Houseguests
‘Big Brother’: Vince Panaro & Morgan Pope’s Full ‘Cheatmance’ Timeline, Explained
From lifelong fans to first-time viewers, everyone has been talking about Big Brother Season 27’s Vince Panaro, Morgan Pope, and their alleged “cheatmance.” Now that Season 27 has come to an end, we’re running it back with a full recap of Vince and Morgan’s relationship from Day 1 to Day 83.
For anyone who hasn’t jumped on the BB bandwagon yet, don’t worry, we’ll rewind a little bit. Big Brother is a reality competition show where a group of houseguests live in a secluded house with 24/7 surveillance, competing for control in the game and building alliances with their competitors to save themselves from being voted out. While most in-house relationships are strictly game-related, houseguests have been known to form romantic relationships (à la forced proximity) referred to by fans as “showmances.”
This season, viewers were shocked to see Vince Panaro, an unemployed 34-year-old houseguest, grow incredibly cozy with his fellow houseguest, Morgan Pope, a 33-year-old gamer. While this pairing would not be cause for alarm under most circumstances, fans quickly recalled that Vince entered the house gushing about his longtime girlfriend, Kelsey. Of course, some players get permission from their significant others to flirt to better their game. However, viewers now know that this was not the case for Vince.
Below, we’re clearing up the complete timeline of Vince and Morgan’s relationship, including what has actually gone down between the houseguests, what Kelsey has said about her boyfriend’s behavior on the show, and what their fellow houseguests have said about the season’s infamous “cheatmance.”
CBS
When were Vince and Morgan first connected on Big Brother 27?
During Week 4 of Big Brother Season 27, Vince, Morgan, Mickey Lee, and Zach Cornell created an alliance that they called the Melting Pot. While their Melting Pot alliance quickly crumbled as Zach was sent home during Week 5, Vince and Morgan emerged with one of the house’s strongest final-two alliances. The final nail in the Melting Pot coffin was Mickey’s betrayal of Morgan during Week 6, when Mickey announced that she wished she had voted for Morgan to go home instead of Rylie Jeffries.
When did the Vince and Morgan showmance rumors start?
The first time that Big Brother fans began to question the nature of Vince and Morgan’s relationship was during Vince’s Week 7 Head of Household run. On Big Brother, the Head of Household (HOH) is responsible for nominating three houseguests for eviction, and putting up a fourth nominee later in the week if one of their original nominees gets taken off the block after the Power of Veto (POV) competition. As the Week 7 HOH, Vince won access to the private HOH room, along with a collection of goodies and a letter from home. Of course, the letter was from his girlfriend of seven years, Kelsey.
In her letter, Kelsey wrote, “Hey Vinny, Kelsey here. I MISS YOU SO MUCH. I miss bothering you, and waking you up in the morning, and generally just having my best friend around. To say that you supply my life with so much love and joy is an understatement. Even though it’s tough being apart, I’m really, really proud. I hope your journey so far has been as rewarding as you hoped and that you’re having a great time.” Later in the letter, she continued, “Happy very late seven-year anniversary. We have a lot of late celebrations to make up for, and I can’t wait. I love you so much, Kelsey.” You can watch a full video of Vince’s reaction to Kelsey’s heartfelt letter below.
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Halfway through Week 7 on August 24, fans began to speculate that there could be romantic feelings between Vince and Morgan, based on their frequent cuddling in the HOH room. Popular Big Brother TikToker Tommy Italiano posted a video questioning if Vince and Morgan had crossed a line, pointing to a video of Morgan saying “I love you” and kissing Vince’s shoulder while getting up from cuddling with him in bed.
What has Vince’s girlfriend, Kelsey, said about the Vorgan showmance rumors?
Soon after the footage of Vince and Morgan’s HOH room cuddles circulated, Vince’s girlfriend, who has been running his social media accounts since he entered the house, made a series of photos of the two of them together public. It appeared that these selfies and anniversary posts had been archived before Vince made his account public.
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At the end of his HOH run on August 28, Kelsey responded to an Instagram comment theorizing that she had given permission to Vince to flirt with other contestants as a strategy if he felt like he needed to. Breaking her silence for the first time, Kelsey stated, “I never gave an OK to flirt as a strategy.” Giving a window into their conversations pre-game, Kelsey told fans, “We talked extensively about boundaries before he left.”
woah kelsey says that she NEVER gave vince the ok to flirt as a strategy!!! #bb27 pic.twitter.com/qBN78RaP9K
— kelechi in twt jail (@kelechi_xo) August 28, 2025
Did Vince and Morgan shower together?
Turns out, Ashley Hollis won’t be responsible for the only “showergate” during this season of Big Brother. On September 2, viewers declared that Vince and Morgan had officially crossed the line by showering side by side and forgetting to bring their towels. As one fan put it in the video below, “The shower situation in the Big Brother house is not ideal for people who want some privacy… However, when you cuddle under the blankets and you rub each other’s legs and arms, and you just show how much tension you both have for each other and how much infatuation you have for each other, the showering together and then both ‘coincidentally’ forgetting your towels… That’s when it gets fishy.”
@kenzie_reinhart #bigbrother #bigbrother27 #bb27 #fyp #tv ♬ original sound – Kenzie Reinhart
During a TikTok live stream, eliminated houseguests Mickey Lee and Jimmy Heagerty reflected on Vince and Morgan’s Week 8 towel situation. Mickey stated, “I don’t know, like, what the situation looks like outside of the house. All I can speak on is what I saw inside the house. The shower scene is what solidified it for me. And I’m like, ‘Wow, we’ve definitely taken things a little bit to a different level.”
CBS
Have Vince and Morgan actually kissed on the live feeds?
Many live feed viewers have speculated on multiple occasions that Vince and Morgan have taken their alleged relationship to the next level with a kiss. On September 4, a late-night live feed video circulated of Vince leaning over Morgan’s bed. In the video, it appears that Vince kisses her on the lips before heading into the adjacent bed. After he gets under the covers, he reaches back towards Morgan and the two chat while holding hands.
Does Vince kiss Morgan during the live feed clip? Based on everything that the duo has said about their relationship recently, it’s doubtful that Vince and Morgan actually crossed that line. Whether he leaned in to whisper something to her after taking off his mic or kissed her on the forehead, the gesture itself was enough to raise a red flag for eagle-eyed viewers… including his girlfriend.
@legalsojourner Told my chat last night something was most likely going to happen because he may leave the house tonight and I was right. 🤷🏽♀️ #BB27 #BigBrother #cbsbigbrother ♬ original sound – BETTY THEE THOROUGHBRED
Did Kelsey unfollow Vince on Instagram?
Yes, it appears that Kelsey unfollowed her boyfriend, Vince, on Instagram and removed herself as a follower from his account following the “kiss” on September 4. Two days later, Kelsey took to Vince’s Instagram Story for the first time since the “cheatmance” rumors began, explaining that she had not spoken to any outlets about Vince’s relationship with Morgan, and did not intend to going forward. She stated, “Hi, this is Kelsey, for the record, I have not spoken with any news outlets or ‘influencers’ and I will not be doing so.”
Kelsey unfollowed Vince on Insta.
This #cheatmance has been fun & I’ve been invested but I’m really sad for Kelsey. When you take a step back out of the para social relationship of it all- this is someone who did not ask to be involved in any of this. #bb27 I hope she is ok. pic.twitter.com/SK8rbBRfru
— Amy (Rachel for AFP) (@amyglassner) September 4, 2025
What did Zingbot say about Morgan and Vince’s relationship?
Apparently, Morgan and Vince had not realized that their relationship had been brought to the forefront of this season’s edit until Zingbot, an annual series staple, came into the BB house to roast the houseguests. Ironically, the nature of their relationship had only been mentioned once during an official episode of Season 27 until the Wednesday, September 17 episode.
Following Will William’s eviction on September 11, live feed viewers learned that Zingbot had entered the house, allegedly hitting Morgan with the zing, “What do you call someone who lights up when Vince walks into the room, gives him long hugs, and cuddles him? His girlfriend!” This sent both Vince and Morgan into a spiral about the public perception of their relationship, which they have made clear is purely platonic, but appears strong due to “human chemistry.”
During the September 17 episode, viewers witnessed what truly went down during Zingbot’s brutal roast. Ultimately, Zingbot called Vince a “34-year-old crybaby who’s unemployed and lives with his mom and dad,” arguing, “I’d zing you but life beat me to it.”
While Vince is the one actively in a relationship, Zingbot asked Morgan, “What do you call someone who lights up when Vince enters the room, gives him long, passionate hugs, and warm, affectionate cuddles?” While Morgan responded, “A number one?” Zingbot declared, “His girlfriend.” In Morgan’s defense, Vince clarified, “You’re talking about my girlfriend, right? You’re not talking about Morgan.”
After the zing, viewers watch Morgan tell Vince on the live feeds, “The second I heard your name, I was like, ‘Wow, they’re going there.’ Clearly, I light up whenever I see you.” Laughing, the two made it clear that they “don’t cuddle,” and Vince has “never spooned” Morgan.
For a full synopsis of the Zingbot’s awkward “cheatmance” roast, including Vince and Morgan’s reaction, check out our recap here.
What was Keanu’s ‘Cheating Island’ comment?
After Zingbot brought the “cheatmance” onto the remaining houseguests’ radar, news got back to Vince that his close friend in the house, Keanu Soto, had made a dig at his relationship with Morgan. According to Vince, Keanu stated on September 12, “I thought we were on Big Brother, not Cheating Island.” As Vince is the Week 10 HOH, this tempted Vince to put Keanu on the block. However, instead, he put up his own ally, Lauren Domingue, to appease Morgan.
Vince: Morgan was telling me about life. I empathize with her, we hugged. Apparently everyone left the room while we were still hugging, and Kelley said that he (Keanu) said, “I thought we were on Big Brother, not Cheating Island.” Makes me want to put him up front. #bb27 pic.twitter.com/hhwYkkPA77
— Tooms (@ToomsBB_) September 12, 2025
During the September 17 episode, viewers got to experience the comment firsthand, proving that Keanu specifically said, “What show are we on? Cheating Island? Did I say that out loud?” Responding to the claim, Vince stated, “Apparently, people around the house are making jokes, because what else are you supposed to do at this point in the game. But I just hope that America doesn’t think that either of us are doing anything unethical. It’s on camera 24/7, so it’s not like I’m trying to do anything sneaky.”
Did Vince and Morgan’s coded ‘Option 1’ conversation have to do with their romantic relationship?
On September 21, live feed viewers caught Vince and Morgan talking in code, seemingly discussing a relationship outside the house under the guise of “Option 1.” As fans put it, their conversation was “[Vince] basically asking [Morgan] if she likes him, too.” During their chat, Vince asked Morgan what the probability of “Option 1” actually happening was, to which she responded that she was not allowing herself to give him a percentage because there was another variable at play.
Naturally, fans were quick to assume this variable was his girlfriend. She told him, “I guess I’m not allowing myself to have a percentage because I feel like that would be something that obviously can’t be fully dove into, if that makes sense? But that doesn’t mean that the percentage would be nonexistent.”
Did Vince receive a home video from Kelsey?
While all of the other remaining houseguests with significant others received home videos from their family and their partner on September 24, Vince’s message only came from his parents. After watching the video, Vince couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed. He stated, “It was great seeing my parents, but I was kind of surprised it wasn’t from Kelsey. I am getting a little worried.” He later added, “Am I single right now? Did Kelsey dump me?”
Was Kelsey at the Big Brother finale?
Vince’s girlfriend, Kelsey, did not make an appearance at the Big Brother finale on September 28. While the show revealed footage of his parents in the audience, it was clear that Kelsey was not seated with them. After the finale, Vince sat down with Swooon to confirm that Kelsey was not in the Big Brother finale audience. He stated, “I’ll probably see her tonight, maybe, or whenever I’m done with all of this.” During the finale, Morgan was evicted as the seventh juror. While Ashley Hollis came out on top, Morgan cast the only vote for Vince to take the prize. As part of their exclusive interview with Swooon, Vince and Morgan both shared that they have a “strictly platonic” friendship.
Did Vince and Kelsey break up?
October 20 brought an unexpected video from Vince, breaking down his full post-season thoughts and giving fans a longawaited update on his relationship status. After all of the “cheatmance” drama, Vince and Kelsey have officially separated. Vince revealed to viewers, “We are currently taking time to process everything individually, and you know, figure out what things look like after that.”
This comes just days after Vince had removed all of the photos of Kelsey from his Instagram feed, indicating that they had split on October 15. While they had not officially confirmed that they had broken up at that time, Big Brother fans could all agree that removing seven years of anniversary posts is never a good sign.
What’s the verdict on Vince and Morgan’s relationship?
Ultimately, the person whose perception matters the most when it comes to Vince and Morgan’s relationship is Vince’s girlfriend, Kelsey. As multiple definitions of cheating have spiraled within the Big Brother fanbase, with some fans believing that they have gone too far and others believing that their connection is innocent, it is clear that Vince and Morgan’s relationship falls within a gray area.
Regardless of how fans would feel if their significant other engaged in an emotional or physical relationship similar to Vince and Morgan’s “cheatmance,” Kelsey has made it clear that she and Vince drew clear boundaries before he entered the house that would dictate what constitutes cheating for them. Based on her limited public reaction, one could assume that she’s not happy about what’s gone down. However, viewers will have to wait for official confirmation to see where Vince’s relationship with both Kelsey and Morgan stands.
Big Brother, Season 27, Streaming Now, Paramount+
