Big Brother 18 (American season)


Big Brother 18 is the eighteenth season of the American reality television series Big Brother. The season premiered on June 22, 2016 on CBS with a two-hour season premiere and ended with a 90-minute season finale on September 21, 2016. Julie Chen returned as host. On September 21, 2016, Nicole Franzel won the game in a 5-4 vote against Paul Abrahamian. The season lasted for 99 days making it the longest running season in the show's 16-year history.

Season development

On September 24, 2014, CBS announced that it had renewed Big Brother for its 17th and 18th editions for broadcast in summer 2015 and 2016, respectively. The series would continue to be hosted by Julie Chen.

Twists

Teams

Similar to the cliques twist in Big Brother 11, the HouseGuests initially competed in teams, which were selected by school-yard pick before the first competition. When a HouseGuest wins Head of Household, their entire team earns immunity from nominations, while the team with the worst performance in each Head of Household competition became the Have-Nots for the week.
Team NameMembers
Category 4Frank, Michelle, Paulie, Bridgette
Big SisterDa'Vonne, Paul, Zakiyah, Jozea
Team UnicornJames, Natalie, Victor, Bronte
FreakazoidsNicole, Corey, Tiffany, Glenn

BB Roadkill

Following the nomination ceremony, the HouseGuests competed in the BB Roadkill competition, with the winner earning the power to privately nominate a third HouseGuest for eviction. For each Roadkill competition, an RV is placed in the backyard; one at a time, HouseGuests enter the RV to complete the task. Following the competition, the HouseGuests are privately informed if they won or lost the challenge, with no obligation to ever reveal their result; the winner then names a third nominee in the Diary Room. Unlike the Head of Household, the Roadkill winner could nominate a member of his or her own team, provided their intended nominee is not immune. If the Roadkill nominee is saved by the Power of Veto, the Roadkill winner has to privately name a replacement nominee. The power to privately name a third nominee and replacement was previously seen in Big Brother 15 with the MVP, who earned the power through public vote. On Day 37, the BB Roadkill competition was officially cancelled.

Battle Back

Instead of permanent eviction, the first five evicted HouseGuests received a chance to return to the game. The first two evictees faced off in a duel, with the winner advancing to face the next evicted HouseGuest, permanently eliminating the losers; the remaining evictee will re-enter the house, following four duels. All four duels aired in a special episode on July 22; Jozea defeated Glenn in the first competition, but Victor defeated Jozea, Bronte, and Tiffany in the subsequent competitions to return to the house.
WinnerLoser
1JozeaGlenn
2VictorJozea
3VictorBronte
4VictorTiffany

Round Trip Ticket

Shortly after the end of the Battle Back, Teams and Roadkill twists, the HouseGuests were alerted to the existence of a secret room within the house. To find it, HouseGuests deciphered a series of clues hidden on decorations throughout the house to uncover a five-digit code, and then dialed the code into a phone booth in the house to reveal a tunnel to the room; only one HouseGuest was allowed to enter the room at a time. Inside the room was 12 envelopes, and each HouseGuest could only claim one envelope. Inside one of the envelopes was a "Round Trip Ticket," which would allow the HouseGuest who picked it to re-enter the house immediately following eviction. Envelopes could only be opened by a HouseGuest following their eviction; If a HouseGuest opened their envelope prior to their eviction, their card would be voided. Once all remaining HouseGuests entered the room and picked tickets, they were free to enter the room with no restrictions. The tickets were valid until Day 65; Paul had the Round Trip Ticket, but was not evicted while the tickets were still valid.

America's Care Package

After Frank's eviction, Julie announced that for the next five weeks, beginning in Week 6, viewers would be able to give one HouseGuest per week a special power—or "care package"—as determined by a public vote. All five powers were revealed to the public upon the twist's introduction. The HouseGuests were made aware of this twist, though the weekly rewards were left unspecified until the package was dropped in the backyard for public unboxing. Once a HouseGuest receives a care package, they are no longer eligible to win future packages.
NameDescriptionWinnerOutcome
6Never Not PassThe winner can no longer be named a Have Not for the remainder of the season.NatalieNever-Not
7The winner can prevent two HouseGuests of their choice from voting in that week's eviction.JamesPaul, Corey
8Super SafetyThe winner is immune from eviction for the week, but must also wear a "Super Safety" costume all week long.NicoleImmune
9Co-HoHThe winner automatically becomes Co-HoH, earning immunity and the right to choose one of the two nominees.MichellePaul, Corey
10BB BribeThe winner gets $5,000 to be given as a bribe to one other HouseGuest to complete a particular task.CoreyVictor Bribed to vote
against Michelle

HouseGuests

New HouseGuests

The 12 new HouseGuests were announced on June 14, 2016. Among them are two siblings of former Big Brother HouseGuests: Paulie Calafiore, brother of Big Brother 16 runner-up Cody Calafiore and Tiffany Rousso, sister of Big Brother 17 HouseGuest Vanessa Rousso.
NameAge on entryOccupationResidenceDay enteredDay exitedResult
Paul Abrahamian23Fashion designer199
Corey Brooks25Baseball coach192
Victor Arroyo25Gym manager123rowspan="3"
Victor Arroyo25Gym manager3772-
Victor Arroyo25Gym manager7290-
Natalie Negrotti26Event coordinator186
Michelle Meyer23Nutritionist179
Paulie Calafiore27DJ165
Bridgette Dunning24Traveling nurse158
Zakiyah Everette25Preschool teacher158
Tiffany Rousso32High school teacher137
Bronte D'Acquisto26Student130
Jozea Flores25Make-up artist116
Glenn Garcia50Dog groomer12

Returning HouseGuests

This is the fifth season to feature former HouseGuests returning to the game. the first time since Big Brother 14. The four returning players were announced during the premiere episode on June 22, 2016. As part of the House's travel theme, the returning HouseGuests were referred to as "stowaways," entering the House in suitcases shortly prior to the new HouseGuests' arrival.

Future appearances

Jozea Flores was one of two former Big Brother HouseGuests included in a public vote to compete in , but lost to Jason Roy from Big Brother 17. Paul Abrahamian returned for Big Brother 19 as a HouseGuest and made a cameo appearance in the series premiere of Celebrity Big Brother during the first HoH competition of the season, while Nicole Franzel returned to host the first HoH Competition of season 19. Abrahamian once again finished in 2nd place, becoming the 2nd houseguest in Big Brother history to reach the final two twice.
Paulie Calafiore appeared on the first season of Ex on the Beach, while Corey and Jozea appeared on the second season. Paulie Calafiore, Natalie Negrotti, Victor Arroyo, Da'Vonne Rogers, and Jozea Flores have all appeared on The Challenge.
Abrahamian, Franzel, and Victor Arroyo appeared on Big Brother 20 to celebrate Franzel and Victor Arroyo's engagement which aired on the show.
Additionally, Franzel & Arroyo competed as a team in the 31st season of The Amazing Race, where they placed 4th.

Summary

Week 1
The twelve new HouseGuests entered the House. Then, Julie Chen told them about the first twist: four HGs from previous seasons would join them. During the introductions, Paulie revealed his secret of being Big Brother 16 runner-up Cody Calafiore's brother. Tiffany decided to hold out about her sister, Big Brother 17 HouseGuest Vanessa Rousso, although Da'Vonne already knew Tiffany's secret and planned to use it to her advantage. Some of the new HGs set on sticking together and running the returnees out of the house; at the same time, the returnees knew they needed some of the newbies on their side to stand any chance of surviving.
Later on, the HGs went outside to form four teams, each headed by a returnee. Julie Chen told the teams about a second twist: they would compete in four competitions. The winning team of each game would be safe and exempt from the next one. The last team remaining would then have to compete against each other as individuals. The loser of the final part would be evicted from the House. The remaining three would then decide among themselves which of their own would be the first Head of Household.
  • Immunity Competition : Each team must climb onto their rocket and stay on for as long as possible. The team that will be eliminated first will land in "Notburg" and be Have-Nots for the week. The second team to fall will go to "Mystery Land" and receive a mystery punishment. The third team will land in "Cash City" and be given $10,000 to split. The last team will land in "Safeville," guaranteeing their safety for the next two evictions.
Big Sister became Have-Nots, Category 4 went to Mystery Land, and the Freakazoids received $10,000. Team Unicorn received immunity for two evictions. The three remaining teams then battled in a three-part competition called Hit the Road.
  • Hit The Road, Part 1: Three members of each team will hold on to three ropes tied to a ring that supports a beam. The free members will dig in the sand for a block, place it on the shaft, and switch out with a teammate. If a block falls, they must start over. The first team to stack a fifteen-block castle on their beam and hit their buzzer will win.
Category 4 won the competition and were therefore immune from eviction and exempted from the succeeding parts.
  • Hit The Road, Part 2: Teams must complete a three-dimensional, multi-tiered sandcastle puzzle. The first team to finish their sandcastle and step in a designated area will win.
Big Sister won the competition. They were therefore immune from eviction and exempted from the final part in which the Freakazoids would then go head-to-head.
  • Hit The Road, Part 3: Each member of the team will stand on a tilting island-like platform. Each will climb his or her palm tree, grab a coconut, and place it in one of the designated holes that spell out "SOS." The last member to fill the holes and grab the flag will be evicted from the House.
Nicole finished first, with Tiffany finishing second and Corey barely edging out Glenn when the latter displaced some of his coconuts upon grabbing his flag. Glenn lost and was evicted immediately. The remaining members of the Freakazoids decided Nicole should be HoH, much to the dismay of the other newbies, who originally planned of getting rid of the returnees early in the game. As HoH, Nicole considered Da'Vonne's advice and targeted Jozea, whom Da'Vonne felt was leading the returnee revolt. She nominated Jozea and Paulie for eviction, with Paulie agreeing as a pawn. To gain the numbers, the returnees pulled in newbies Zakiyah, Michelle, Corey, and Tiffany to form the "8 Pack" alliance. Julie then informed the HGs of a new twist called the "BB Roadkill" competition.
  • Roadkill : Each of the HGs must strip off their designated track suit while holding down three buttons in the driver's seat of the RV. If a button is released, their timer will go 30 times faster; if two, 60 times faster; and if all three, 120 times faster. The HG with the shortest recorded time upon hitting the buzzer will win.
Frank was the winner. Natalie, Bronte, and Bridgette formed the "Spy Girls" alliance; they did so, however, in full view of Tiffany, who then informed the 8 Pack of this alliance. As a punishment for landing in "Mystery Land," Category 4 had to wear "pixelated" costumes for the entire week. At the Roadkill ceremony, Frank secretly nominated Paul. Corey and Da'Vonne were selected to join Nicole, Jozea, Paulie, and Paul for the Power of Veto competition.
  • Power of Veto : Wearing dog costumes, the HGs must spin on their stand 15 times to earn 45 seconds, which would also cause them to briefly become dizzy from the spins. They will then use this time frame to crawl along obstacles and stack dog treats on top of their doghouse. If they fail to return to their stand and respin before their 45 seconds is up, they will be eliminated. The first HG to stack all forty treats and hit their button will win.
Paul was the winner and at the Veto ceremony, took himself off the block, forcing Frank to name Bridgette secretly as the replacement nominee. Jozea, confident he had the votes to stay, was evicted by a 7-4 vote, with Team Unicorn, except for James, and Paul voting to evict Paulie. Julie then informed Jozea about the "Battle Back" competition and that he would compete against the next evicted HG.
Week 2
Following Jozea's eviction, the HGs participated in a new HoH competition.
  • Head of Household : Each team must send one member across one of two log courses: a longer but easier one, and a shorter but more difficult one. That member must then grab a red berry and return it to their team station to fill four columns with a total of 40 red berries. One column should be filled with ten red berries to lock in before proceeding to the next one. However, if a member falls along the course while a column is not yet locked in, that column will lose its berries and he or she will be eliminated from their team. The first team to retrieve the blue berry after filling their columns will win, with the retrieving member becoming the new HoH.
Category 4 won the competition, giving them immunity from this week's eviction, and Paulie became the new HoH. Paulie targeted Team Unicorn for voting to evict him, with a plan to backdoor Victor for being a physical threat. He then proceeded to nominate Bronte and Paul, who offered himself as a pawn to gain the trust of the House.
  • Roadkill : Each of the HGs must look at a set of ten items with different prices. They must then put tags on six items that add up to exactly $18. The HG who correctly tags the six items and hits the buzzer in the fastest time will win.
Victor won the competition. He revealed his win to Paulie, who then disclosed it to other HGs. At the Roadkill ceremony, Victor secretly nominated Tiffany for lack of association with him. With Paul aware of the plan to backdoor his closest ally, Victor, he advised him not to be too trusting of and tell too much information to everyone, but the latter disagreed. Tiffany became emotional and paranoid about being the target but Paulie and her allies assured her she was safe. They, however, thought she was starting to play like her sister Vanessa and considered voting her out instead. Da'Vonne and Zakiyah were selected to join Paulie, Bronte, Paul, and Tiffany for the PoV competition.
  • Power of Veto : The HGs will have 12 minutes to collect letters with corresponding point values from big toes scattered in a pond. They must take the letters back to their board, one at a time, and spell the best word possible. The HG who correctly spells a word with the highest total point value will win.
Paulie was the winner. Da'Vonne told Paulie and her allies about Tiffany's attempt to win the competition despite their wishes for her to throw it to prevent Victor from nominating someone from their alliance. This attempt reinforced their suspicions on her gameplay. At the Veto ceremony, however, Paulie pushed through with his plan, taking Paul off the block and naming Victor as the replacement nominee. Victor was evicted by a 9-1 vote, with Paul voting to evict Bronte. During this week, Jozea and Glenn also faced off in the Battle Back competition.
  • Battle Back, Round 1 : The two evictees will face off in a competition inspired by this week's HoH competition. However, there will only be two columns, and an addition of a "poison berry," which if retrieved by an evictee, will get rid of the berries in the other evictee's column that is not yet locked in. The first evictee to lock in both columns will win.
Jozea was the winner and will face off against next week's evictee. Glenn was permanently eliminated from the game.
Week 3
Following Victor's eviction, the HGs participated in the new HoH competition.
  • Head of Household : One member from each team must bounce a ball on a big tennis racket with bouncy strings in an attempt to land it in the highest-scored slot possible on their side of court. The member with the lowest score in each round will be eliminated. The teams will then rotate members and bounce again. In case of a tie, all tied HGs will be eliminated, unless all four players got the same score, in which case they will serve again. The last HG standing will be the new HoH.
Bridgette was the winner, thereby making her Category 4 teammates also immune from this week's eviction. The other HouseGuests felt that her HoH would be more of Frank's HoH because they were close allies and she trusted him well. With Frank's advice, Bridgette nominated Paul and Tiffany for eviction, with Tiffany as the target for being a loose cannon. Despite being in the 8 Pack, Frank and Tiffany also did not get along well.
  • Roadkill : Each of the HouseGuests must press a set of five horns and listen to their respective honks. They then had to listen to a sequence of eight honks and repeat the sequence by pressing the correct horns. If they press the wrong horn, they will hear must try again. The Houseguest who repeats the sequence in the fastest time will win.
Frank was the winner, and at the Roadkill ceremony, secretly nominated Bronte for eviction. Bridgette was upset that her Spy Girls ally was nominated again, not knowing ironically that it was her closest ally Frank who did it. Natalie and Paulie were selected to join Bridgette, Bronte, Paul, and Tiffany for the PoV competition.
  • Power of Veto : The HouseGuests must look at a sequence of colored ingredients labeled with respective tastes that will be flashed on a monitor. Each ingredient is contained in a beaker. Julie will then ask a question about the sequence and the Houseguests must pour in their pot the ingredient that corresponds to their answer. If they pour the wrong ingredient, their pot will explode and they will be eliminated. It was also based on Saved By the Smell, a science-like veto competition and Boom goes the Bomb, a Looney Tunes-like veto competition. The last HG standing will win PoV, in addition to a dinner from Outback Steakhouse for their team and another team of their choice. Host was Da'Vonne.
Bridgette was the winner and chose Big Sister to join Category 4 for the reward dinner. At the Veto ceremony, Bridgette kept her nominations the same. Frank was confident that Tiffany would be evicted. Da'Vonne, still having issues with Frank, rallied the rest of the 8 Pack to flip the vote against Bronte, knowing that Tiffany would go after Frank. On eviction night, Frank and Bridgette were blindsided when Bronte was evicted by a 5-4 vote. During this week, Jozea and Victor also faced off in the Battle Back competition.
  • Battle Back, Round 2 : The two evictees will face off in a competition inspired by this week's HoH competition. They will have three balls and must bounce them off, one at a time, on a big racket in an attempt to hit one of the five smaller, propped-up rackets with their opponent's face on them on the other side of the court. If they run out of balls, they must retrieve them and bounce again. The first evictee to hit all five rackets will win.
Victor was the winner and will face off against next week's evictee. Jozea became permanently eliminated from the game.
Week 4
Following Bronte's eviction, the HGs participated in the new HoH competition. Earlier they watched several caricatured photos of the first three evicted HGs on a European trip on the Memory Wall.
  • Head of Household : Julie will read statements about the said photos, and the HGs will respond whether the comments are TRUE or FALSE. An incorrect answer will result in elimination. The last HG standing will be the new HoH.
Paulie was the winner, thereby making his Category 4 teammates also immune from this week's eviction and, much to the dismay of the 8 Pack, postponing their plan of evicting Frank. Despite being enemies the previous week, Tiffany, Frank, and Bridgette aligned after being outcasts in the House. They planned on targeting Paulie's alliance with Zakiyah, Nicole, and Corey for running the House in the past weeks. Paulie proceeded to nominate Natalie and Tiffany for eviction, shifting the target back on Tiffany.
  • Roadkill : Each of the HGs must hang air fresheners on colored lines. If an air freshener falls on the floor, it is out of play. The HG who hangs the most air fresheners in the shortest amount of time will win.
Tiffany was the winner, and at the Roadkill ceremony, secretly named her teammate and Paulie's closest ally, Corey, for eviction in hopes of shifting the power in the House. She told Da'Vonne she was the Roadkill winner but Da'Vonne decided not to reveal this information to the 8 Pack to avoid further tension with Tiffany. Da'Vonne and Paul were selected to join Paulie, Natalie, Tiffany, and Corey for the PoV competition.
  • Power of Veto : HGs will compete in head-to-head matches. They must look at a set of ice-cream cones on a monitor, and replicate those cones by transferring one ice-cream scoop at a time, not setting any scoops on the ground, and only having three scoops on a cone. They must then press their buzzer and if correct, will win that round and eliminate their competitor. The last HG standing will win. Host was Zakiyah.
Corey was the winner, but considered not using the Veto on himself for fear of Nicole being nominated in his place. Shortly after the competition Da'Vonne started getting paranoid, which made Tiffany suspicious. At the Roadkill ceremony, Corey removed himself from the block, and Tiffany secretly nominated Da'Vonne in his place, hoping the House would see the latter as a bigger threat. Despite Tiffany campaigning hard to stay in the House, she was still evicted by an 8-0-0 vote. During this week, Victor and Bronte also faced off in the Battle Back competition.
  • Battle Back, Round 3 :
Victor was the winner and will face off against next week's evictee. Bronte was permanently eliminated from the game.
Week 5
Following Tiffany's eviction,
Julie revealed to the HouseGuests that both the team and Roadkill twists were dissolved. Julie also announced to the HouseGuests that the first five evicted HouseGuests competed in the Battle Back competition. Victor was revealed to be the champion of the Battle Back duels and he returned to the House. Julie then revealed a twist to the viewers that would be in play for the next five weeks—in the House, there are secret clues to discover a secret room. Any HouseGuest who discovers this secret room will have the opportunity to claim an envelope. One envelope will hold a round trip ticket. Once a HouseGuest gets evicted, their envelope will be opened. If they have the round trip ticket, their eviction will be null, and they will head back into the House with another shot at the half million dollars.
Following Victor's return,
  • Head of Household : In this competition, HouseGuests had a wristband attached to a confetti box. They must keep their hand above their head while stepping over the light bars that shuffle by their feet. If they drop their hand, their confetti box will open, eliminating them from the competition. The last HouseGuest standing will be the new Head of Household. James was the winner. +
On Day 38, James nominated Bridgette and Frank for eviction, with Frank as the target. On Day 39, James, Bridgette and Frank, as well as Michelle, Da'Vonne and Nicole, competed in the veto competition.
  • Power of Veto : In this competition, OTEV asked the HouseGuests a riddle about a competition. They then had to find a record with the name of the competition described in the riddle. The last HouseGuest to return the correct record to OTEV will be eliminated. The last HouseGuest standing will win the Power of Veto.
Michelle won the Power of Veto. On Day 41, Michelle decided not to use the Power of Veto. On Day 42, all the HouseGuests solved the clues and discovered the secret room. On Day 44, Frank was evicted by a unanimous 9-0 vote. Frank was revealed not to have the round trip ticket. Julie also revealed another twist to the viewers-- "America's Care Package"—where for the next five weeks, America had the opportunity to vote to send a care package to a HouseGuest. Once a HouseGuest receives a care package, they may not receive a future one.
Week 6
Following Frank's eviction,
  • Head of Household : Each HouseGuest had a lane with slots numbered 1-21. They must roll their ball down their lane to try and make the highest score. They had the opportunity to practice by rolling their yellow ball down their lane as often as they wanted. Whenever they decided to take their best shot, they must roll the red ball. Whatever slot the red ball lands in will be their official score. The HouseGuest with the highest score will be the new Head of Household.
Paul was the winner. For being the bottom four performers in the Head of Household competition, Corey, Natalie, Paulie, and Zakiyah became Have-Nots for the week. However, Natalie received America's Care Package, which contained a Never-Not Pass, rendering her immune from being a Have-Not for the rest of the season. On Day 45, Paul nominated Bridgette and Paulie for eviction. On Day 46, Paul, Bridgette, and Paulie, as well as Corey, Victor and Natalie competed in the veto competition.
  • Power of Veto : In this competition, HouseGuests had to hold down two buttons in their starting lane. At the end of their lanes, a monitor will cycle through the words "ready, set, go." If a HouseGuest releases a button before the word "go," they will be eliminated. Once they see the word "go," they must run to the end of their lane and hit one of the five buttons. The last person to hit a button will become eliminated. Once a HouseGuest uses a button, it is out of play for future rounds. The last HouseGuest standing will win the Power of Veto.
Paulie was the winner. On Day 48, Paulie took himself off the block, and Paul named Da'Vonne as the replacement nominee. On Day 51, Da'Vonne was evicted by a 6-2 vote, with Michelle and Zakiyah voting to evict Bridgette. Da'Vonne was revealed not to have the round trip ticket, and she became the first member of the jury.
Week 7
Following Da'Vonne's eviction,
  • Head of Household : In this competition, HouseGuests stood on a small disc suspended by a hanging rope. As the competition continued, they spun into insult punching bags. If a HouseGuest falls off their disc, they will become eliminated. The last HouseGuest standing will be the new Head of Household.
Victor was the winner. For being the first three HouseGuests to fall in the Head of Household competition, Bridgette, Corey, and James became Have-Nots for the week. James received America's Care Package, which contained the power to prevent two HouseGuests from voting at the next eviction. On Day 52, Victor nominated Michelle and Zakiyah for eviction. On Day 53, Victor, Michelle and Zakiyah chose Paulie, James, and Nicole for the POV competition.
  • Power of Veto : HouseGuests had three minutes to hide their locked veto card in the House individually. Then, one at a time, HouseGuests entered the House and had one minute to attempt to find a veto card. If a HouseGuest's veto card becomes revealed, they will become eliminated, though the owner of the veto cards will not become revealed until the end of the competition. The HouseGuest who hides their veto card the best will win the Power of Veto.
Paulie won the Power of Veto, but on Day 55, decided not to use the Power of Veto. At the live eviction, Julie informed the HouseGuests of the Double Eviction. Just before the first live vote, James used his America's Care Package to prevent Corey and Paul from voting. On Day 58, Zakiyah was evicted by a 3-2 vote, with Nicole and Paulie voting to evict Michelle. Zakiyah was revealed not to have the round trip ticket, and she became the second member of the jury.
Immediately after Zakiyah's eviction,
  • Head of Household :The HouseGuests received numerical questions. HouseGuests were required to state whether the real number was more or less than the number mentioned in the question. An incorrect answer resulted in elimination. The last HouseGuest standing will be the new Head of Household.
Corey was the winner and immediately nominated Bridgette and Michelle for eviction, putting the plan to evict Bridgette in motion. Corey, Bridgette, and Michelle, as well as Paul, Nicole and James, later competed in the POV competition.
  • Power of Veto :In this competition, HouseGuests had to run across their lane into their ball pit at the end. They must search through the balls to find three clocks. They must return their clocks to their stand one at a time. After they retrieve all of the clocks, they must grab their veto symbol above their ball pit and hit their button. The first HouseGuest to hit their button will win the Power of Veto.
Corey was the winner but decided not to use the Power of Veto. On Day 58, Bridgette was evicted by a 5-1 vote, with Natalie voting to evict Michelle. Bridgette was revealed not to have the round trip ticket, and she became the third member of the jury.
Week 8
Following Zakiyah and Bridgette's eviction,
  • Head of Household : In this competition, HouseGuests competed in one-on-one matches. In each round, HouseGuests were asked a question based on a grid of Benny the BB Comp Squirrels. If a HouseGuest buzzes in with the correct answer, they will move on and eliminate their opponent. If they are incorrect, they will be eliminated. The HouseGuest who survives in each round must pick the next two HouseGuests to face off. The last HouseGuest standing will be the new Head of Household.
Victor was the winner. For being the first two HouseGuests eliminated in the Head of Household competition, Michelle and Nicole became Have-Nots for the week. Nicole received America's Care Package, which contained safety for the week, on the condition she wear a "Super Safety" costume all week. On Day 59, Victor nominated Corey and Paulie for eviction, with Paulie as the target. On Day 60, Zingbot made an appearance and hosted Victor, Corey, Paulie, Paul, Nicole and James in the POV competition, with Natalie moderating.
  • Power of Veto : In each round, HouseGuests launched a beanbag at a map to claim votes for Zingbot. Once a spot has been landed in, any future tosses into that spot will have a score of zero. The HouseGuest who gets the fewest votes in each round will be eliminated from the competition. After each HouseGuest has been eliminated, they will claim a campaign gift. HouseGuests eliminated in future rounds have the option of keeping their gift or claiming a gift already revealed. The HouseGuest with the Power of Veto at the end of the game will win the Power of Veto. Paul became a member of the BB Secret Service, James won $5,000, Paulie must bake apple pies any time he is instructed by Big Brother for the rest of the season, Corey has to wear the "Patriotard" for the week and Nicole won a trip to anywhere in the United States.
Victor won the Power of Veto. On Day 62, Victor decided not to use the Power of Veto. On Day 65, Paulie was evicted by a unanimous 5-0 vote. Paulie was revealed not to have the round trip ticket and he became the fourth member of the jury. All of the tickets expired and it was later revealed that Paul had the round trip ticket.
Week 9
Following Paulie's eviction,
The HouseGuests celebrated how far they have survived as they enjoyed a carnival, with a chance to win prizes such as $5,000, a tech-pack containing a new TV, tablet, and smartphone, along with a performance from Ziggy Marley. They also picked pies to determine Have-Nots for the week, as well as an advantage in the next Head of Household competition. Michelle, James and Victor became Have-Nots for the week.
After the carnival,
  • Head of Household : In this competition, the HouseGuests entered the black box and held down their button. Throughout the competition, HouseGuests were given opportunities to search the black box for discs. There are also dummy discs that will not fit on their pole. If a HouseGuest does not return to their button before time is up, they will be eliminated. After two hours and ten searches, the player who survives with the most discs will be the new Head of Household. Michelle won the advantage for the competition and she received an extra 30-second solo search.
Natalie was the winner. Michelle received America's Care Package, which contained the power of co-HOH. She and Natalie will both have safety, share the HOH room and will each name one nominee. For winning this week's America's Care Package, Michelle's week as a Have-Not was also cancelled. On Day 66, Michelle and Natalie nominated Paul and Victor for eviction, respectively. On Day 67, all HouseGuests except Nicole competed in the POV competition.
  • Power of Veto : In the days leading up to the competition, HouseGuests listened to a series of BB Storm Watch updates. In this competition, HouseGuests competed individually. HouseGuests looked at a teleprompter for sentences with blanks. HouseGuests had to report the weather and fill in the blanks with the name of one of the first five evicted HouseGuests while standing in a storm. If the sentence passes through the teleprompter before the HouseGuest fills in the blank, they will be incorrect. The HouseGuest who fills in the most blanks will win the Power of Veto.
Paul was the winner. On Day 69, Paul took himself off the block, and Michelle named Corey as the replacement nominee. On Day 72, Victor was evicted by a 2-1 vote, with Paul voting to evict Corey. He became the fifth member of the jury. Julie then informed the HouseGuests that the jurors will compete in the next Head of Household competition, with one of them returning to the game.
Week 10
Following Victor's second eviction,
  • Head of Household : In this competition, HouseGuests stood on a small platform against a wall. If anyone falls off their platform, they will be eliminated. The last juror standing will be back in the game and the last HouseGuest standing overall will be the new Head of Household.
Victor eventually beat out the other jurors to re-enter the game, becoming the first HouseGuest in Big Brother history to return to the House twice in one season. Nicole became the new Head of Household. For being the first two HouseGuests to fall in the Head of Household competition, Corey and Victor became Have-Nots for the week. Corey received America's Care Package, which gave him $5,000 to use to bribe another HouseGuest in the upcoming week. On Day 73, Nicole nominated Michelle and Paul for eviction, with Michelle as the target. On Day 74, all HouseGuests except Natalie competed in the POV competition.
  • Power of Veto : HouseGuests had a few minutes to count groups of items throughout the backyard. In this competition, HouseGuests were asked how many of a certain object were in the display. After everyone revealed their answer, they had a decision to stay or fold. If a HouseGuest folds, they are ineligible to win a candy cane, but they cannot be eliminated. If a HouseGuest stays and they are the closest to the correct answer, they will win a candy cane. If a HouseGuest stays and they are the furthest away from the answer, then they will be eliminated. The first HouseGuest to get three candy canes will win the Power of Veto.
Nicole was the winner. On Day 76, Nicole decided not to use the Power of Veto. Corey used his bribe on Victor in return for him voting out Michelle. On Day 79, after Nicole cast the tie-breaking vote, Michelle was evicted by a 3-2 vote, with James and Natalie voting to evict Paul. She became the fifth member of the jury.
Week 11
Following Michelle's eviction,
  • Head of Household : In this competition, HouseGuests had to maneuver eggs through their chicken wire and through their hole. They then had to roll their egg down the ramp in an attempt to knock down the letters "HOH." The first HouseGuest to knock down all of their letters would then become the new Head of Household.
Victor was the winner and became the new HOH. For being the last two HouseGuests to place an egg in their special "Have" holder, Natalie and Victor became Have-Nots for the week. However, because Victor won HoH and Natalie had a Never-Not Pass, all of the HouseGuests were safe from being Have-Nots for the week. On Day 80, Victor nominated James and Natalie for eviction. On Day 81, all of the HouseGuests competed in the POV competition.
  • Power of Veto : sponsored by the new CBS show, MacGyver. In this competition, HouseGuests competed individually. They had to figure out how to escape three different rooms as fast as possible. The HouseGuest who escapes all three rooms in the fastest time will win the Power of Veto, as well as a trip to the set of MacGyver.
Corey was the winner, but on Day 83, decided not to use the Power of Veto. On Day 86, Natalie was evicted by a unanimous 3-0 vote. She became the sixth member of the jury.
Week 12
Following Natalie's eviction,
  • Head of Household : In this competition, HouseGuests had to fill their small scoop with butter, walk down to the end of their slippery lane and pour it into their bowl. If a HouseGuest fills up their small bowl, they will receive a larger scoop. The first HouseGuest to retrieve the ball from their large bowl will be the new Head of Household.
Corey was the winner and, on Day 87, Corey nominated Paul and Victor for eviction. On Day 88, the HouseGuests zipped in the veto competition.
  • Power of Veto : A spoof of DC Comics. In this competition, HouseGuests competed individually. HouseGuests had to ride a zip line past the comic studio window to get a look at a set of sixteen comics. They must replicate the comic studio on their computer. However, there are decoy comics with slight differences. The HouseGuest who replicates the studio wall in the fastest time will win the Power of Veto. Glenn as Doctor Groom, Jozea as the Hot Mess-ian, Bronte as the Mathematician, Tiffany as the Emotional Wrecking Ball, Frank as Eudy's Booty, Da'Vonne as Day-Struction, Zakiyah as The Hottie, Bridgette as the Killer Cabbage, Paulie as aPIEcalypse, Michelle as Big Meech, Natalie as Princess Pep, Victor as El Fit Vic, Corey as the Missile-Toe, James as Colonel Camo, Paul as the Motormouth and Nicole as the Super Safety Girl.
Nicole was the winner. On Day 89, Nicole decided not to use the Power of Veto. On Day 90, Victor was evicted by a 2-0 vote. He became the seventh member of the jury.
Following Victor's third eviction,
  • Head of Household : In this competition, HouseGuests were shown a series of clips with a censored word or words. Julie will then give them words as to what the blurred phrase may be. The HouseGuests must then state if Julie's suggestion is true or false. A correct answer earned a HouseGuest a point. The HouseGuest with the most points after seven questions will be the new Head of Household.
Paul was the winner and, on Day 91, Paul nominated Corey and Nicole for eviction. On Day 92, the HouseGuests recalled in the veto competition.
  • Final Power of Veto : In this competition, HouseGuests were asked on what day a certain event took place in the House. The HouseGuests had to step on their bases to display the correct day, then hit the umpire to lock in their answer. If they are incorrect, their counter will drop to zero and they must try again. The last person to display the correct day will get a strike and three strikes resulted in elimination. The last HouseGuest standing will win the Power of Veto.
Paul was the winner, but on Day 92, decided not to use the Power of Veto. On Day 92, after James cast the sole vote to evict Corey, he became the eighth member of the jury.
Week 13
Following Corey's eviction, the HouseGuests engaged in their final battle in Part 1 of the Final Head of Household competition.
  • Head of Household, Part 1 :In this competition, HouseGuests had to follow a laser which would lead them to one of three endurance stations. Once the laser stops, they have fifteen seconds to climb onto the station. If the laser re-appears, they must jump off of their station and follow it again. If they fail to climb onto their station within 15 seconds or if they fall before the laser re-appears, they will be eliminated. The last HouseGuest standing will win Part 1 of the competition and automatically advance to Part 3.
Paul was the winner. James and Nicole then faced off in Part 2 of the Final Head of Household competition.
  • Head of Household, Part 2 : In this competition, James and Nicole competed individually. They had to read a clue and place the three HouseGuests that applied to the clue into the roller coaster car. They had to push the car down the track, then take a snapshot of the HouseGuests while in frame. If they are incorrect or the HouseGuests are not in frame, they must try again. The HouseGuest who finishes all three snapshots faster will win Part 2 and advance to Part 3 against Paul. Nicole was the winner.
Paul and Nicole had the final showdown in Part 3 of the Final Head of Household competition.
  • Head of Household, Part 3 : In this competition, Nicole and Paul were read a series of statements made by the jurors. The HouseGuests were required to guess how the juror completed each statement. The HouseGuest with the most points after eight questions will be the final Head of Household of the season.
Paul became the final Head of Household by a score of 4-3. On Day 99, after Paul cast the sole vote to evict James, he became the final member of the jury. On Day 99, after receiving Da'Vonne, Zakiyah, Paulie, Natalie and Corey's votes, Paul received $50,000 as the runner-up, Nicole received $500,000 and was declared the winner of Big Brother 18, the first female winner since Rachel Reilly in Big Brother 13 and the first female to win against a male in the final two and, Victor was revealed to be America's Favorite HouseGuest and received $25,000, bringing his cash winnings to $30,000.

Episodes

Have-Nots

For the duration of the teams twist, the team that fared the worst in the Head of Household competition became the Have-Nots for the week. In Weeks 6, 8, and 11, Natalie would have been a Have-Not, but was exempt by virtue of receiving America's Care Package containing a Never-Not Pass, rendering her exempt from any future Have-Not punishments. In Week 9, Michelle would have been a Have-Not, but was exempt by virtue of receiving America's Care Package containing being a Co-HoH. In Week 11, Victor would have been a Have-Not, but was exempt by virtue of winning HoH.

Voting History

; Color key:

Reception

Viewing figures

Bronte D'Acquisto and Paul Abrahamian were captured on live feed making racist remarks about fellow HouseGuest James Huling, who is ethnically Korean. Although Huling is a lifelong resident of the United States, D'Acquisto stated that she "will send back to Hong Kong". In another incident, while discussing Huling, D'Acquisto said: "I want to kick his little Asian ass back to Hong Kong. Wherever he came from." Furthermore, Abrahamian referred to Huling as a "little Korean man" on multiple occasions. These incidents were not aired on the CBS television broadcasts.
Jozea Flores also created controversy during the beginning of the live feeds, saying that the 4th of July should not be a holiday. When a comment became brought up that "a lot of Americans died for our freedom," Flores replied with, "ain't nobody told them to do that." While his remarks did not make the live feeds, many of the HouseGuests talked about it.
Corey Brooks faced some criticism due to homophobic tweets that were found on his Twitter account, as well as homophobic remarks he made while inside the house. Brooks also faced more controversy after telling a story on the live feeds of his friend attempting to burn a goat. This was not shown on the CBS television broadcasts.
Paulie Calafiore made a series of offensive remarks to fellow HouseGuest Natalie Negrotti about her breast implants. Upon realizing that the house had grown weary of his abuse and running the game, including Negrotti, Calafiore began a campaign of harassment referring to Negrotti's implants and body. Calafiore routinely referring to Natalie as "F.T." and telling Negrotti that she was "as fake as those things on her chest." Calafiore also received criticism for his misogynistic and sexist comments about women from New Jersey, stating they "play" men and "spit them out and eat them for breakfast, lunch and dinner." He referred to these type of women as "Jersey Girls" and afterward received backlash from female viewers, particularly those from New Jersey, viewing it as a derogatory comment and reinforcing stereotypes.