Morgan Pope reflects on devastating ‘Big Brother’ loss: ‘I pictured confetti falling — instead, I’m meeting Julie’

Morgan Pope came within arm’s reach of the Big Brother 27 crown. After winning five Vetos and two HOHs without ever touching the block during the jury phase, she was widely considered the best gamer of the season. But in the finale, Ashley Hollis won the decisive Head of Household and chose to evict Morgan, setting up her own victory over Vince Panaro. Morgan left in third place — bittersweet, but with her head held high.

Read on for our full Q&A with Morgan (or watch the video above) to see how she reflects on her near-win, her vote for Vince, and what reality competition she’d love to tackle next.

Gold Derby: You finished third and handled it with grace. You weren’t surprised Ashley cut you, but what was that moment like?

Morgan: It was hard. All day I was practicing my speech, preparing for the HOH comp. I knew going against Ashley would be tough. When we were holding hands, I kept telling her thank you. I knew in my heart she was going to take Vince. It was bittersweet — I pictured confetti falling, and instead I was walking out to applause and meeting Julie Chen Moonves.

Many thought you could’ve beaten either of them. Did you feel mentally prepared for that final HOH?

I did. I’m empathetic, so it was hard seeing Vince crash, but I kept my composure. I cried in the diary room plenty, but I felt ready. I wanted to prove I was an all-around player. Even if I’d had more rest or study time, I think Ashley was meant to win that comp.

You made history never hitting the block in the jury phase. How proud are you of that?

I’m really in awe. I didn’t even know some of those records until afterward. Seven weeks of safety in a row — that’s crazy. To have greats like Chelsie Baham, Taylor Hale, and Derrick Levasseur tell me I’m one of the best to never win, that blew me away. I struggled early, but I knew I had to take control and prove who I really was.

You cast your vote for Vince, his only one. Why did you decide that?

I wasn’t surprised Ashley won. I voted for Vince as a way of saying thank you. He had my back and protected me many times when others wanted me out. I also didn’t want him to leave with zero votes — I knew how much that would affect him mentally. So it was my way of showing I still had his back.

After three months inside, what’s the first thing you want to do?

Walk my dog in my neighborhood. I want to see her wag her little bulldog butt and sniff the grass. And honestly, play some video games and just enjoy normal life again.

Would you do another reality competition?

Yeah. I actually learned about The Challenge in the Big Brother house — Will’s a huge fan and told me I’d be great on it. I’d be down to compete on anything. I’m always ready to show up and show out.

If you and Keanu were both on The Challenge, could you work together?

Absolutely. Game recognizes game. Even when he nominated me, our conversations were honest and transparent. We had a common enemy, and I made sure his target wasn’t me. I’d definitely see myself aligning with him.

This interview was edited for length and clarity.