It looks like Pennsylvania has another home grown reality show winner. Pittsburgh native Ian Terry has been crowned the winner of the 14th season of CBS' "Big Brother."
After a summer full of savvy game play, apologetic backstabbing, and quirky quacking (Terry's alliance was called "The Quack Pack"), the 21-year old Shaler, Pa. native and Tulane engineering student beat out former champ Dan Gheesling to win the show's $500,000 jackpot. Terry says he'll use part of his winnings to pay off some student loans.
Ian Terry's windfall is just the latest for a series of Pennsylvania reality show winners.
* Earlier this year, Spring City cupcake baker Thais DaSilva took the top prize on Food Network's "Cupcake Wars." The prize was $10,000 and a booming business for her company, Dia Doce. Ditto for Philadelphia cupcake gurus Lily Fischer and Erin Bailey of A Cupcake Wonderland, who won on the popular Food Network show last year after competing in a Bollywood-themed bake-off.
* In March, Aldan, Pa. native Shane O'Neill won first place on Spike TV's "Ink Master." The owner of the Willow Grove shop Infamous Tattoo Company competed against nine other tattoo artists for the title of Ink Master and a $100,000 grand prize. Tattoo gurus Dave Navarro, Chris Núnez, and Oliver Peck judged O'Neill's talent.
* Eleven-year old Bianca Ryan was the first winner of NBC's "America's Got Talent" back in 2008. The young Philadelphia singer stole the show with the Broadway musical "Dreamgirls" song, "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going," and went on to win the $1 million grand prize.
* Philly businessman Dr. Randal Pinkett wasn't fired from Donald Trump's reality show, "The Apprentice." In 2005 Pinkett won season four of the reality show, making him the first African American to take the title. According to the The Network Journal, last month Pinkett's BCT Partners consulting firm landed two billion-dollar contracts.
* Amber Brkich, of Beaver, Pa. won the "All-Stars" season of CBS' "Survivor" in 2004, and got engaged to boot. On the show's season finale, runner-up "Boston" Rob Mariano asked Brkich to marry him before she won the $1 million prize for outsmarting, outwitting, and outplaying him.
* In 2004, Philadelphia fashion designer Jay McCarroll took the top honors on the debut season of Bravo's "Project Runway," which came with a mentorship from Banana Republic and a $100,000 prize. According the Washington Post, McCarroll turned down the cash due to a clause in the contract. In 2010, McCarroll fared better when he won the VH1 reality show, "Celebrity Fit Club" after losing 40 pounds and beating out competitors like Sebastian Bach and Bobby Brown. Still a Philly boy at heart, McCarroll told People magazine he keeps the weight off by running "up the steps at the Philadelphia Art Museum like Rocky did."
* Philadelphia-born soap actress Kelly Monaco parlayed her "General Hospital" fame into a winning gig on ABC's "Dancing With the Stars." Monaco and pro partner Alec Mazo won the show's very first mirror ball trophy in 2005, and now the actress is slated to defend her winning title when the series' all-stars season kicks off on Sept. 24.
Victoria Leigh Miller is a freelance writer and lifelong Pennsylvania resident.
