Jillian won Big Brother Canada 1 in 2013, beating Gary 4-3 — on a vote that was cast by mistake. Juror Topaz meant to vote for Gary and used Jillian’s key instead. The first Canadian season is still remembered for that one ballot.
- Aired: February to May 2013, on Slice.
- Premiere: 27 February 2013. The houseguests moved in on 21 February.
- Finale: 2 May 2013 — Day 71.
- Winner: Jillian.
- Runner-up: Gary.
- Third place: Emmett.
- Final vote: 4-3.
- Houseguests: 15.
- Host: Arisa Cox.
- Prize: $100,000, a Chevrolet Trax and $25,000 at The Brick. Gary took $20,000 for second.
- Twists: A secret first Head of Household, a veto controlled by Canada, an instant eviction, and a juror voted back into the game.
- Live feeds: Yes — free in Canada, switched off in the final days before the finale.
- Where to watch: Crave, in Canada.
Who won Big Brother Canada 1?
Jillian won Big Brother Canada 1 on 2 May 2013, beating Gary by a jury vote of 4-3. Emmett, Talla, Topaz and Andrew voted for Jillian. AJ, Alec and Peter voted for Gary.
One of those votes was never meant for her. Topaz had been Gary’s closest friend in the house, and she used her moment at the ballot to take a last shot at Jillian — who had talked her into dropping out of an iceberg endurance competition by promising that Topaz and Alec were safe, then nominated Alec anyway. Topaz declared her vote secure, picked up Jillian’s key instead of Gary’s, and handed Jillian the win.
Topaz, casting her jury vote
“So my vote is 150% SECURE! 150 PERCENT!”
When host Arisa Cox read the vote out, Topaz stood up, came out of the jury seats and insisted her vote had been switched. The studio audience chanted for a switch and the show cut to a commercial. The footage showed her picking up the wrong key. Every juror had been told the rules, and the vote stood.
Gary’s route to that chair was as unlikely as the ending. He was evicted 5-0 in week 7, and two weeks later Canada voted him back into the game from the jury. He won the veto that same week, reached the final three, and won the final Head of Household to evict Emmett, the favourite to win. Our morning-after write-up has Gary saying it was never about the money and that he was fine with second place.
Who was in the Big Brother Canada 1 cast?
Fifteen houseguests moved in. In finishing order:
- 1st — Jillian. Won four Heads of Household, more than anyone else that season.
- 2nd — Gary. Evicted 5-0 in week 7, voted back in by Canada, and won the final Head of Household.
- 3rd — Emmett. Jillian’s closest ally. Won three vetoes and part one of the final Head of Household.
- 4th — Talla. Evicted on Emmett’s sole vote at the final four.
- 5th — Andrew. Evicted 2-0 on Day 64, the week after Gary came back.
- 6th — Peter. Half of the Sheyld with Alec. Out 2-0 in week 9.
- 7th — Topaz. Evicted 3-0 in the second half of the week 8 double eviction. Cast the season’s deciding vote.
- 8th — Alec. Out 3-1 in the first half of the week 8 double. Topaz, his showmance, followed him out the same night.
- 9th — AJ. Removed 4-2 in an instant eviction.
- 10th — Suzette. The secret first Head of Household. Evicted 6-1 in week 5.
- 11th — Liza. Evicted 8-0 in the second half of the week 4 double, the same night as Tom.
- 12th — Tom. Out 8-1 in the first half of the week 4 double.
- 13th — Aneal. Sent home 8-2 after Canada’s veto pulled Suzette off the block and Tom named him in her place.
- 14th — Danielle. Out 8-3 in week 2.
- 15th — Kat. First evicted, 11-1.
What were the twists in Big Brother Canada 1?
Big Brother Canada 1 handed the audience real power over the game twice, and changed the rules on the house several more times.
The secret Head of Household. On the first night Suzette answered the house phone and was told she was Head of Household — secretly. She had to name two nominees without letting anyone know it was her. She put up Emmett and Tom.
Canada’s veto. In week 3 Canada was given a Power of Veto of its own. Tom had already used the regular veto on Gary, so two vetoes were played in one week. Canada’s took Suzette off the block, Aneal went up in her place, and he was evicted 8-2.
The voided win. Emmett won the week 4 Head of Household, and it was taken off him after footage showed he had broken the competition’s rules. Gary won the re-run.
Two double evictions. Tom and Liza went out on the same night in week 4. Alec and Topaz went out on the same night in week 8. Each double took a showmance with it. There is more on how the format works on the double eviction page.
The instant eviction. Topaz’s Head of Household in week 6 came with no veto and no week to campaign. AJ was out 4-2.
A juror comes back. In week 9 Canada voted one member of the jury back into the game, and chose Gary.
What were the alliances in Big Brother Canada 1?
The first power in Big Brother Canada 1 was Quattro, a four-man alliance of Alec, Peter, Tom and Emmett. It broke in week 4, when Tom was voted out 8-1. Alec and Peter carried on as a pair, the Sheyld, until Jillian’s week 8 nominations split them up.
The pair that lasted was Jillian and Emmett — the Milkmance, in feed shorthand. Her four Heads of Household and his three vetoes carried both of them to the final three, where Gary broke them up. Gary and Topaz were the closest friendship in the house, which is what made her vote so hard to watch.
Who won each HOH, veto and eviction in Big Brother Canada 1?
Eleven weeks, two double evictions and an instant eviction. Canada changed the nominations once and brought a juror back once.
Week 1 · Kat evicted 11-1Secret HOH
Suzette, chosen in secret by the house phone.
Emmett and Tom.
Tom won it and used it on himself. Kat went up in his place.
Kat, 11-1.
Week 2 · Danielle evicted 8-3Jillian’s first HOH
Jillian.
Aneal and Gary.
Gary won it and used it on himself. Danielle was the replacement.
Danielle, 8-3.
Week 3 · Aneal evicted 8-2Two vetoes
Tom.
Gary and Suzette.
Tom won it and used it on Gary. AJ went up.
Canada used its own veto on Suzette. Aneal was named in her place.
Aneal, 8-2.
Week 4 · Tom 8-1, then Liza 8-0Double eviction
Emmett won and was disqualified. Gary won the re-run.
Tom and Liza.
Alec. Not used.
Tom, 8-1.
Andrew, who nominated Liza and Suzette. Emmett won the veto and did not use it.
Liza, 8-0.
Week 5 · Suzette evicted 6-1Alec’s HOH
Alec, who also won $10,000.
AJ and Suzette.
Emmett. Not used.
Suzette, 6-1.
Week 6 · AJ evicted 4-2Instant eviction
Topaz.
AJ and Andrew, named on the spot.
None. There was no veto in an instant eviction.
AJ, 4-2. The first juror.
Week 7 · Gary evicted 5-0Andrew’s HOH
Andrew.
Gary and Topaz.
Andrew. Not used.
Gary, 5-0.
Week 8 · Alec 3-1, then Topaz 3-0Double eviction
Jillian, after Topaz dropped out of the endurance competition on her promise of safety.
Alec and Peter.
Peter won it and used it on himself. Topaz went up.
Alec, 3-1.
Emmett, who nominated Talla and Topaz. Peter won the veto and did not use it.
Topaz, 3-0.
Week 9 · Peter evicted 2-0Gary voted back in
Jillian.
Andrew and Peter.
Andrew won it, with a $10,000 shopping spree at The Brick, and used it on himself. Talla went up.
Peter, 2-0.
Canada voted Gary back into the house from the jury.
Week 10 · Andrew evicted 2-0Gary’s veto
Emmett.
Andrew and Gary.
Gary won it and used it on himself. Talla went up again.
Andrew, 2-0, on Day 64.
Week 11 · Talla evicted 1-0Final four
Jillian, her fourth.
Gary and Talla.
Emmett won it and did not use it, which left him the only vote.
Talla, on Emmett’s vote.
Finale · Jillian wins 4-32 May 2013 · Day 71
Emmett.
Gary, over Jillian.
Gary, over Emmett.
Gary evicted Emmett and took Jillian to the final two.
Jillian 4, Gary 3. Emmett, Talla, Topaz and Andrew for Jillian; AJ, Alec and Peter for Gary. Topaz had meant to vote for Gary.
What is Big Brother Canada 1 remembered for?
The wrong key. A 4-3 result decided by a juror who voted for the other person by accident is the thing every Big Brother Canada fan knows about season one. The votes were not changed, and the argument about whether they should have been lasted long after the finale.
Gary’s comeback. Evicted unanimously, voted back in by the audience, then a veto, the final Head of Household and a seat in the final two. The studio crowd was chanting his name once Topaz’s vote was read.
Being first. It was the first English-language Big Brother made in Canada, and it was a hit for a small specialty channel. Slice said at the finale that it was Canada’s biggest reality series of the year so far.
Did Big Brother Canada 1 have live feeds?
Yes. Big Brother Canada 1 had live feeds from premiere night, free to watch in Canada on the show’s website. They did not run all the way to the end: the feeds were switched off several days before the finale, so the final-four eviction and the final Head of Household happened out of sight of feed watchers.
Big Brother Canada 1 live feed updates
We covered this season from the feeds, day by day — over three hundred posts in all.
- Season archive: Every Big Brother Canada 1 post, from move-in to the finale
- Finale night: Jillian wins on Topaz’s vote
- The morning after: How Gary took finishing second