Note (September 2026): This page previously called Drew Daniel “Anthony”, placed Miami University in Miami (it is in Oxford, Ohio), called him the first Head of Household in Big Brother history, and credited an Instagram account (xmatmosx) that belongs to the band Matmos, not the Big Brother winner. These errors have been corrected below.
Drew Daniel (Andrew Theodore Daniel, born April 28, 1982, per fan wikis) is the winner of Big Brother 5 on CBS. The 22-year-old Miami University graduate from Urbana, Ohio won four Head of Household titles, beat Michael “Cowboy” Ellis 4-3 in the jury vote on September 21, 2004, and took home $500,000. He later became a probate lawyer.
Key Takeaways
- Drew Daniel won Big Brother 5 (2004) on Day 82 by a 4-3 jury vote over Michael “Cowboy” Ellis, who received $50,000 as runner-up.
- He won Head of Household four times (weeks 3, 9, 10 and 11) and one Power of Veto (week 5).
- He was a founding member of the Four Horsemen alliance and had a showmance with Diane Henry, whom he evicted with the season’s final vote.
- He studied business at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, attended law school at Ohio State University and, as reported in December 2023, practices probate law.
- He is not the same person as Drew Daniel of the electronic duo Matmos, a Johns Hopkins English professor.
Drew Daniel is an American lawyer and former reality TV contestant who won Big Brother 5 on CBS in 2004. He later made a few small screen appearances and moved into law.
Drew Daniel | Big Brother Winner Wiki and Biography
1] Drew’s Early Life
Andrew Theodore “Drew” Daniel was born on April 28, 1982 (the date listed by Big Brother fan wikis, consistent with his listed age of 22 on the show), in Springfield, Ohio, and his hometown is Urbana, Ohio. He had just finished college at the time of the Big Brother series. He graduated from Graham High School in 2000 and then attended Miami University, a public university in Oxford, Ohio (not in Miami, Florida).
Drew did not stop education after completing high school and the young man enrolled to pursue high education. He studied business and graduated from Miami University with a business degree. He later attended law school at Ohio State University.
Daniel has an identical twin brother, who also auditioned for Big Brother 5, according to the fan site Jokers Updates. Fan wikis report that Drew was born 60 seconds before his twin, which makes him the older of the two. The knowledge gained from business classes did help the young Drew gain momentum in his life.
Drew’s business studies arguably helped his decision making later on. You must have witnessed it in Big Brother Season five as well. Millions of viewers have witnessed Drew’s impressive decision-making skills on television.
2] Big Brother Participation
Big Brother is a reality competition series that airs on CBS in the United States. Its fifth season premiered on July 6, 2004, and ended with a live finale on September 21, 2004. Drew reportedly did not plan to apply for the show at first. However, the encouragement from his brother, family, and friends drove him to apply for an audition.
He had recently finished his degree at Miami University when he applied. Where he auditioned is not confirmed by the sources reviewed. He was cast as one of the 13 original HouseGuests who entered the house on Day 1. A 14th player, Natalie, joined the game later through the season’s twins twist.
The young man did not know anyone from the shortlisted contestants, and he met them all inside the house. On Day 2 he formed the Four Horsemen alliance with Jase Wirey, Michael “Cowboy” Ellis and Scott Long, and he had several ups and downs during the season. Daniel spent 82 days in the house, and he fought to stand in the first place.
The Season-five winner had several controversial moments in the show, and it led to several minutes of attention each episode. He began a showmance with fellow HouseGuest Diane Henry and built a close friendship with Michael “Cowboy” Ellis.
3] Big Brother Season Five Winner
Drew won Head of Household four times during the season (weeks 3, 9, 10 and 11), including the final Head of Household competition on Day 78. An earlier version of this page called him the first Head of Household in Big Brother history, which is incorrect: the role was already part of the format before season 5, and Jase Wirey was the first Head of Household of season 5 itself.
The romantic angle with Diane Henry gained a lot of attention from the viewers, and it ended up with a lot of coverage. Everyone from the media started to cover it on TV shows, News, and Newspapers.
Many believed that he started to work with Diane to grab attention and consume a lot of footage. The housemates also believed it and while some of the masses found true love in it.
Regardless of love or no love, it gained him a lot of popularity among the housemates. Majority of the housemates loved the presence of the young man, and it assisted him to develop important relationships in the house.
Drew developed a healthy friendly relationship with Michael, which ended up as the best decision he made in the house. Both contestants reached the finale while evicting others from the house. The duo did an excellent job of keeping the relationship healthy, and it increased the bond.
The bond between Daniel and Michael was so strong that, as the final Head of Household, Drew cast the sole vote to evict Diane and took Michael to the final two. On Day 82 the seven-member jury voted 4-3 to award Drew the Big Brother 5 title.
Drew Daniel: $500,000
Michael “Cowboy” Ellis: $50,000.
4] Life after Newly-Found Fame
The young man moved quickly into show business: according to The Cinemaholic, he made a guest appearance in 2004 on “The Bold and the Beautiful.” Further screen work was limited. He also had small credits in He’s Such a Girl and Related, according to The Cinemaholic; the years previously given here (2005 and 2009) are not confirmed by the sources reviewed.
However, he could not make it big in the entertainment industry as an actor or an entertainer. Apart from a segment on Big Brother 6 reported by The Cinemaholic, the sources reviewed list no major screen work after these credits.
Where are they now?
According to a Reddit thread, fans still discuss the Four Horsemen alliance that Daniel formed with Jase, Michael and Scott on Day 2 of the season. The Cinemaholic reported in December 2023 that he was arrested on July 2, 2012, on a domestic-violence allegation. The sources reviewed do not report a conviction, and the earlier claim on this page that the incident involved his twin brother and jail time is not confirmed. According to The Cinemaholic (December 2023), he practices probate law at Daniel Law Firm, after starting in 2014 as clinical counsel at Ohio State University’s Moritz College of Law.
View this post on Instagram
5] Net Worth
Drew graduated from Miami University in business and won the $500,000 grand prize on Big Brother 5. His net worth is not public. A figure of about $100,000 has circulated online, but it is an unverified estimate: he has not disclosed his finances and no reliable source confirms it.
Drew Daniel Quick Facts
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full name | Andrew Theodore “Drew” Daniel (per Big Brother fan wikis) |
| Date of birth | April 28, 1982 (per fan wikis; he was listed as 22 on the show) |
| Age | 44 as of September 2026, based on that birth date |
| Birthplace and hometown | Born in Springfield, Ohio; hometown Urbana, Ohio |
| Education | Graham High School (2000); business degree, Miami University; law school, Ohio State University |
| Known for | Winner of Big Brother 5 (CBS, 2004) |
| Prize | $500,000 |
| Family | Has an identical twin brother |
| Occupation | Probate lawyer (as reported in December 2023) |
| Net worth | Not public; online estimates are unverified |
How Did Drew Daniel Win Big Brother 5?
Drew Daniel won Big Brother 5 by combining an early alliance, a late-game partnership and four Head of Household wins. According to Wikipedia’s season summary, the season ran for 82 days, from the July 6, 2004 premiere to the September 21, 2004 live finale.
Big Brother 5 Timeline for Drew
- Day 2: Drew, Jase, Michael and Scott form the Four Horsemen alliance.
- Week 3: Drew wins his first Head of Household and nominates Holly and Nakomis, a decision that opened a rift in the Four Horsemen.
- Week 5: Drew wins the Power of Veto, removes Diane from the block, and Jase is nominated and evicted in her place.
- Week 9: Drew wins the “Chemical Reaction” Head of Household and nominates Diane and Marvin.
- Day 65: Nakomis nominates Drew and Michael; Diane uses the Veto to save Drew, and Karen is evicted.
- Week 10: Drew wins the “Before or After” Head of Household for the third time.
- Day 78: Drew wins the final Head of Household and casts the sole vote to evict Diane.
- Day 82: The seven-member jury awards Drew the title by a vote of 4-3.
Big Brother 5 Final Results
| Place | HouseGuest | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| Winner | Drew Daniel | $500,000 |
| Runner-up | Michael “Cowboy” Ellis | $50,000 |
Big Brother 5 was a ratings success for CBS. According to Wikipedia, the premiere drew 9.55 million viewers and the finale more than 10 million. The season’s “Project DNA” theme included two twists: Michael “Cowboy” Ellis and Jennifer “Nakomis” Dedmon turned out to be half-siblings, and twins Adria and Natalie secretly swapped places until Natalie entered the game on Day 35. You can compare Drew’s season with every other champion in our list of all Big Brother US winners.
What Happened to Diane Henry and the Other HouseGuests?
Diane Henry, Jennifer “Nakomis” Dedmon and Jase Wirey all returned to compete on Big Brother: All-Stars in 2006, according to Wikipedia. Michael “Cowboy” Ellis was a candidate for All-Stars but was not chosen.
Drew Daniel of Big Brother vs Drew Daniel of Matmos
Two public figures share the name Drew Daniel, and their pages are often mixed up. The Big Brother 5 winner is a lawyer from Ohio. The other Drew Daniel is a member of Matmos, an experimental electronic music duo with M.C. Schmidt, and, according to Wikipedia, an associate professor in the English department at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore with a Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley.
The Instagram account xmatmosx that was credited and embedded on this page is the Matmos account, so posts shared there are not from the Big Brother winner. The Cinemaholic reported in December 2023 that the Big Brother winner keeps a low profile and avoids social media.
Where Is Drew Daniel Now?
Drew Daniel works in law. The Cinemaholic reported in December 2023 that he practices probate law at Daniel Law Firm, started in 2014 as clinical counsel at Ohio State University’s Moritz College of Law, and had earlier worked as a commercial real estate purchasing consultant in 2007. The same report says he volunteers with Big Brothers Big Sisters, Junior Achievement and the Mid-Ohio Foodbank, and started a personal website with a blog on law, marketing and sales in 2021. If you are looking for legal help yourself, our guide on how to choose a great lawyer explains what to check.
For more reality TV history, see the Celebrity Big Brother winners list or our profile of Kris Jenner, one of reality TV’s best-known figures. To work out any celebrity’s exact age from a birth date, use the age calculator.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won Big Brother 5?
Drew Daniel won Big Brother 5 on September 21, 2004, beating Michael “Cowboy” Ellis by a jury vote of 4-3. Drew received $500,000 and Michael received $50,000 as runner-up.
How old is Drew Daniel?
Drew Daniel is 44 as of September 2026, based on the April 28, 1982 birth date listed by Big Brother fan wikis. He was 22 when he played Big Brother 5 in 2004.
What does Drew Daniel do now?
Drew Daniel is a lawyer. The Cinemaholic reported in December 2023 that he practices probate law at Daniel Law Firm after starting in 2014 as clinical counsel at Ohio State University’s Moritz College of Law.
Did Drew Daniel and Diane Henry stay together?
Drew Daniel evicted Diane Henry with the sole vote on Day 78 as the final Head of Household, choosing to go to the final two with Michael “Cowboy” Ellis. The sources reviewed do not report a lasting relationship after the show.
Does Drew Daniel have a twin?
Yes. Drew Daniel has an identical twin brother, who also auditioned for Big Brother 5, according to the fan site Jokers Updates. Fan wikis say Drew is the older twin by 60 seconds.
Is Drew Daniel from Big Brother the same person as Drew Daniel from Matmos?
No. The Big Brother 5 winner is an Ohio lawyer, while Drew Daniel of Matmos is an electronic musician and English professor at Johns Hopkins University.
A note on the figures: net worth for a public figure is an estimate, assembled from reported earnings, visible assets and a good deal of inference. It is not an audited financial disclosure, published sources routinely disagree, and the number changes over time. Treat it as an indication of scale rather than an exact amount.
