Summary
Big Brotherhas many classic recurring competitions, butit’s time for some of them to be retired in order to make room for new gamesthat will help the show live up to its motto,“expect the unexpected.“Hosted by Julie Chen Moonves,Big Brotherpremiered on June 12, 2025. With its intricate gameplay, which requires its houseguests to have incredible physical stamina, sharp mental acuity, strong social skills, and deep emotional intelligence,Big Brotherbecame a phenomenon which viewers look forward to every summer.
However,ahead ofBig Brother 26, it’s time for the reality competition series to rethink its challenges. With a motto of"expect the unexpected,“the show has become very predictable over the years. Both the houseguests and the fans know that certain competitions will almost always appear in a season. This creates a boring and formulaic game that feels like watching the same season over and over again.Here are eight classicBig Brothercompetitions that should be retired, even if it’s only for a few seasons.
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1OTEV
OTEV Needs To Retire
Big Brother’sOTEV took the veto competition by storm in season 7. He’s appeared in different forms through the years, including an ape, shark, alien, penguin, piglet, skunk, salamander, and jellyfish. Even Zingbot was OTEV duringBig Brother 25. OTEV appeared inBig Brother 7, 9,and11-25. Notable OTEV winners include the first winner Janelle Pierzina, followed by Jeff Schroeder, Enzo Palumbo, Dan Gheesling, Elissa Slater, Zach Rance, Tyler Crispen, Cody Calafiore, Alyssa Lopez, Brittany Hoopes and Michael Bruner, and Jag Bains.
Although OTEV is fun to watch, it’s become a bit tedious to watch the musical chairs-like competition. The houseguests have figured out strategies to beat the clock, including creating a stash of items as they find them to go back to later. Knowing what to expect from the competition doesn’t guarantee a win for the houseguests, but it certainly takes the mystery out of the game. With little variation in the game from year to year,viewers feel like they’re watching the same competition over and over again. It’s time for OTEV to be over.
2The Wall
The Competition Has Appeared Over Ten Times
TheBig BrotherWall competition requires the houseguests to stand on a pedestal on a moving wall. The concept is simple: whoever stands on the wall the longest wins. The Wall debuted inBig Brother 10and has since appeared in seasons 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 22, 23, 24, and 25. Some notable winners include the first-ever winner April Dowling, followed by Elissa Slater, Cody Calafiore, Nicole Franzel, Derek Xiao, Taylor Hale, and two-time Wall champion Daniele Donato, who won inBig Brother 13and22.
Although it’s always thrilling to see which contestants can enduretheBig BrotherWall, it’s becoming predictable that the smaller houseguests tend to last longer in the competition and win. It’s very hard for larger people to stay on the Wall, so it’s almost a given that they’ll be eliminated. This makes the Wall competition very frustrating to watch. Also, with houseguests mastering the art of striking deals while on the Wall, it’s not as exciting to see how long they’ll last.It’s time forBig Brotherto take down the Wall for at least a season.
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3Slip & Slide
The Slippery Competition Is Played Out
The Slip & Slide competition began inBig Brother 6, and then appeared in seasons8, 11, 12-21,and23-25.It requires contestants to carry a cup of liquid to a container without falling on a slippery lane.Whichever houseguest fills their container first wins.It has alternated between being an HOH competition and a Power of Veto competition.Notable winners include its first, James Rhine, along with Kevin Campbell, Jeff Schroeder, Caleb Reynolds, Fessie Shafaat, Derek Xiao, Michael Bruner, and Jag Bains.
Although it was once intriguing to see iftheBigBrotherhouseguestswould be tempted to fill their smaller containers in order to win a prize instead of the competition, the Slip & Slide game has lost its magic. It was once hilarious to watch the houseguests falling as they made their way down their lanes, but the joke has gotten old. It can be frustrating and boring to watch this lengthy competition play out, even in its edited version on television.Big BrotherSlip & Slide should be skipped forBig Brother 26.
4Dizzy Discs
The Competition Has Come Around One Too Many Times
InBig BrotherDizzy Discs,the houseguests must hold on to a rope while standing on a disc. The discs rotate, and the houseguests crash into something as they take their trips around the game’s court. The game was traditionally an HOH competition, but, inBig Brother 25, it was a Power of Veto competition. Dizzy Discs has appeared inBig Brother 9, 11, 14, 17, 18,and20-25. James Zinkand won the first game. Other notable winners include Ian Terry, Vanessa Rousso, Victor Arroyo, Tyler Crispen, Nicole Anthony, Nicole Franzel, Tiffany Mitchell, Matt “Turner” Turner, and Jag Bains.
While Dizzy Discs can be exciting, it’s getting played out. It’s dizzying to watch, and hard to win.TheBig Brotherhouseguests know exactly what to expectfrom the game, so they can plan a strategy ahead of time, even if it doesn’t work.After it appeared in five consecutive seasons, it’s time for a change away from Dizzy Discs.
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5Bowlerina
This Silly Competition Isn’t Bowling Anyone Over Anymore
Big BrotherBowlerina is another dizzying competition, which requires the houseguests to spin themselves. They then have to run and bowl a ball while in their dizzy state. The houseguests sometimes wear ballerina tutus while competing. McCrae Olson won the first Bowlerina competition inBig Brother 15, followed by Austin Matelson (season 17), Mark Jansen (season 19), Christian Birkenberger (season 23), and Jared Fields (season 25).
While it’s always a hoot to see theBig Brotherjocks competing in tutus, it’s becoming a predictable joke. In addition, the game can be a bit sickening to watch, as the contestants sometimes become physically ill. In fact,Felicia Cannon felt sick duringBig Brother 25because it was so intense.It’s fun to watch the houseguests being challenged, but not tortured. Bowlerina needs to go.
6Somewhere Over The Veto
The Power Of Veto Deserves Better
TheBig BrotherSomewhere Over the Veto competition debuted inBig Brother 10.It requires the contestants to race over obstacles and jump into a ball pit to retrieve items. It appeared inBig Brother 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18,and25.Dan Gheesling won the first one, followed by Hayden Moss, Porsche Briggs, Frank Eudy, McCrae Olson, Donny Thompson, Corey Brooks, and Matt Klotz. InBig Brother 13, the game earned the nickname “The Clown Shoe Veto” when Jeff Schroeder accidentally threw his own clown shoe out of his pit.
While this competition reallychallenges theBig Brotherhouseguests, it’s very intense for them to have to race back and forth so much. It requires a tremendous amount of speed and stamina, which puts some contestants at a disadvantage. It’s no surprise that only one woman has ever won this veto competition.The taller men with bigger strides have the advantage in the race, even if others find their items in time. Somewhere Over the Veto should be retired.
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7As Close As You Can
This Anticlimactic Competition Needs To Go
The As Close As You CanBig Brothercompetition requires the houseguests to shoot an object as close to a target as possible to earn the highest score. It first appeared inBig Brother 2, and later was seen inBig Brother 3, 4, 5, 6, 19, 22, 23,and24.The first winner was Nicole Nilson Schaffrich. Other notable winners include Maggie Ausburn, Daniele Donato, Tyler Crispen, Kyland Young, and Monte Taylor.
Unlike some of the flashier,more intenseBig Brothercompetitions, shooting an object to get as close to a target as possible can be boring to watch. There’s a reason that the competition took a hiatus for 13 seasons after season 6.It seems as though production wants to give the houseguests a break when they bring out competitions such as this one. There’s nothing"unexpected"about them.
8BB Comics
This Competition Needs A Revamp
BB Comics is one of the most belovedBig Brothercompetitionsbecause of the comic book covers that feature the houseguests drawn as superhero characters based on their actions during the game. The game premiered inBig Brother 16and continued throughBig Brother 25.It requires the contestants to climb a ladder and zip line slowly in front of a window. Through the window, the houseguests see comic book covers. Great attention to detail is required as they then must put those same comic book covers in order on the ground below. However, there are two versions of each comic book, each with subtle differences. Whoever completes the task first wins.
The first BB Comics winner was Christine Brecht, followed by Steve Moses, Paul Abrahamian, Kaycee Clark, Nicole Anthony, Kyland Young, Michael Bruner, Jag Bains, and two-time winner Nicole Franzel. WhileBig Brothercould continue to create superhero characters based on the houseguests' personas,the concept is getting a bit old. Perhaps if the game were changed, it would save the day and make BB Comics more exciting. However,another BB Comics competition forBig Brother 26might be one too many.
Big Brotherhas a rich history that should be honored. However, there’s a difference between paying tribute to the show and being lazy about repeating competitions. Fans won’t miss these classic competitions if they’re replaced by something new and exciting. These competitions don’t have to be retired forever, butBig Brother 26should have some new games to make it more challengingfor the houseguests to play and more thrilling for the viewers to watch.
Big Brotherseason 26 premieres Wednesday, July 17 at 9 p.m. EDT on CBS.
Big Brother
Cast
Big Brotheris a reality game show that is based on a Dutch series of the same name. Each season, contestants, known as HouseGuests, live in the same house and compete for upwards of $500,000. Contestants are constantly monitored by cameras placed throughout the house and are voted out each week in an eviction
