After a month of epic challenges, meltdowns, dramatic fights, blindsides, broken alliances and shock double-evictions, the winner of Big Brother VIP has been crowned.
Luke Toki received the most votes from the Australian public and took out the celebrity reality show on Tuesday night, leaving Ellie Gonsalves and Josh Carroll as runners-up.
The lovable larrikin will now take home a massive $110,000 in total to donate to the children’s charity that once cared for his sick daughter.
Australian Survivor favourite and Perth father of three Luke was relieved to have broken his fourth-place curse, exclaiming after tasting victory for the first time, “I’m so happy. I cannot believe it!”
When asked by host Sonia Kruger what the win meant to him, Luke responded: “Well, it means I get to go home to Lennox and tell him that dad won.”
Luke Toki won!
(Seven)“I’ve finally done it, I have won something and thank you to everyone that supported me. Thanks to you, Ellie and Josh, I will remember this moment forever. I love you!” he said through tears.
Luke added that he couldn’t wait to visit Perth Children’s Hospital Foundation for Cystic Fibrosis Clinical Research with “a big stack of cash.”
The finale episode was an emotional rollercoaster, which saw Ellie, Josh and Luke duke it out one last time in a challenge to win $10,000 for their charity.
The celebrities were tasked with spinning around hundreds of times on a swing before trying to knock down a trophy from a shelf, all while seeing stars from dizziness.
They were then forced into a chamber of freezing water to unlock a chest and retrieve two more trophies, before successfully knocking them off a shelf.
Luke was the first VIP to complete the challenge, and won $10,000 for his charity, making Luke a double-winner for a cause that’s extremely close to his heart.
Influencer Josh Carroll, actress Ellie Gonsalves and Survivor star Luke Toki made it to the top three.
(Seven)“I’m so happy because even if I don’t win this thing it means they get something!” he told Big Brother, adding, “Ten grand is just a piece – but I want the whole cake!” he said after winning the mini challenge.
Luke’s two eldest boys, Lennox and Nate, grapple with autism, while his youngest daughter, Madeline, was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis shortly after being born – just six weeks before Luke left for Survivor.
After Madeline spent time in Perth Children’s Hospital, Luke hoped to give back to the facility that cared for his daughter, while also hoping to support research in Cystic Fibrosis.
Later in the episode, Ellie, Luke and Josh said their final farewells to the Big Brother VIP Hotel and sat down with Sonia Kruger to reflect on their time on the show.
Ellie admitted she “came back from the dead” after being blindsided by Jess Power and Imogen Anthony last week, only to be allowed a shot at redemption in the game.
“The worst thing they possibly could have done was to keep me here and not kick me out as soon as I came back,” she laughed.
Luke said he couldn’t wait to visit Perth Children’s Hospital Foundation for Cystic Fibrosis Clinical Research with “a big stack of cash.”
(Seven)Ellie lit up when talking about her unexpected bond with fellow housemate Caitlyn Jenner, who was eliminated two weeks ago.
“To me, Caitlyn – I was just blown away,” she gushed. “She’s just such a kind, funny, strong person and just such a parent and I felt like I just really connected to that.”
Ellie also revealed that Caitlyn will be the one to walk her down the aisle when she marries her fiancé Ross Scutts.
Ellie lit up when talking about her unexpected bond with fellow housemate Caitlyn Jenner.
(Seven)Ellie went on to reveal her fondest memory of her time in the house was winning the first challenge which allowed her to “make my mark” in the game.
“I didn’t care what kind of a target that put on my back. I put myself out there, I won challenges, I just wanted to give this my all and not hold back and I think that’s kind of why I’m sitting here,” she said.
Ellie admitted that herself, Luke and Josh formed a “secret trio” upon her return to the house.
“We’re just strong contenders. They played the game all the way through and people who I just genuinely enjoyed playing the game with. I’m honoured to be up here with these guys.”
Josh said the show taught him confidence despite his social anxiety.
(Seven)Josh also reflected on his time in the house, admitting he “blacked out” when first arriving and seeing who he was up against.
“I think I just had to gather my bearings a bit and realise I do deserve to be here, I was invited,” he said, adding that the show taught to have confidence.
“[I learned how to] hold a conversation without anxiety. That’s probably 80 per cent of the reason that I came on here. I wanted to prove to people who have mental illness – sometimes debilitating anxiety – that you can still live a good life,” he said.
“I didn’t expect to change as a person and grow from it but it’s been the most incredible experience.”
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