the gamer or simply me as a lady.

I simply needed to show to everybody that I'm a pressure to be reckoned with. And I proved that. I imply, successful that many competitions in a row to safe your security is insane. I take a look at myself like, "Who am I?" You understand what I imply? I can't consider it. I’m so proud that everybody even thought I deserved to win the sport. Though I didn't win, it's the truth that I’ve individuals telling me that I need to win and that I killed it. I'm so pleased with the Huge Brother recreation that I performed, and simply because I didn't win didn't imply that I wasn't the very best to do it this season. And I'm okay with that.

You had been such a whole participant by way of strategic, social, and athletic — simply hitting on all three phases. That's the kind of participant they wish to carry again, so would you do that all entire silly loopy factor over once more?

I’d, as loopy as that feels like. Would I come again tomorrow? No, I would like a while, however I’d undoubtedly come again sooner or later. The factor about Huge Brother is it actually exams your limits and it hits you in methods that you could't within the exterior world. I discovered a lot about myself and I'm a lot stronger of an individual than I used to be coming in. And I'm simply so proud.

I can't wait to encourage not solely different girls of coloration, however girls typically and even the fellas. I'm excited to be an inspiration to individuals who wish to come on this recreation and wish to win competitions. Vven although I misplaced the one [at the end], half one of many remaining HOH was an endurance comp and I had not had an actual endurance comp underneath my belt. And getting into I used to be like, “You understand what? I'm gonna win this endurance competitors.”

As a result of the opposite factor is, I may have dropped and given it to Vinny, I in all probability would've gained the second and it might've been me and him in the long run, and I in all probability would've been in a position to beat him in that psychological competitors. Nevertheless it actually got here all the way down to the truth that I needed it on my resume. It simply wasn't meant for me to win the sport, however attending to nonetheless be seen as being the most effective this season is superior.

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