Rochelle Rackham won Big Brother 2026. The 57-year-old housewife from Essex was crowned champion on Thursday, 5 November 2026, in the live final on ITV2 and ITVX, beating Lucinda “Twinks” Burnett in the final two and collecting the £100,000 prize. Her win came after eight weeks, 54 days in the house and more than three million public votes, and it has divided the audience more than any result in the show’s recent history.
The Final, in Order
Hosts AJ Odudu and Will Best read out the results one by one during an extended live show, and the voting was described as one of the closest in years.
| Position | Housemate |
|---|---|
| Winner | Rochelle Rackham |
| 2nd | Twinks (Lucinda Burnett) |
| 3rd | Yasmin |
| 4th | Samuel |
| 5th | Lynx |
| 6th | Catrin |
Twinks, a 36-year-old from east London, left to loud cheers, while the crowd could be heard chanting “recount” and, during her interview, “you should have won.” Rochelle walked out to a mixed reception, and Will Best had to ask the crowd to settle so she could hear the questions. Asked how she felt about the £100,000, her reply was six words: “All the suffering was worth it.
The final three were all women for the first time in Big Brother history, and the series closed as the longest since the show returned to ITV, with housemates spending 54 days inside.
Who is Rochelle Rackham?
Rochelle is the oldest housemate of the 2026 series at 57 and describes herself as a housewife from Essex. She is a mum of three who admitted before entering that she is “quite bossy at home” and expected to carry that into the house. She has also said she applied for the show as a joke, which makes her £100,000 win one of the stranger origin stories of the season.
Her pre-show plans for the prize money were refreshingly specific: “I’d be buying more horses, handbags. It’s my husband’s 60th next year, and I’d like to do something for him.”
She was also the most nominated housemate of the series, which makes her win statistically unusual — she survived repeated nomination rounds and still took the public vote at the end.
The Controversy that Followed Her To The Final
Rochelle’s route to the title was not a clean one, and the coverage around her has been dominated by complaints rather than game-playing.
- A heated clash with fellow housemate Johanne Cade on 27 September drew 493 Ofcom complaints from viewers alleging racism and bullying.
- A ten-year-old social media meme she had shared, which she later deleted, resurfaced during the series; it emerged she had told production about the post before entering the house.
- Her comments to Charlotte Nott, an 18-year-old quadruple amputee, prompted a separate disability row in September.
- Big Brother issued her a warning over her language, and she was never removed from the house
- In the final week, evicted housemates Philip Regan and Rhianna Collins raised further allegations about remarks that did not make the broadcast.
None of that stopped the public vote. Some viewers argued she had “carried” the series, one writing: “There is a difference between winning and being liked.” Others were blunt about their disappointment, with comments like “that just ruined such a good series.”
What is Happening Today?
The story has not stopped at the confetti. Big Brother: The Reunion airs tonight, Friday 6 November, at 9pm on ITV2 and ITVX, an hour-long special in which Odudu and Best bring most of this year’s housemates back together to revisit the arguments, friendships and biggest moments. It is the first time Rochelle will appear alongside the people she clashed with since leaving the house, and it is where the conversation around her win is expected to continue.
She is also the focus of the show’s future: ITV has been weighing another series after a run that drew accusations of bullying and racism alongside strong ratings and heavy social media traffic. A winner who divides the audience that sharply is exactly the kind of result that keeps a reality format in the headlines.
Why the Win Lands the Way it Does?
Big Brother has always rewarded visibility over virtue. Rochelle was the housemate who generated the most conversation, the most nominations, the most complaints and, ultimately, the most votes — a pattern the show has seen before, where being argued about beats being liked. What makes 2026 different is the scale: nearly 500 Ofcom complaints over a single episode, a resurfaced meme, a warning from producers, and a public that still handed her the cheque.
Whether that reads as a triumph of authenticity or a misfire depends entirely on which side of the vote you were on. The reunion tonight will not settle that argument — but it will almost certainly restart it.
FAQ
Q. Who won Big Brother 2026?
A. Rochelle Rackham, a 57-year-old housewife from Essex, won the series on 5 November 2026.
Q. Who came second?
A. Twinks, full name Lucinda “Twinks” Burnett, a 36-year-old from East London.
Q. How much did the winner get?
A. The prize was £100,000.
Q. How many votes were cast?
A. More than three million votes were counted during the live final.
Q. Why are fans unhappy?
A. Viewers who backed Twinks chanted “recount” and “you should have won” at the result, and social media reaction was largely negative, though a minority argued Rochelle was the most entertaining housemate of the series.
Q. Is she still in the house?
A. No. She left the house on the final night and appears in the reunion special on 6 November.
Sources
- Big Brother 2026 winner crowned after turbulent, record-breaking ITV2 series — Radio Times
- Big Brother 2026 has officially crowned a winner — Digital Spy
- Big Brother winner’s six-word response as fans demand recount — Mirror
- Big Brother winner revealed as show’s most explosive series ever crowns champion — The Sun
- London woman misses out on Big Brother victory after three million votes cast — Yahoo News UK
- Big Brother hit with 493 complaints of racism after Johanne and Rochelle row — PinkNews
