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Oprah's Big Give Finale
On the last episode of Oprah's Big Give , the remaining three contestants—Stephen, Brandi and Cameron—tried their hardest to out-give each other, but in the end Stephen was named the Biggest Giver and was awarded a $1 million prize. Holly and Rodney get the inside scoop on the finale from Oprah's Big Give judge Malaak Compton-Rock, who talks about the unique qualities of all three finalists.
Stephen went home as the Biggest Giver, but Malaak says choosing him wasn't easy. In fact, she and co-judges Jamie Oliver and Tony Rodriguez didn't initially have a clear winner, she says. "I thought they all did really well, and it was a hard decision—it's not like we went and deliberated [shortly] and said, 'Stephen is the winner,'" she says. "They gave us as much time as we needed to deliberate." In the end, Malaak says Stephen's track record on the show and his known commitment to giving made him the winner. "He was already a committed humanitarian, spending time in Africa and actually sending money over [to Africa]," she says. "I was so impressed with his children because they had maps of Africa in their room with pins as to where they had supported villages." Cameron , the young and successful entrepreneur, also performed well, raising large sums of money and doing lots of good, Malaak says. While he's a true philanthropist, Malaak says she wants Cameron to get more involved in hands-on giving. "What I am hoping is that not only will he continue to give, but he will continue getting to the trenches and not just writing out checks," Malaak says. Brandi , the pageant queen with a big heart, is also the queen of the "small give," Malaak says. While she didn't have as many contacts in the business world as Stephen and Cameron did, Malaak says the smaller ways Brandi was able to give made a big difference in the lives she touched. "Brandi is going to be able to do anything she wants to do," Malaak says. "She is so charismatic; she has such a beautiful heart." While Malaak says she doesn't know if there will be another season of Oprah's Big Give , she says the show should be an inspiration to everyone to continue giving to people in need. "This is a movement," she says. Advertisement
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