(Warning: The following post contains spoilers about the Claim to fame Season 3 finale.)

They may not have won the cash prize, but they won the hearts of millions of people, including each other.

Claim to fame Season 3 runners-up Mackenzie Adkins and Hud Mellencamp made it to the end of the game without falling victim to the gamble-offs. They both had a good chance of winning the whole thing, as the returning cast members were sure to help them beat rival Adam Christoferson in the final challenge.

Unfortunately, instead of working together to get Adam out, they turned their attention to each other, allowing Adam to glide to victory and set the fateful order of the final guess. There, Adam correctly guessed that Mackenzie was the daughter of country superstar Trace Adkins and that Hud was the son of folk-rock legend John Mellencamp.

Following the events of the finale, TV Insider spoke with Mackenzie and Hud to find out how they’re doing after a season of crushes (fun fact: they even have their own built-in song, as Season 1 runner-up Logan Crosby’s “Girl Next Door” is the backdrop for their montage in Episode 7.) And how their famous relatives reacted to their time in the spotlight.

(Be sure to read the other exit interviews with Bianca Roberts, Gracie Lou Hyland and Jill Kurlfink, Raphael Curtis aka Miguel, Naomi Burns, Nael Zayas aka Danny, Shane Brando and Adam Christoferson).

So you’re both related to musicians. How much did you expect people to not know about music and music history?

Hud Mellencamp: I mean, that was definitely a big part of the strategy. It’s just like, “Oh, we can try to figure out who’s in the music business and then try to push those people aside or be friends with them.”

Mackenzie Adkins: I figured that no one knew for sure what country was. And when I started doing the Broadway thing, I think people bought the Broadway act for a few episodes.

But after that came out, I thought, “I just hope none of these people know that much about country music.”

How did you react when they picked up Blake Shelton and Mackenzie?

Mackenzie: I thought that would happen. My dad and Blake are very similar. I’ve known Blake most of my life. So I was kind of preparing myself for that. And it’s very — I know a lot about him, so it’s very easy to talk about him… I was very relieved.

So, what about you Hud, with Naomi guessing Cherie Currie? Were you surprised it took so long?

Head: Well, I didn’t know that — I thought she had me. I thought, “There it is.” When I looked at the (cherry bomb) clue, I thought, “Well, that’s clear.” I didn’t think she was going to Cherie Currie. That’s why I was aggressive and threw her under the bus real quick. I thought, “Oh, she’s got me, I’ve got to burn some bridges. I might have to take out some people.” That’s part of the game.

Mackenzie: I will say with the finale I was so excited that Naomi was coming back because I was like, “I got Hud in the bag. My girl Naomi, she says, Cherie Currie.” I literally looked at her. I was like, “Are you kidding me?!” I was so mad because I thought I had him.

So yeah, that was crazy…

You guys were clearly good friends throughout the season. What made you turn on each other instead of Adam in that final challenge?

Mackenzie: It was me. It was my fault. The reason I targeted Hud in the finale is because I had no idea who he was related to. And I was actively trying not to find out who he was for multiple episodes. So then the finale came around and I was like, “Oh, I have no idea who he’s related to.” So I had in my head that I had to fully reveal his board, otherwise I would never have known.

Head: And I’m just too competitive.

Mackenzie: He turned against me, because he saw that I was following him.

Head: So I saw my keys getting full. I thought, “You know what? I’m going to, I’m going to figure this out.

Chris Willard/Disney

Well, Hud, you were close with Adam in the beginning. You were like sparring partners and you helped him a little bit with Naomi’s family member. What drew you two apart?

Head: It’s just the nature of life, everybody does it all the time. It’s just hard to communicate that way all the time. But there was never a point where I was like, okay, there was An At one point I was angry with Adam, but there was never a moment when I wanted to be angry.

Were you surprised when Naomi decided to help you after you beat her down a little bit?

Head: Yeah, I thought, “I can’t get through this, this path that she’s on.” The first time, she stopped me. I thought, “Yeah, cool. I see where this is going.” Then she helped me out a little bit and I thought, “Oh, okay. We can still be friends.” And I’m grateful for that: after the show, it’s like, we can all still be friends. We all know the nature of the beast.

Can Adam join the group chat?

Mackenzie: Now we have a few.

Head: He’s in one or two.

Mackenzie, were you surprised by how many people were willing to step up for you? I mean, you had Gracie Lou who jumped in the boat with you — everyone goes above and beyond to help you. Were you surprised by that at all?

Mackenzie: No. It sounds a bit arrogant to say no, but no, I wasn’t. I wasn’t surprised because they’re my girls. If they had been the finalists, I would have gotten in the boat with them, even though I probably would have fallen in the water. Jill and Gracie Lou, Naomi, Bianca — they’re my girls. Even Shane helped me out a little bit. And I was surprised by Shane, I have to say, because I literally got him out just before that. So, but no, not for my girls.

Head: I think everyone was working together against Adam, and that’s why they wanted to help us.

Mackenzie: Yes, that’s it.

Was there a sense of hope in you that Adam would not be allowed to compete after he got injured, or were you happy that he was allowed to finish the match?

Head: I’ve been a competitive athlete my whole life. So that’s, in my mind, the nightmare situation. It’s the worst way to retire — with an injury. I want him out, of course, but not like that.

Back to the beginning, how did your famous family members react when you decided to join the show? And what advice did they give you?

Mackenzie: I’m going first. I actually didn’t tell my dad for a long time. I actually told him the day before I left, and I mean, he was really, really supportive. He’s obviously had two seasons of Famous student. So he had some really good advice for me. He’s really good at reality TV and game shows, I guess. But yeah, I mean, he just told me to keep my cool, to grill everybody.

Just kind of playing the game, kind of sneaking around, but also being true to myself, of course. He wasn’t surprised that I was doing something like that, but he was definitely surprised at the quick turnaround. I was like, “Okay, I’m leaving tomorrow…” Huh, what about you?

Head: My dad has been very supportive in this endeavor, but the biggest support I’ve had is from my sister (Teddi Mellencamp Arroyave) who’s been in some reality stuff and has given me some great advice over the years… There were a few moments on the show where I was feeling pretty down, like I was stabbing my friends in the back and stuff. I just thought, “My sister has been in reality TV forever… She’s ruthless and I love her for it.” And I thought, “What would Teddi do? Let’s try this.”

There are a few people who were able to keep their identities fairly secret, but went home because they guessed wrong. Is there anyone you think could have driven on and you would never have found out?

Mackenzie: Bianca. Yes, that Bianca would have won the whole show, and I have every confidence in that.

Head: I don’t wake up early enough to see her.

Mackenzie: Yeah, me neither. And she came in on the finale and within five minutes she had everybody figured out. She knew Adam and she said, “Oh, well, that’s John Mellencamp of course and that’s Michael Bolton of course.” And I said, “Wow, I’ve been here for eight episodes and I haven’t seen a single one of them.” It was infuriating.

Head: She was like, “Oh yeah, Michael Bolton.” I was like, “That’s why we took you out, right?”

The casting calls for season 4 are now open. What advice would you give to people auditioning for the show?

Head: Be kind. Try to be yourself. Play your best game, but stay true to yourself. Because I think the biggest thing for me is that I wanted to come out of here happy with myself instead of just compromising. But I’m proud that I stuck to my morals and stuff instead of trying to bend over backwards and be someone I wasn’t.

Mackenzie: I would definitely say, if you’re thinking about applying or whatever, definitely do it. It was amazing. I had the best time. I met so many great people, and yeah, it was such a fun experience.

This is a little awkward, of course, but Mackenzie, you had a crush on Hud. Did you two develop a relationship outside of the game?

Head: I’m going there after this interview.

Mackenzie: Yeah, he’s coming here. So yeah, it’s gonna be awesome. It’s gonna be so much fun. But yeah, he’s been here a couple of times already. Episode 1, they did me dirty. They made me fall in love with him from episode 1.

Well, I wanted to ask about that. Is it hard for you guys to form that kind of friendship or relationship when you have to keep such an important part of your identity a secret from each other?

Head: It’s hard to maintain the relationship of, “You don’t know me, I don’t know you.” But it’s also nice to have someone you can talk to, especially in a situation where everyone is trying to get each other.