Big Brother’s house is open once more! Every week, Parade.com’s Mike Bloom will be bringing you interviews with houseguests as they get evicted from the game.

After nearly 100 days in confinement, Jackson Michie finally got his confetti. It had been one of the many phrases he’d trot out over Big Brother 21, a constant reminder to him of the end goal. With ticker tape in mind, he helmed an aggressive game from beginning to end, dominating competitions and making and breaking deals left and right. And though some of his actions may have soured some of the audience, the jury honored the path he was able to pave for himself, earning Jackson the win and $500,000 soon to be spent on watermelons.

Jackson felt all eyes on him from the get-go, and he confirmed that would be the case with his actions. He campaigned to get safety with Camp Director, who would nominate for immediate elimination. He made a quick bond with fellow alpha male Jack Matthews, and the two worked to build the “Gr8ful” alliance. Meanwhile, Jackson was working on building a different type of relations with Kathryn Dunn, then Holly Allen. While he thought he was sitting pretty, the rest of his alliance was planning to take the stool out from under him. Christie Murphy was growing less trusting in him after he cast a rogue vote, and was angered by his aggressive attitude. The breaking point came when Jackson told Jack about Kat and Holly’s outside connection. Christie led the charge against the showmance, nearly evicting Kat and causing a Six Shooter schism.

Related: Big Brother 21: Holly Allen Goes from Wine to a Near Win

Jackson was at the top of the house hit list as the jury started. Though he survived eviction against Jack, his game had exploded more violently than an alien autopsy. After Kat’s eviction, he faced a slippery slope but used that to his advantage when he won HoH. This kicked off a dominating streak of competition wins, winning HoH and/or Veto five out of six weeks. He tried to use his power to better his path to the end, making a deal with Christie to use her against the rest of the house. He also made a final four deal with Holly, Nicole Anthony, and Cliff Hogg III. When it looked like Nicole and Cliff might evict Holly at the final five, Jackson’s eavesdropping and stubbornness came in clutch. He created a lie that Tommy Bracco had promised him the same thing as Cliff and Nicole, doubling down on the fabrication during a heated house meeting. As a result, Jackson and Holly remained intact, allowing him to take out the other duo with critical competition wins. In the end, he emphasized to the jury that everything he did was game-related and not personal. And while Jackson played by his dad’s motto of, “There’s always a bigger fish,” his arguments landed six jury votes in his boat.

Now out of the house, Jackson talks with Parade.com about what he expected from the jury, how he tried to balance personal bonds with gameplay, and how he feels about the comments made about him shortly before his win.

We’re talking about 12 hours after you were crowned the winner of the season. How does it feel?

The isolation and solitude have been an experience unlike anything else. But now that I’ve had a chance to have a good night’s sleep and catch up on things, it’s an incredible feeling. This game was challenging, but everything I did, I did to win. It was so rewarding to know that my hard work paid off. It’s nice to see things come full circle.

Admittedly you had a bit of a mixed reaction walking out of the house after being declared the winner, due to some of the questions asked to you by the jury and Julie. What was going through your head in those last few minutes?

I’m sitting there trying to get my thoughts together. I won the final HoH, and everything happened so quick. The entire finale felt it took all of 30 seconds. I’m trying to campaign, then I get hit with some very difficult questions. I had no idea what they referenced because I’d been away from the real world. And they’re two subjects that are very important to me. Hearing those things being questioned about myself was difficult to hear. It was a mixture of fear, paranoia because I have no idea what has been said, and excitement because this is the end of it.

A lot of it was shock. I don’t know if you could tell by my outfit, but I wore exactly what I wore when I moved in. I didn’t bring a suit; I didn’t plan to be there on finale night. I didn’t know if I would make it. The fact that I got the confetti I always wanted brought a lot of different emotions in my head. Walking out was a roller coaster on the inside.

Related: Big Brother 21: Nicole Anthony’s Wings Get Clipped, But Her Popularity Soars

Have you had an opportunity to digest those difficult questions?

I have. Everyone in this house and previous houseguests can attest to the fact that it’s a pressure cooker of an environment. I’m a very intense person, and I’m sure y’all have seen. I do everything full-speed 1000 miles an hour, good, bad, ugly, and in between. I don’t do anything halfway. I know that about myself, and it’s something I need to work on. I will get just as upset about something regardless of who did it or who said it. Regardless of age, race, gender, religion, sexual orientation. None of that has been a factor in my head. I truly look at everyone as being equal. I saw everyone I was living with as 15 houseguests, 15 people, 15 other players. None of the things I said were ever based on any of those factors.

I’ve said things in the heat of the moment I wish I could take back. But at the end of the day, it was true emotions that I would have felt regardless. The emotions I feel have never been based on those things. It was a little disheartening. I know Kat and I have had a few arguments, but we’ve also had a few conversations where we made up. We’re like siblings; we bicker and we have our make-up sessions. But I respect women; I really do. I know I’m intense. But I never tried to make anything personal or belittling to a woman in that house. I truly saw everyone as equal. But I”m the first one to admit when I’m wrong. I admit I’ve made mistakes and no one’s perfect. Every mistake is a lesson to be learned. I hope to move on a better man than I walked into that house with.

Were there any jury votes that surprised you one way or the other?

I knew with Holly and me, the jury’s going to go one of two ways. They were going to vote either on gameplay or emotion. With Nicole living with Holly and me the last week, I figured she was going to give her her vote. But if I got Cliff, Christie, and Tommy, I knew I had it in the bag. I knew I would get Nick and Jack’s votes. I’m not surprised by Jess or Kat, especially Jess. I knew she probably wasn’t going to vote for me. Christie, Tommy, and Cliff were three people who were either going to respect my gameplay or be very, very bitter and vote for Holly. When I saw those votes come in, I knew I was going to be the winner. I’m very glad that they did. This whole summer, they’ve always said they wouldn’t be bitter jurors.

I didn’t expect to get Sis’ vote. She left on a very personal note and said some very personal things to me right before eviction. I truly felt that would carry over to when she was voting, and it didn’t. I’m glad they set those emotions aside. In seasons past, it’s been frustrating someone who has worked hard and deserved that $500,000 not have it rewarded to them because of bitterness. Out of everything this season, I’m glad we were able to keep it game.

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On that note, you talked in your jury answers about presenting as an honest Southern gentleman but needing to be duplicitous sometimes. How tough was it for you to separate the game from personal, especially considering the other houseguests?

After Day 44 happened with that whole blow-up, I was kicked to the curb and on my own. I had nothing to lose. I was finally able to play my own Big Brother. That entailed being able to compete and being upfront and honest, having everything on the table. It was that way up until “BB Comics,” when Nicole and Cliff were going to keep Tommy. I told Christie and Sis exactly why I nominated them; I told Christie and Jess exactly why I nominated them. Yes, there was a strategy behind it and times when I would spin things to people to help my game. But I tried my best to emphasize to everyone that this is just a game. Every decision I’m making is based on a game. It has nothing to do with us on a personal level. Ovi quoted me from Day 1, “The connections we make are real, but the decisions we make are game.” I’ve tried to live by that the best I can.

I didn’t want to have to lie and go back on deals. But at the end of this game, when I realized it was either Tommy or Holly, I wasn’t even going to question it. I will do anything I have to to keep her in the house. After the whole blow-up happened and I realized Cliff and Holly were considering keeping Tommy, that’s when my honesty and loyalty with them was severed. I will not do things for people and bend over backward if it’s not going to be reciprocated. My word is my bond. In my real life, if I shake someone’s hand and say I’m going to do something, I’m going to do it. It was hard for me to do that, especially with Cliff. But I had to adapt to my environment. This game is all about adaptation. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do to further Holly and me together in this game.

Speaking of adaptation, how much did that Day 44 incident and the split of the Six Shooters change your game plan?

On the surface, it sucked. I realized the entire house was coming after me. I was public enemy number one. But deep down, I loved it. I was extremely uncomfortable, and you’re not going to grow when you’re comfortable. I like being uncomfortable and pushing myself. I can finally play the game of Big Brother that I wanted to. The entire first half up to that point, Holly and I were immediately drawn together by being in an alliance where we were with the numbers but didn’t enjoy it. We felt we were playing other people’s games. They were very cocky and arrogant about the fact that they’re just going to bulldoze through everything and they’ll manifest a win every time. We were like, “That’s not realistic. It’s naive to think those things.” So when the split happened, it honestly was a relief. Now I can compete and be myself on a social level. Now I can play the game the way I always wanted to. It’s time to turn on the burners and bust some ass. I was finally no longer tied to anyone. I was on my own with Holly and ready to play some Big Brother.

Related: Big Brother 21: Cliff Hogg’s Game Runs out of Gas

You and Holly sat together at the end, but there were several times when you had some personal conflicts. What was the experience like to work through those issues for the betterment of your game?

I did the math. Let’s say we’re awake for 16 hours a day. If you spend 2 hours a day with someone uninterrupted for two years and three months, that is the same amount of time Holly and I spent together in that house. We started off living with each other. Anyone who’s ever been in a relationship knows that the moment you live with each other can make or break it. We started in a pressure cooker of stress, in an environment that’s going to fester and bring out the best and worst in people. Yes, we had spats. Yes, we had arguments. But everyone in the house did.

Holly and I both knew our game was why we walked into this house. WE didn’t know each other when we came in. Regardless of where we stood on a personal level, our game was never affected. We’re very good at differentiating between the two. And that will carry over outside of the house. We have very separate lives and individual goals. I’ve always said the priority for me is that I want her to be happy and do what’s best for her. I want us to live our lives. If they’re able to coincide and be synergistic with each other, then great! If not, she’s still going to be my best friend and have a special place in my heart. Whether we’re in a relationship or not, that won’t change.

You brought up your intensity, which came off as aggression during certain points of the season. Did you ever perceive other houseguests seeing you that way?

I have a personality that you jive with or you don’t. All through life, people either like me or can’t stand me. A lot more people like me than don’t. When people don’t like me, they usually don’t give me a chance or have a conversation with me. I’m very intense, but at the same time, I’m very laid back. Everything I do, I do full force. I know I can be aggressive and abrasive, and those are things I’m trying to work on. Believe it or not, I’m better than I have been for the past couple of years. I’ve lived with the motto that, “Everything in life worth doing is worth overdoing.” Moderation is for cowards.

I put all of my energy into anything worth my time, and I do the best I can with it. Sometimes it rubs people the wrong way, and sometimes I say things that I shouldn’t. I get worked up and say things in the heat of the moment that I’m trying my best to fix and correct. I turned 24 a week before moving into this house. Although I’ve had a lot of experiences in my life, I have a lot of life left to live and lessons to learn. This house has shown me a lot of them. It’s a growing experience. The biggest mistakes in life usually yield the biggest changes. A mistake once is a lesson learned; a mistake twice is a lesson lost. I have to make sure I use this opportunity to grow myself as a young man and go forward on the best foot possible.

The one thing you said to Julie after winning was that you wanted to make sure your family was proud. How much of a driving force was that for your game, and how did it feel getting to see them?

I’m an only child; I’m the last one that will be carrying the Michie name. My parents have worked way too hard to develop me into the man I am to have me have that reputation. I don’t want their last name tarnished over a reality show. $500,000 is great; it’s mighty nice on paper and can fix a lot of materialistic things. But I love my parents more than anything. I came onto the show for them and my family as a whole. As much as I wanted that confetti and money for my family, it’s not worth it to me if they aren’t proud and if I’ve done something unfixable. But they’re very supportive of everything I’ve done, and they love me unconditionally. Seeing them in the front row smiling was the biggest reward for me, honestly more than the money. After this experience, they’re still there for me. I couldn’t be more grateful. I’m very, very blessed to have the family dynamics I have. Money is nice and all, but you only have one family, and I only have one last name. I don’t want to jeopardize that.

Next up, read our exclusive interview with Staten Island’s Tommy Bracco after he was evicted from the BB house—click here!