Gabrielle Côté did her homework before embarking on the great adventure of Big Brother Canada. A true fan, she had already watched previous seasons and understood the strategies deployed in the Canadian version of this visual phenomenon now adapted in 70 countries.
“Being in this position, being part of the champions of Big Brother, it’s truly an honor! It’s a little dream that I’m realizing,” said the grand winner on the phone.
What does she love so much about this show? Especially the “strategic aspect” and the “social relationships” that form among the contestants locked together for over three months.
“It’s a bit like a micro-society. We enjoy seeing how these relationships develop; how people manage to betray each other, to live with betrayal. We also love redemptions, the great comeback stories, the underdogs who manage to rise from the ashes,” enumerated the one who won the game with almost unanimous votes.
In short, according to Gabrielle Côté, Big Brother Canada brings together all the elements to offer the audience “good dramaturgy.”
“It’s like a good movie script! It’s everything we want: betrayal, lies. We want people to rise, to succeed or fail at a crucial moment,” said the contestant, known for her appearances in other shows like STAT.
This desire to “create good television” did not influence her way of playing… but her reactions to the game? Yes!
“For example, when Félix returned. Let’s face it, it was very bad for my game. The reason I was able to laugh at that moment instead of taking it as a blow, is because I was able to see it with the eyes of a spectator,” summarized the storyteller who directed the film Les Furies.
The Art of Editing
For her strategy, Gabrielle Côté relied on a “complete game,” both socially and in terms of challenges. Her secret? A few allies she had “great confidence” in and her ability to win vetoes, immunity necklaces, and HOH titles “at the right moment.”
“I played a lot with the cards I had, at the time I had them. I always reshuffled the game. I allied myself with people who had betrayed me if it was good to do so at that time. For example, with Citron or Marie-Ève and Félix. [“] I knew they were betraying me behind my back and that, eventually, I would end up betraying them too, but at certain moments, I needed to work with them,” explained the thirty-year-old.
The viewers also noticed the complexity and finesse with which the contestants of Big Brother Canada played this year.
Like Citron Rose on the show Les gérants d’estrade, Gabrielle Côté also noticed that there was sometimes a certain “discrepancy” between the participants’ gameplay in the studio and what was ultimately shown on television… but only to benefit the show, she believes.
“Everyone’s game is much more complex and nuanced than what we see. When it’s ourselves, we realize: ‘oh but they don’t show that I’m in this alliance! Why does this moment give the impression that I don’t understand what’s going on even though I had a discussion with such and such person?’ But [those scenes] don’t necessarily serve the show. The production makes choices,” shared the contestant in an interview.
Viewers were particularly aware of this regarding Oussama’s famous “double life,” which disappeared from episodes until the very end of the season to create an additional “punch” for the audience… even though the players had already discussed it among themselves in the house in the last few weeks.
Regarding this, the links between Gabrielle and Oussama were not highlighted much in the final episodes. In Gabrielle’s mind, however, there was no doubt: she wanted to face the final jury alongside Oussama.
“When Mona left, I knew I was playing with Oussama. It may be something that seems less evident in the editing than in reality, but we were very close and we both knew we were making it to the end,” affirmed the grand winner.
Gabrielle Côté won a grand prize of $100,000 on Sunday night, of which $25,000 will be donated to the Le Chaînon foundation, which helps women in vulnerable situations.
Singer William Cloutier, on the other hand, won the public prize, along with a $5,000 grant.
