'Claim to Fame' Winner Adam Says His Famous Uncle Told Him "You're Already a Star" (EXCLUSIVE)

After a grueling eight episodes of guessing which Claim to Fame contestant is related to whom, the season finale crowned a winner. The Season 3 winner was Adam, who outsmarted his competitors by keeping his celebrity relative under wraps in pursuit of the $100,000 grand prize.

With Adam's win came the answer on everyone's minds: who is he related to? In an exclusive interview with Distractify, Adam discussed his win and how he strategically kept his famous uncle a secret from his competitors.

In the two-hour Season 3 finale, Adam won against his final two contestants and revealed his claim to fame is his uncle, Michael Bolton. Some fans in the show's subreddit guessed Michael was the relative early in the season. Adam further proved the suspicions were right after showing off his musical skills, further proving music runs in his family.

Following Adam's Claim to Fame Season 3 win, he talked about the experience with Distractify. Keep reading for our full Q&A with Adam!

(Editor's note: This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.)

Q: For the first half of the season, you played by getting other players to give you their clues and information. For the second half, you formed a shaky bond with Hud and you figured out a lot on your own. What was your strategy going into ‘Claim to Fame’?

A: I had two strategies going into the house. Get the oldest player out as soon as possible and the other was to pull my wine clue (if possible) when I won a challenge. Of course, I tried to cover as much pop culture as possible, with the help of my wife, but I watch TV to zone out typically and I’ve never been too good at remembering names, so I knew I was at a disadvantage when it comes to referencing celebrities. I knew my best bet was to befriend people who knew more than me about things like that and I in turn try and keep them safe from elimination and give my all at every challenge.

Q: You admit during the finale that “being away from the kids is hard.” What was the hardest part about being away from home for filming?

A: Man, that hit me like a ton of bricks. We are completely cut off from communicating and seeing our families while filming. By day 2, it was really hitting me. My wife had printed like 100 photos for me of us and the kids. Those photos became like three-dimensional mini realities that kept me grounded while going through the turbulent waters that was this show... Without those pictures, I’m not sure I would have had the strength to endure that experience.

Q: What kind of advice did your uncle, Michael Bolton, give you about going on the show?

A: Uncle Michael just told me “You’re already a star!” We aren't close but I have followed his career closely and if there's one thing we share in DNA it’s our love for making music and our relentless pursuit of the things we want.

Q: You have a history in music yourself — what can you tell us about Musical Intervention?

A: Music helped me find my way in this world. I’ve been making music since I was a little 8-year-old kid slamming on the drums. I found my voice with poetry and found my identity in songwriting. It helped me survive some of the challenges I encountered in my life. I discovered what worked for me was working for others who have been through similar experiences.

Q: What went through your mind when you got that head injury in the final competition?

A: I didn’t feel ANYTHING. I was completing my stations on my own because I didn’t trust that anyone was going to help me. So when it came to Miguel's/Raphael’s station, I wanted to double-check his answers. That stuff is SLIPPERY. I was flying and couldn’t stop. I tried to flip over the first one in one move and felt something hit my head. It felt soft like a sponge. When I was checking Miguel's numbers, I went to scratch an itch on the top of my head. When I looked at my hand I saw a lot of blood. That became my priority.

Q: Was there ever a point during the season where you thought you might actually be going home?

A: I thought I was going home in episode 1. I was standing next to Bianca when we all first met. Later that night I heard that she figured someone out the moment she laid eyes on him. She told me she was targeting Shane but I didn’t believe her. I thought she was after me. That lit a fire under me that really never went out until a few moments after I won. That's when I came out of the trance. The trance was real.

Q: What has life been like since winning ‘Claim to Fame’ and getting back to real life away from the cameras?

A: This competition had a way of bringing so many of my life lessons and mentor’s advice to help me win the thing. I’m not the best at holding secrets. I feel like I don’t have room for them. However, with an NDA you don’t really have an option. So my uncle Al’s advice some time ago was to “keep a secret for yourself.” It lasted about 5 min with my Wife but with everyone else, I had a blast dodging the trickery people tried to get me with.

I get to work with some of the most interesting and creative people. it’s very demanding and very fulfilling.... When I reflect on winning, I am SO surprised and honored. The other housemates were “lovely” too. Actually, a few of them joined me on a boat I chartered to release my Grandmother’s (Michael’s mom) ashes into Santa Monica Bay. That was amazing because, within two minutes we were surrounded by dolphins. I felt my grandmother’s spirit with me as the sun broke apart the clouds and covered us with her sunshine.

Claim to Fame is available to stream on Hulu.