Summary

  • Paradise Hotel's explosive finale had a shocking twist - one winner walked away with $250,000, leaving the partner empty-handed.
  • The show's gameplay is like Survivor, but alliances involve more intimate interactions leading to heartbreak and drama among contestants.
  • Bobby Ray stunned viewers by taking $200,000 for himself, leaving Tatum with nothing, despite their strategic gameplay and loyalty.

Paradise Hotel’s finale was explosive - and the final twist left one of the show’s winners walking away empty-handed. As a great reality TV show, Paradise Hotel was notorious for shaking up the game in every episode. Still, the final twist that one of the finalists could take home the whole $250,000 prize, leaving a partner empty-handed, was the most shocking. The winner smashed the relationship to pieces in the two-hour season 1 finale.

The show has gameplay similar to Survivor's: exotic locations, challenges, voting, and alliances - except these alliances are created with more than just taking a walk to the beach and talking. The couples are forced to find a partner to 'hook up' with, in this case, co-exist in the same hotel room, meaning many sleep in the same bed and have actual hookups. This created a lot of drama because breaking alliances left the hotel guests feeling heartbroken and shedding tears like they had been cheated on.

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Tatum And Bobby Ray Won Paradise Hotel Season 1

Paradise Hotel Season 1 Tatum and Bobby Ray Winners

The finale revealed the two Paradise Hotel season 1 winners: Tatum and Bobby Ray. The jury of voted-off guests chose the power couple because they were the most strategic and made the most alliances with the cast. The couple hooked up early and proved they could stick it out for the quarter-million dollars.

Bobby Ray Stole The Money From Tatum At Paradise Hotel

Kristin Cavallari on The Hills: New Beginnings

The power couple stayed in a room together and stayed loyal even with the twists and temptations of new beautiful girls and handsome guys entering the hotel. That is until host Kristin Cavallari revealed the shocking final twist: the winners would test their partners via one last game. Partners could take a golden ball in their hands and walk on a line of dollar amounts ranging from $5,000 to $250,000.

They were to smash the ball on the amount they wanted - or they could meet in the middle and split the quarter-million dollars together. When they both reached the $200,000 mark, Bobby Ray smashed his ball - securing himself $200,000 and sending Tatum home with nothing. The move was shocking, given that Tatum repeatedly suggested to the other hotel guests that she was the strategy behind the couple. She often devised schemes that would put the couple in the best position to win the game (and sometimes outrageous ones that backfired on her).

Up until the finale, the power couple managed to stay loyal—even with all the twists and temptations of new girls and guys entering the hotel. Tatum even betrayed Bobby Ray when she kissed another contestant because she misrepresented that they were strong enough to win the money and have a chance at real love after the show. Unfortunately, this was not true.

However, it's possible that, even if fans had forgiven Tatum for the indiscretion, Bobby Ray might not have - or at the very least, the kiss put in perspective for him that he'd rather walk away with a lot of money over a chance at love. The shock wasn't lost on the voted-off contestants either - seeing Bobby Ray, the well-behaved and trustworthy one in the couple, turn face. Still, no one was more surprised than Tatum - who ran off the stage crying.

It's safe to say there is little hope that fans will see Bobby Ray and Tatum in an off-screen romance after the show, but the more exciting thing to consider is how the last-minute shocker could set the tone for future seasons of the show. Had Bobby Ray and Tatum left the series, married, and lived happily ever after, it's likely future contestants might have prioritized love over money during their time at Paradise Hotel. However, the show was canceled after one season, so Bobby Ray and Tatum went out with a bang.

Paradise Hotel is available to stream on Amazon Prime.

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