5 Ways The ‘Big Brother’ Game Has Changed In 2020
Tonight’s Big Brother premiere didn’t disappoint, and the series reboot proved to be a much different show to what we’ve seen before in Australia. The rules and the game have truly changed.
The first episode introduced us to most of the housemates and BB put Kieran straight to work, tasking him with forcing nicknames, high fives, hand shakes and massages on his new friends, in order to be granted access to the bedroom. It was extremely awkward and/or hilarious to watch.
Big Brother is switching the secret mission up a gear! Can Kieran complete the task and open the bedroom door? #BBAU pic.twitter.com/6MFdbbhOKf
— Big Brother AU (@bigbrother_au) June 8, 2020
There were not much drama on the first night — aside from people getting annoyed with Daniel’s snoring — and the next day the contestants got stuck into the first challenge. While lying on their stomachs, housemates swung back and fourth on beams and tried to perch five balls on a shelf. Talia won and nominated Laura, Kieran and Zoe, which led to Laura becoming the first housemate evicted, after gaining the most votes from her fellow housemates.
It was pretty much a whole week of episodes squeezed into one premiere and there was a lot of new information to take in. It’s time to break it down.
Here are 5 ways Big Brother has changed in 2020:
#1. There’s a challenge and elimination every episode
This season will be action-packed as a contestant is evicted every single episode. The person chosen to be eliminated is first nominated by the contestant who wins the challenge, and there will be different challenges every night.
Being good at challenges could at first be an advantage, but also potentially put a target on people’s backs. Laura, for instance, came second behind Talia in tonight’s challenge and was the first eliminated. If I was competing, I’d want to avoid being considered a threat. Let the rest of the housemates take inspiration for Angela and barely move a muscle in future challenges. Boss move, tbh.
‘A cup of Earl Grey is only a finger tip away!’
#2. There’s no more nominations
The beloved pastime of individual housemate nominations are no more, as now the challenge winner will do all the nominating. The winner gets to nominate three people, and the rest of the housemates choose to eliminate one person from the three nominees. I am going to miss hearing everyone’s petty nominations, like the time Tim nominated Jasmine in the 2013 season for wearing bright lipstick, which I still feel was valid.
#3. There’s an “eviction room”
This is simply extra for the point of being extra. Housemates have to gather in a special eviction room — rather than just their lounge room — for when there’s a nightly eviction. It’s here that the nominees pledge their case, and each housemate is called into the diary room to cast their vote. The room itself and its eclectic decor reminds me of a doctor’s waiting room.
‘I’m bored! Someone put ‘Ready Steady Cook’ on the telly!’
#4. There’s heaps more strategy at play
The weirdest part of tonight’s episode was watching the housemates discuss strategy, which is something that would have been heavily penalised on the OG Big Brother. Not only can housemates talk to each other about who they plan on evicting, but they are able to influence each other’s votes. Absolute madness.
#5. Evictees aren’t greeted by a studio audience or err…anyone
This part was savage. Evicted contestants no longer get greeted by a cheering crowd, before walking on stage and being interviewed by host Sonia Kruger like in the old seasons. Instead tonight’s evictee, Laura, walked straight out of the exit and got into a car. That was it. She was briefly interviewed in the car while driving away, and for a second I thought I was watching The Bachelor, rather than Big Brother.
‘I can’t believe I came all this way and didn’t even get a rose?’
It’s Big Brother’s world and we’re just living in it.
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Big Brother returns tomorrow night at 7:30pm on Channel 7.