Final episode of Big Brother Canada’s cancelled season airs, $100K prize donated to COVID-19 relief

The final episode of a shortened eighth season of Big Brother Canada aired on Wednesday night.

It was an emotional farewell to the 12 remaining contestants, who learned that their time in the house had been cut short at the very start of the hour-long episode.

After Erin Brock broke the news to the houseguests, they were told they had one final night to spend in the house and their travel arrangements had been made for the following day.

After the tears and hugs and disbelief, the remaining 12 were able to reminisce on their shortened season and share some laughs over Chinese food before heading to bed in the house one final time.

Their exits were staggered the following day, with everyone walking back out the giant doors they entered through on Feb. 29.

During the final episode, they got a chance to video chat with the shows host, Arissa Cox, who was self-isolating in her own home in Ontario.

She told the contestants that without a grand prize winner, the $100,000 would be donated through Canada Helps to charities that are responding to COVID-19.

While the difficult decision was the correct one to make, it was a devastating blow to everyone who remained in the house, including two people with ties to the BC Interior and even NowMedia.

Of course there’s our very own NowMedia journalist John-Luke Kieper, who lives in Kamloops, and Rianne Swanson, a nurse who will be returning to the frontlines of the crisis at Kelowna General Hospital.