EASTMAN, Ga. — Editors Note: This story contains spoilers about Big Brother Season 23.
On the T.V. Show Big Brother, Cameron Hardin had his fair share of close moments.
He was eliminated twice. He was resurrected once during the show and then eliminated one more time.
But while he did not win the $750,000 jackpot, he did win over the hearts of America, because he won $50,000 as the show's "America's Favorite House Guest."
The show Big Brother places a set of strangers in a house where they live, compete and make alliances as they contend for that $750,000 prize.
Through a mix of competitions and votes about which contestant to “evict” from the house, the show involves a lot of political maneuvering and tactical decision-making.
Every season, the show puts up a poll for viewers to vote for their favorite contestant who did not win that season.
His mother, Kimberly Hardin, told 13WMAZ that Cameron would be returning home soon after the show ended on Thursday. After 100 days in the Big Brother house, she says he will need some time to "decompress" after the marathon on the show.
But even before his time on Big Brother, Hardin's mother said it had always been his dream to be on Big Brother, and he auditioned multiple times.
“He said, 'I’m going to go on that show,' and I was like, 'okay, son' – but he meant it. He tried out six times,” Hardin said. “And he finally got to do it.”
In his previous audition, Cameron was an alternate for the show, but ultimately, he did not make it on. But on his sixth audition, he made it.
“The first few times I saw [him], I said to my husband, ‘That’s my son on national TV!” Hardin said. “And it’s not like it’s a one-time deal – he’s on there three times a week.”
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