The Big Brother motto is “Expect the Unexpected,” and the CBS reality series has served up some satisfying blindsides over the years.
Living together in a house cut off from the rest of the world often means that houseguests sniff out exactly who their fellow houseguests plan to vote for on eviction nights. However, contestants sometimes manage to conceal their plans until it’s time to deliver the fatal blow and send someone packing.
Keep scrolling for a look back at the craziest blindsides in Big Brother history:
Marcellas — Season 3
The Power of Veto may have been a new development in season 3, but that hasn’t stopped Marcellas Reynolds’ use of it — or lack thereof — from going down as one of the worst moves in Big Brother history.
During week 9 of the 2002 season, Marcellas was nominated for eviction alongside Amy Crews. He then won the Power of Veto, giving him the opportunity to take himself off the block. However, he decided not to use the power, feeling certain that Amy would be evicted over him.
Marcellas’ ally Danielle Reyes then voted to evict him and Head of Household Jason Guy cast the tie-breaking vote sealing his fate. Marcellas was so unprepared to leave the house that he quickly grabbed some of his clothes from a dresser before he walked out.
Even Big Brother host Julie Chen Moonves couldn’t resist reproaching Marcellas for the foolish move; she playfully hit him on the head during his exit interview.
Dr. Will — Season 7
Dr. Will Kirby is widely regarded as one of the best Big Brother players of all time, but even he can be surprised. During the show’s first all-stars season in 2006, Will formed an alliance with Janelle Pierzina based largely on flirting.
At final four, Janelle and Erika Landin realized that Will and Mike “Boogie” Malin were using them to further their own games and had no real loyalties to anyone but each other. When Janelle won the final Veto competition of the season, she cast the sole vote to evict Will, taking both him and Mike by surprise.
Keesha — Season 10
Keesha Smith fully trusted in her final three deal with Dan Gheesling and Memphis Garrett during the 2008 season. What she didn’t know was that Dan and Memphis had formed the Renegades alliance early in the game and intended to bring each other to the finals.
At final four, Memphis won the last Power of Veto competition, allowing him to cast the sole eviction vote. He and Dan decided to keep Jerry MacDonald over Keesha, feeling that Jerry was less of a physical threat.
Keesha was shocked and hurt when she learned about the plan. “Whoever the f–k sends me out of here better not think that they’re getting my vote, that’s for damn sure!” she yelled.
Shane — Season 14
After winning season 10, Dan returned as a coach in 2012. During week 3 of the season, the coaches were given an opportunity to play as individuals, and Dan, Mike, Janelle and Brittany Haynes then entered the game.
Dan went on to play even more ruthlessly than he had the first time around. At final four, he pulled off the biggest blindside of the season by convincing his No. 1 ally Danielle Murphree to leave her showmance partner, Shane Meany, on the block after she won both Head of Household and the Power of Veto. Dan told Danielle that he would use his sole vote to evict Ian Terry, but he voted against Shane instead, leaving both Shane and Danielle in shock.
Austin — Season 17
Austin Matelson joined the ranks of Big Brother players betrayed by those closest to him during the 2015 season. He and Vanessa Rousso made a final two deal during week one, but that didn’t stop Vanessa from casting the sole vote to evict Austin at final five.
Austin was so sure that Vanessa would keep him safe that he didn’t wear shoes to the eviction ceremony. He walked out of the house barefoot after telling Vanessa that she didn’t have the jury votes to win the game.
Pooch — Season 24
Joe “Pooch” Pucciarelli felt so confident about his position in the house that he volunteered to go on the block next to Taylor Hale — who went on to win the season — when Jasmine Davis was Head of Household in July 2022.
Although Pooch was initially a pawn, Jasmine and her Girls Girls alliance decided to shift the target onto him after learning that Pooch was aligned with several of the men in the house, including Daniel Durston and Kyle Capener.
Despite thinking he was safe, Pooch was unanimously evicted by a 12-0 vote on eviction night, and the term “getting pooched” became a running gag for the rest of the season.
“For it to be 12-0 is shocking. I thought I would have heard from one person, but obviously, they were all on the same page,” Pooch told Chen Moonves after his elimination. “When I heard 12-0 I genuinely felt, ‘Oh cool, I’m straight.’”
Hisam — Season 25
Hisam Goueli thought his third week in the Big Brother house would be smooth sailing when his Professors alliance member Felicia Cannon became Head of Household in August 2023. He had no idea that Felicia was planning to backdoor him, meaning nominate him for eviction after the Veto Competition was played so he didn’t even have a chance to compete for his safety.
To make matters worse, Hisam told his alliance members that he didn’t want any of them to pick him to play for the Veto since he had already won too many competitions.
Hisam was stunned when Felicia named him as the replacement nominee after Jag Bains won the Power of Veto and took himself off the block. After Hisam was unanimously evicted days later, he exclusively told Us Weekly it was “hard not to feel betrayed” by his alliance members.
“I’m devastated. Of course I’m hurt,” he said. “You go back to the conversations you [had] and you’re realizing people are telling you things that are not true and you believe them because you trust them.”
