“Big Brother Australia” season 10 grand winner is Tim! Garnering 36 per cent of public votes, Tim Dormer beat his fellow final three finalists Jade Albany Pietrantonio and Tahan Lew-Fatt, as well as 17 other housemates, on Wednesday’s final episode.

The 29-year-old university student and former DJ was arguably the most strategic player in the house. His rivals quickly labelled him a “stirrer” when they thought he was controlling the game with his schemes. But the same schemes also endeared him to other housemates, who thought the funny man was actually funny and fun.

Wearing his infamous lucky jacket, the newly crowned Tim admitted that there were other better players in the house who played with their heart and mind.

“I played with my instinct,” he said as he finally left the house.

His unpredictable behaviour and child-like conduct were also the reasons why he became a favourite to win early on. He often took the biggest share of public votes during eviction nights, even during the same week when he deliberately put himself up for eviction to save Mikkayla.

It wasn’t always that way, though. The first time he entered the house, viewers’ feedback wasn’t very favourable, with some thinking that his bluntness was already bordering on rude. However, viewers quickly found out that while he irritated some of the housemates at times, he was the most entertaining one.

Aside from winning the title and the coveted $250,000 prize money, Tim also got a very special shout out from his celebrity crush, Bindi Irwin.

Congratulations Tim from Big Brother on the wonderful win. @BBAU9

— Bindi Irwin (@BindiIrwin) November 6, 2013

His fellow housemates have offered their well wishes as well. Although not all supported him at first, everyone conceded that he was deserving of the win. But perhaps it was Rohan who said it best:

Tim won Big Brother the moment he went into to the house! #bbau #bbgrandfinal @bbau9 — Rohan Mirchandaney (@RohanBBAU) November 6, 2013

Coming in at second place is Jade with 34 per cent votes. The 23-year-old barmaid/model from Ballina played with her heart and got the man of her dreams inside the house. She also received $10,000 from sponsor Ambi Pur and a 65” Sony TV.

“You don’t believe in yourself, but I did, and a lot of Australia did, too,” Tim told Jade when only the two of them were left in the house.

“The man with the most imagination I’ve ever seen,” Jade described her companion when he called himself a “wild idiot.”

In spite of being subjected to social media attacks and frequently struggling with self-esteem, Jade managed to beat Tahan, who confidently told Big Brother in more than one occasion that she could beat “those girls.”

Apparently, she couldn’t beat Jade.

Coming in at third place isn’t so bad, though. Tahan has $5000 from Ambi Pur, and she still has her ever loyal boyfriend, David Reynolds, who, despite being criticised for employing questionable tactics to save his girl, stood by her.

What went on during the finale?

Host Sonia Kruger opened the show via the Diary Room, and the three housemates – Tim, Tahan, and Jade – were told to watch the show in the decorated backyard.

Holding triangle lanterns on sticks, the evicted housemates – Sharon Smith, Rohan Mirchandaney, Xavier Holland, Jasmin Bell, Caleb Geppert, Heidi Anderson, Matthew Filippi, Tully Smyth, Katie and Lucy Mercer, Nathan Barlow, Ben Zabel, Mikkayla Mossop, Madaline Cogar, Ed Lower, Alex “Boog” Roe, and Anthony Drew – then opened the show in the studio with a rather short dance number.

They came back moments later in groups for an interview with Sonia.

Although it’s up to Australia to vote for the winner, the housemates were still asked who they wanted to win.

Here’s the tally:
Madaline – Jade
Rohan – Tim
Heidi – Tim
Caleb – Tahan
Tully – Tahan
Ben – Tim
Nathan – Jade
Matt – Tahan
Sugar Sisters – Jade
Xavier – Tim
Sharon – Tim
Boog – Tahan
Drew – Tim
Ed – Jade
Jasmin – Tahan
Mikkayla - Jade

BB Australia 2012 winner and runner-up, Benjamin Norris and Layla Subritzki, also made an appearance and searched for the biggest fans of the top 3 in the audience.

In a taped segment, Ben, Big Brother’s PA for the day, gave the audience a tour of the house from the staff’s perspective, walking through corridors and looking at the housemates through one-way mirrors.

After second runner-up Tahan left the house, the final two, Tim and Jade, were shown the news that they’ve missed while they were locked away, with Jade making a priceless facial expression upon learning that Tony Abbott won prime minister.

“But how?” a clearly aghast Jade asked.

And of course, a finale episode wouldn’t be complete without showing video montage of the entire season.

Watch the full final episode:
Part 1:

Part 2:

Tim answers your questions:

Watch Tim as a VJ before BBAU

RELATED STORIES