Monday, March 4, 2013

BMN Superfan names its first winner

The live finale of what turned out to be the first season has all the elements - a reunion of past contestants, never-before-seen footage, and special surprises:
  • First up is the introduction of the eliminated contestants, all except for Ivey, who will be held over for a later segment.  The rest are in the order of their elimination.  Sgt. Lindsay Hall brings the most emotional response by showing up in her dress uniform from the U.S. Army.  Salutes and "USA" chants follow from the audience.  Anna "Lil' Bit" Granthum is also popular with the crowd.
  • Brittany Raylene performs her single, "Lonely," from her album of the same name.  Her new reality TV project, Brittany Raylene: On Her Own, goes on to debut after this live finale.
  • Family members share their favorite memories of the season.
  • The three finalists - Jeff Porter, Brittany Ramos, and Megan Turnipseed - are introduced and asked their feelings.
  • Season 2 is officially revealed, with contestants Deb Holmes and Matt Jeffers in the audience.  Footage is shown in which it's revealed that the grand prize will be a trip to Camp Paradise, the location where younger generations of Barefoots hone their outdoor skills and where Hambone is the marketing director.
  • Ivey is introduced in a separate segment.  Her misdeeds were recapped - lying about Hambone's name, accusing the producers of rigging the show, and accusing Lil' Bit of falling down so that Brittany could advance.  When asked, she insists that "the real Ivey isn't like that" and claims that she merely wants an on-air persona similar to that of Omarosa, the multiple-time contestant on The Apprentice, because "bad [attitude] sells."
  • Shandi Finnessey then announces that Jeff has finished third in the nationwide vote and will not win the competition.  Porter thanks "Braves nation" for its support throughout the season and calls the season "the most unforgettable experience I've had since the Braves won the [1995] World Series."
  • In the next segment, everyone connected to the show take selected questions from fans.
  • The show then ends with the moment everyone has waited for.  Finnessey gives the sealed envelope with the winner's name to Buddy Wayne.  After a few words to draw it out, he says, "The winner of BMN Superfan is...Brittany Ramos!"  The confetti flies, Brittany cries with joy, and her family (pictured at right) rejoices.  At the end of the show, Brittany says, "This is exactly why I did it.  This is for my kids!  Every time I thought of giving up, I thought of them and what they can learn from me being around them for a week and living the way they do.  Seeing them tonight made it real for them."  B.W. then gives Brittany the formal invitation to the Barefoot house, a check for $50,000, keys to the Chevrolet SS that she will receive this fall, and checks for $10,000 each to give to the Wounded Warrior Project, the Bluebird Fund, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, the American Red Cross, and World Vision International.
(In the next post, I'll explain why Ramos' win seemed to be in the stars.)

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