(Courtesy of CBS)

Celebrity Big Brother has hit the scene! After every eviction, Parade’s Mike Bloom interviews the latest celebrity to leave the Big Brother house.

In the middle of the musical Hairpsray’s second act, a struggle for the televised title of Miss Teenage Hairspray has emerged between two leading contenders. On one side is Amber von Tussle, someone who knows the beauty scene inside and out and whose mother’s backstage dealings had put her in a prime position to go far. On the other is Tracy Turnblad, who does not have the look of a typical participant on “The Corny Collins Show,” but her kind-hearted nature and friendliness shine through. I won’t go into who wins for fear of spoiling a movie-turned-musical-turned-movie-turned-live-TV-adaptation, but in the case of Celebrity Big Brother, it was Tracy who prevailed. Marissa Jaret Winokur, who won a Tony Award for her performance for the role, would be the first to admit that she spent the game singing “It Takes Two” in lockstep with Ross Mathews, some would even argue playing in his shadow. But his shady gameplay in the eyes of most of the jury had them looking towards the shadows, where they decided to reward Marisa’s honesty by giving her the majority of votes and the $250,000 prize that comes with it.

When Marissa walked into the Big Brother house, she was no stranger to reality television, having finished fourth on her season of Dancing with the Stars and even taking her own turn at hosting with Oxygen’s Dance Your Ass Off. She was especially no stranger to the show proper, having watched every episode (including the less mainstream online version) and building her son Zev into one of the biggest superfans the game had ever seen. For her opening act, she commiserated with her Scary Movie co-star Shannon Elizabeth, who assuaged her fears by bringing her into the first major alliance of the season. As the women took control during the first Head of Household, Marissa started to connect socially with the houseguests, talking about common interests, talking about jobs they worked to make ends meet, and, well to be quite honest, talking about anything under the sun. Though Marissa had followed Shannon’s lead when the poker player decided to go all in and blindside Chuck Liddell, she was beginning to grow nervous about her increased control over the game and her growing closeness to previous pariah James Maslow. Perhaps it was that weakness that allowed her to open the door to her Big Brother brain, allowing Brandi Glanville and Ariadna Gutierrez to convince her and Head of Household Ross that now was the time to strike at Shannon. This thinking brought the pair closer together, as they chose to jump from a foursome with James and Shannon to one with Ari and Brandi. In getting rid of her friend outside of the house, Marissa quickly realized what the Big Brother game would entail, and hoped that her positive spirit and friendly demeanor would help make up for all the lying and backstabbing she was a part of.

With Shannon out of the house, Ross was definitively her “ride or die.” She rode with him, even into the dangerous Big Brother wildlands of playing both sides, donning different hats as much as she did cat ears and colorful tutus. As Ross continued to make deals with whoever was in power, she was included in every deal. But there was still a part of her emotional side that distracted from her strategic side. For example, when James and Mark McGrath made a deal with Head of Household Omarosa Manigault that they quickly regretted, they went to Marissa to offer another final four deal with her and Ross. She was admittedly hesitant, worried about leaving Ari out of the loop after getting so close to her. Perhaps that was the reason she found herself on the block during both votes of the double eviction, being put up initially as a pawn to send Brandi out, then initially alongside Ross to hopefully break up their tight partnership. But Ross proved that he wasn’t going to stop her beat any time soon, choosing to be a pivotal vote to save her in both evictions. When Ross won the next HoH competition, Marissa was ecstatic and reaffirmed her promise to him that they would take each other to the end. But Ross had other plans in mind; he had his pick of the litter among all the finals deals he was making but was leaning towards choosing Mark for fear of the women ultimately voting for someone with whom they started the game. But the opportunity slipped out of his hands like a rogue tweet, as in the final and most powerful HoH competition in Big Brother history, it was Marissa who ended up hashing out the hashtags correctly (along with giving quite the sound effect as she slammed her head on the podium at one point). Choosing to honor how much Ross assisted her throughout the game, she stuck to her guns and chose to take him, sending Ari and Mark out of the house by her hand. At first glance, one might assume that with Ross’s ability to play both sides and constantly jump between seats of power, along with Ross’s five competition wins to Marissa’s two, he would earn the cash tip of $250,000. But the tip ended up going to the woman who once worked in a gentlemen’s club to make ends meet. Mark, Brandi, and a possibly randomized Metta World Peace decided to vote for him, but everyone else honored Marissa’s honest gameplay and emotional connections with the jury by giving her the win, something that made her wig out in shock as she exited the house.

Now out of the game, Marissa speaks with me about the difference between the celebrity and civilian editions of Big Brother, how thinking of her family helped and hurt her game, and what she promised her son she would do with the winnings before going into the house.

It’s the morning after you win the show that you adore. How are you feeling right now?

It’s absolutely insane. I haven’t even registered it yet because the entire time I was like, “Oh, I just hope that I get to the top four.” I wasn’t really prepared to win. I know that sounds horrible, but it wasn’t my plan. So [it’s] still a little surreal. I came home to a group of forty people in my house screaming, and I’m like, “This is so crazy.” I love being the first winner of Celebrity Big Brother. I love that I’m down in the books for Big Brother. I met all the winners last night. I was like, “Derrick, oh my god, I read your book!” I read Derrick’s book when I was in sequester; I bought his book on Amazon right before I went in. It’s so crazy that I won! (Laughs.)

Were you surprised at any votes in particular once they all shook out?

I thought they were all going to Ross, so every vote that went to Ross I was not surprised by. Every vote that came my way, I was a little more surprised by. I was not surprised by Keshia and Omarosa, which is crazy to say. I’m still a little like, “I was in the Big Brother house with Omarosa.” I never got over that. The entire game, I never got over that; I was always aware of her presence in every situation. I think Shannon’s vote was the most touching. I was so happy that she voted for me. Look, I don’t know what happened in the house other than the [fact] that we had to get rid of her because she was going to win the game. (Laughs.) She was a beast! Other than doing Dancing with the Stars with Shannon, we weren’t friends outside of the house. I hadn’t talked to her in ten years. So I don’t know what has been said or what she did, but I was most happy and most surprised by her vote. And now absolutely I’m for Animal Avengers, [Shannon’s] charity. I’m definitely donating money to her charity. I’ve watched the video a million times of her and Omarosa. Boom! my women jumped into action and said, “Marissa’s winning this.” I saw it all happen when I got home.

How much do you those final results came from that initial women’s alliance then?

No, I don’t think so. I think Omarosa wanted a woman to win. I think that’s why she voted for me, to be honest. But I didn’t even realize I was a threat in the house until Omarosa blew up my game and told everybody that I was a threat. (Laughs.) I really just thought people thought, “Oh, I’ll take her to the final two. She’ll never win.” I never realized people were onto my game. I went in going, “Look, I’m a mom. I have a 10-year-old son. I want to set a good example. I know the game; I know how to play the game.” The truth is, there are two games. There’s Celebrity Big Brother and there’s Big Brother. Ross played Big Brother proper and I was playing Celebrity Big Brother. People were going home and seeing videos. You are going to get caught in your lies, so I was very careful. Nobody thought I was doing anything, so nobody asked me about anything, so I didn’t have to lie. I was able to stay true to my friends, Ari, and Ross because people underestimated me. Brandi and Omarosa didn’t think I understood the game and didn’t think I had a strategy. Yeah, my strategy was don’t be a horrible person, make friends, and leave with a good experience. I was never thinking about the prize money; I was thinking about setting a good example for my son, my friends, and being a good person.

I want to drill down on that Celebrity Big Brother versus Big Brother proper. What do you think is the main difference between the two?

The main difference is when you vote someone out, they were going home and were able to watch the show, the live feeds, and Pop! So if you backstab somebody, they’re going to see it. If you talked about them when they left, they were going to see it. You were going to get busted. You had to be fair and honest or else or else you were going to get busted. It’s hard to get someone to vote for you when they are mad at you. So you can’t get people mad at you, you have to stay pretty even-keeled. Also, we are not coming [as] 20-year-old kids. A lot of kids who do Big Brother are like, “I live in my mother’s garage and I don’t have a job!” These are people with fanbases and careers. It’s funny, James said once, “If you think one woman in a group of six women can dictate all the other women, you’re crazy. You’re all strong, professional, successful women.” You had to keep in mind that the power of the house shifted on a dime because every single [person] in there was already successful in their lives. So losing at something was not an option. We couldn’t underplay that; we couldn’t be like, “Well, I’m not really a competitor.” I won a Tony Award, I’m going to compete. So it was a different game. There were also egos in check and people you had to be kinder to. You even had to think, “Oh my gosh, James has 4 million viewers that are watching on Instagram. Don’t be a dick to James! He has a whole rally of people who are going to kill you when you get out of sixteen-year-old girls.” I think people forgot there were fanbases already in the game. Also, unlike every [other] Big Brother, if you said something, it’s going to reach people in a different way. I was able to talk about surviving cancer. I was able to talk about gay rights. We were able to talk about things that would become conversations. It wasn’t college kids shooting their mouths; we actually had to be careful about what we said.

Did that attitude tie into your answers to the jury in the finale? I know you said you didn’t really prepare for that scenario, but what was your intent behind those answers?

The first thought when I was sitting next to Ross and talking to the jury was that I was in shock. Ari, Ross, and Mark were walking around all day prepping their speeches. I talked Mark and Ross through their speeches on how to win. I knew nobody was taking me. I was hoping someone would, but I knew nobody was. In my heart, I knew I wasn’t getting taken, so I didn’t practice the speech. It’s very clear I had no idea what I was saying. Finally, thankfully, in the end, I was able to talk from my heart. My game was very upfront and honest, and I meant it. I said it a bunch of times in the house, and people will tell, I said, “The money at the end of this game was not going to be worth hurting all of these friends who I made, all of these connections, and all of these people.” I wanted to lose to Ross, rather than take somebody just to win. I can’t explain it, but I wanted to prove to him that it’s not about the money and it’s not about the win, sometimes you win life by making a hard decision and picking your friend. Ross stood by me the whole show. He saved me against Brandi, who he was friends with before the show. He saved me against James, who was going to be able to win these competitions and take him as far as he can go. So I wanted to show my son and maybe other women and men out there that sometimes, the money isn’t the goal; being a good person is.

It’s safe to say you were a bit of a conversationalist in the house, and your game definitely hinged on the relationships you made. Was that part of the strategy you had going into the house, or did it develop organically?

I knew going in I was either going to be the first to go or people were going to like me. Look, I am definitely a huge personality, and either people love me or hate me. I’ve lived with that for 45 years; it’s nothing new. (Laughs.) I talk too much; I drive most people insane. But the ones that I don’t drive insane love me. So my strategy going in was that I had to be myself; I wasn’t going to stifle anything. I knew my only game in this was my social game. I’m an out of shape 45-year-old woman. I basically lived on cream cheese, Doritos, and Diet Coke in the house, which is totally disgusting. There was no way I was going to win a physical. I tried my hardest and never gave up. Every single physical challenge, I [convinced myself] I was going to win, it’s such a bizarre thing. Every time I was like, “This is my challenge!” I knew I had to be social; I knew I had to make friends fast. I also knew I needed to find somebody. I was like, “If there’s a strong, athletic gay man in there, I’m going to win this thing.” And then I got Ross Mathews, and I had no idea that he was ever going to win a challenge. But I was like, “Okay, I’ll take Ross.” (Laughs.) And then he started winning challenges. I had Ross’s back from the beginning and he had mine. If you can trust one person, you’ll go so far. I trusted even them, and even knowing what I know now that he wasn’t absolutely taking me, I’m not mad at that. I wanted him to win. He was playing Big Brother, and I would have voted for him.

At one point, Mark and James approach you for the alliance that will eventually become the “Roomie Squad.” You seem hesitant, just because you have an emotional attachment to Ari and you don’t want to leave her out. How hard is it to not let those types of emotions get involved with strategy?

That’s why I didn’t sleep at night. I knew Brandi was going and if she didn’t go that time, she was going to go the next time, and Ari was on her own. There’s nothing worse than feeling like you’re alone in that house. I didn’t want to leave Ari, so I knew at that moment when they came to me, and they said, “We will keep Ross, but you have to work with us,” I knew that was the only decision. At that point, if I could get in with them and get in their ear, I could get Omarosa and Metta to go before Ari. And by then, who knows. I never left Ari’s side; I never strayed from her plan of Ari in the end. It’s hard; it keeps you up and night and gives you stomachaches. You have every single emotion five times a day. One day feels like five days. It’s very hard emotionally, but as long as you don’t lie, cheat, and steal, you’re not going to hurt your friends. I would have left before hurting Ari at the time because she meant a lot to me. I do think emotions get in the way of the game, but I wasn’t playing the game that way. I was playing the game of someone who wanted to inspire kids at home.

Speaking of kids at home, I knew when you walked out of the house as the winner, you told Julie Chen that you would be getting your son Zev “what he asked for” now that you had won. Can you disclose what he asked for?

Oh my God, it’s s horrible! All he ever wants is a warped wall from American Ninja Warrior. Do you know that wall?

(Laughs.) Yeah, the giant ramp!

Yeah! So, he’s obsessed with that, and he’s been asking me for three years now. And I’m like, “Absolutely not. There’s absolutely no way we’re getting you that. Not a chance.” Then when I told him that I was doing Celebrity Big Brother, he was losing his mind. He’s like, “If you win, can I get a warped wall?” I’m like, “Sure, but I have to win the whole game. It’s not second place; it’s not random prize money during the show. You’re not getting it unless I win.” Then he looked at me in the audience when I won, and he went, “Now I’m getting a warped wall!” And I was like, “Oh my God, now I’m getting a warped wall. I’m going to have a 14-foot wood wall in the back of my house that my son’s going to break his arm on.” I just won, and now that’s the only thing he wants, and that’s the only thing I said I would get with the prize money. And now I have to get one!

Looks like we’ll be seeing him on American Ninja Warrior. Speaking of Zev, do those thoughts of home life and what’s outside the house really anchor you among the tumultuous waves of playing the game?

I will say it actually hurts you. (Laughs.) There were a couple of times, especially on Valentine’s Day. During Valentine’s Day, it was very emotional. Omarosa almost wanted to go; we were all like, “Wow, this is hard. This is hard leaving our families, spouses, our children.” Everybody felt that way. I have a wonderful, unique relationship with my son. I’m sure a lot of mothers would understand, but my husband is away for work in New York five months out of the year, so it’s really just my kid and me a lot. He’s my partner, he’s my buddy. We have a special relationship. HE’s nine and a half years old, and I had never left him for longer than four days ever. It was the first time I ever left, and that was where I had a lot of problems. I was just hoping he was okay and hoping everything was alright at home. If he had broken his toe, I would have left the show; it wasn’t worth it to me. We all saw Metta couldn’t deal with it, and Keshia had to go to her baby. That was the hardest part. We were an older group, so we had different responsibilities at home than the other Big Brother group. We kind of had to rally as a family inside the house. I took James under my wing and said, “I’m going to take care of you, buddy.” It was a tough time leaving him. I was definitely playing my game to be in the final four. Then when they showed those videos on Valentine’s Day, I saw Zev and my husband and they both looked a mess and happier than they’ve ever looked. It looked like they both had been eating fast food and watching TV for a month. I was like, “Oh, I’ve got to win now. This is for my kid. He’s totally loving this.” I knew in that moment, “No, no, no. You can do this. Ten more days and you’re in.”