"Worst winner" — Claim to Fame season 3 fans divided by Adam's win

Claim to Fame season 3 concluded on Wednesday, August 28, 2024, with a 2-hour special finale. Hud, Mackenzie, and Adam were the three players to enter the final rounds of the competition. With $100,000 on the line, each cast member put their best foot forward, attempting to outshine the other and clinch the winner's title.

The eliminated contestants joined the finalists to participate in the concluding challenge. However, they could choose to help or sabotage the players' game. The final task was a combination of the previous seven tasks. It also contained three large billboards with clues for each of the finalist's celebrity relatives.

The finalists would get a key to their opponent's billboards each time they completed a challenge. Although unveiling the clues was an essential part of the task, the one with the fewest keys would be the winner and be able to select the first guesser and their target.

After a major turn of events, Adam emerged victorious. He correctly guessed Mackenzie and Hud's celebrity relatives and walked away with the winner's title. Claim to Fame fans were divided by the results. While some said he was the "underdog" who deserved to win, others felt he chanced upon the victory. They took to X to express their views.

"I cannot believe Adam won………..this is quite literally the worst winner they have ever had, he did NOTHING to deserve that win & I stand by that #ClaimToFame," a fan wrote.

"Couldn’t be more happy that Adam won this season. He deserved it!! True underdog #ClaimToFame," another fan wrote.

Some Claim to Fame fans believed Mackenzie and Hud handed the victory to Adam as they failed to present their best gameplay.

"Whyyyy did Mackenzie and Hud go after each other in the final challenge and just HAND THE WIN to Adam? GUYS. #ClaimToFame," a netizen commented.

"Disappointed in the finale. Adam shouldn’t have won. Hud and Mackenzie gave it to him. If they hadn’t screwed up that last challenge and focused on getting Adam’s board instead of each others, he wouldn’t have won. So dumb. #ClaimtoFame," a user reacted.

"i can't believe ADAM of all people won the entire season, what a mess #claimtofame," another person tweeted.

At the same time, many were glad Adam won Claim to Fame season 3. They felt he was a controversial player, not supported by the other cast members, and won the show on his own accord.

"adam got hud and mackenzie by himself… while the other two needed the whole houses help… sorry but team adam here #claimtofame," one fan tweeted.

"Can’t believe I’m about to say this..BUT.. I became Team Adam this episode!! He’s been the underdog the entire season and still made it to the finale despite the challenges! #ClaimtoFame," another netizen reacted.

"My man Adam measured up he truly was the underdog of the season and everyone underestimated him just for him to get the final two guessers and win this season! Rightfully deserved! #ClaimToFame," one person commented.

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What happened in the final challenge of Claim to Fame season 3?

Mackenzie and Hud chose to target each other, leaving Adam unsurveiled. They managed to secure six keys in their clues. Former contestant Gracie Lou extended a helping hand to Hud on the lake but he refused to accept it. Meanwhile, Adam received no help from anyone. Gracie Lou, Dedrick, and Bianca refused to support the Claim to Fame finalist.

"I did literally nothing to these people at all," Adam said.

Soon, Adam injured himself at the telephone challenge and was rushed to the hospital. After his injury, Miguel, who previously refused to aid him, helped him on the telephone.

Adam profited from Hud and Mackenzie's gameplay. Since the two were targeting each other, Adam only needed one key to reveal Hud's billboard. Meanwhile, Hud used the final key on Mackenzie's billboard, revealing phrases such as "Celebrity Apprentice winner" and "Men Love Country Girls."

At the cocktail party, Gracie Lou and Naomi further helped Mackenzie figure out that Hud's celebrity relative was John Cougar Mellencamp. Despite the hints, Adam won the challenge, with the lowest number of keys. The Claim to Fame cast member volunteered to be the guesser and asked Mackenzie to join him.

He correctly guessed that Mackenzie was related to singer Trace Adkins. As he advanced, he chose to be the guesser again and successfully revealed that Hud was related to singer John Cougar Mellencamp. As soon as he made the guess, the fireworks went off and Adam was declared the winner.

It was later revealed that the Claim to Fame season 3 winner was related to singer Michael Bolton.

"Is this real? Did I win Claim to Fame? All I can think is: How did I do that?" Adam said.

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Episodes of Claim to Fame season 3 are available to stream on ABC and Hulu.