Former Miss Michigan among three 'Big Brother Reindeer Games' finalists with local ties

Michigan contestants will square off in Thursday's finale of "Big Brother Reindeer Games," a holiday-themed spinoff of CBS' summertime reality show.

Former "Big Brother" winners Taylor Hale of Detroit and Nicole Franzel of Ubly will compete for the show's $100,000 grand prize, after securing spots in the final four on Tuesday's episode of the competition series. They'll face off against Xavier Prather of Milwaukee, who originally hails from Kalamazoo, and Frankie Grande of Los Angeles.

Franzel was given a pass into finale night by Hale, who won a competition and was allowed to bring a player of her choice with her into the finals. It was payback of sorts from Hale earlier putting Franzel in elimination's way, when she sent her to compete in an endurance competition against former "Big Brother" winner Josh Martinez, a contest Franzel won by outlasting her competitor by mere seconds.

Prather secured his spot in the finals on Tuesday's episode after beating "Big Brother" fan favorite Britney Haynes in a puzzle competition.

The three will join Grande, brother of pop singer Ariana Grande, in Thursday's "Reindeer Games" showdown, with $100,000 in prize money on the line.

A win would add to Hale's standing as the winningest "Big Brother" contestant of all-time. The former Miss Michigan, 28, pocketed $800,000 on "Big Brother 24" after winning the season and being named America's Favorite Houseguest, which carried purses of $750,000 and $50,000, respectively. Hale became the first Black female winner in "Big Brother" history, and the first contestant to win the show and also be given the America's Favorite Houseguest title.

Franzel, who hails from Michigan's Thumb area, is "Big Brother's" longest tenured houseguest, having played three seasons and made the finals twice. Franzel, 32, won "Big Brother 18" in 2016 and came in third place on "Big Brother: All Stars" in 2020. She initially competed on the show in 2014.

Prather, 29, won "Big Brother 23" in 2021, becoming the show's first Black winner.

Another Michigan "Big Brother" houseguest, "Big Brother 23's" Tiffany Mitchell, acted as a guest host on Tuesday's episode of "Reindeer Games." Mitchell, of Detroit, won the "America's Favorite Houseguest" title on her season of the show.

Michigan is home to one other "Big Brother" winner, Dan Gheesling, who won the show in 2010. In fan circles, Gheesling is considered to be one of the greatest players in the history of "Big Brother," which premiered in 2000 and has been a hit among the show's loyal fanbase ever since.

"Big Brother Reindeer Games" is a six-episode spinoff series featuring holiday-themed competitions and various other forms of yuletide merriment. The two-week show, which launched Dec. 11, kicked off with 10 "Big Brother" veterans vying to make the final four. Unlike summer seasons of "Big Brother," contestants are not living in the "Big Brother" house, and host Julie Chen is nowhere to be seen.

The "Big Brother Reindeer Games" finale airs at 8 p.m. Thursday on CBS.

agraham@detroitnews.com