Big Brother 27 winner reveals jaw-dropping amount she lost from $750,000 prize money

Ashley Hollis on ‘Big Brother’ season 27.

Ashley Hollis is the newest Big Brother champion!

On Sept. 28, the attorney won season 27 of the CBS reality show against fellow finalist Vince Panaro. In her final speech to the jury, Hollis — who has likened herself to Legally Blonde‘s Elle Woods — reflected on how she “changed the trajectory” of her game throughout season 27, strategically hiding her true profession as a lawyer and intentionally dumbing herself down to lower her threat level.

Following her win, Hollis spoke with Parade about how her success fits into the show’s long legacy of winners.

“I think my win truly speaks to winning when you need to win. I think that is the most important cue of this game,” she said. “You can win as many competitions as you want, but if you don’t win your way to the end, you won’t even get there.”

As for her advice to future contestants, Hollis said to “never count yourself out.”

So, who won Big Brother season 27? Here’s everything to know about Ashley Hollis.

She’s a Georgetown alumni

Hollis attended Loyola Marymount University from 2018 until 2021, when she graduated with her bachelor’s degree in business administration, per her LinkedIn.

Following graduation, Hollis went on to receive her juris doctor from Georgetown University, where she was involved on campus as president of Georgetown Entertainment, Media and Sports Law Alliance, according to her profile.

She’s an attorney

Hollis has her attorney license in the states of New York and Illinois, per her LinkedIn.

She began working as a summer associate at Shearman & Sterling LLP in 2023. After graduating from Georgetown, she returned to the company — now A&O Shearman — in November 2024, and has been working there since, per her LinkedIn.

Hollis previously held internships at Paramount Pictures and Sony Music Entertainment, according to her LinkedIn.

She is a former beauty pageant contestant

Outside of her law career, Hollis is also a former beauty pageant contestant. According to her Instagram, not only did she compete for Miss America DC in June 2023, but she also placed in the top 5 and won over $3,000.

“Had the absolute best time competing for Miss DC this weekend!!!! 👑 ,” she wrote. “Got my talent dress the week of, and evening gown dress 2 weeks before, and I placed in the top 5 on my first try! And made some great friends in the process! So much fun being on stage.”

Per her Instagram, she sang as part of her entry in the competition.

Hollis was an underdog throughout the season

In her conversation with Parade, Hollis described herself as the “true underdog of the season,” given that she only won the Power of Veto the first week before winning the final Head of Household competition.

Hollis also opened up about how she was behind with her “social game” throughout the season after being on the block during the first week.

“When you’re on the block Week 1 and you’re the target, people don’t really want to talk game with you,” she told the outlet. “I wasn’t approached with very many alliances or people who necessarily wanted to work with me until after I won the veto, but everybody else had been doing that since Day 1.”

She wants to use the prize money to pay her parents back

When Hollis was named Big Brother winner on Sept. 28, she walked away with bragging rights and the $750,000 cash prize. During a conversation with Entertainment Weekly following her win, Hollis said she wanted to “give a good chunk” of the money to her parents, as a way to thank for them for their years of support.

“They’ve given everything to me my entire life,” she said. “They’ve supported all of my dreams, all my ambitions, whether it was competitive dance when I was younger, going to modeling and casting calls and acting and all the things. So I really want to pay them back for everything that they’ve done for me.”

In addition to taking her family on a trip, Hollis said she would save the rent to buy a house in a few years and “do all the adult grown-up things.”