Ranking Every Big Brother Season — US and Canada
Big Brother seasons ranked:
28. Big Brother 22
The magnitude of excitement we had for this season was unmatched. The first All Stars season in 14 years. Our favorite show becoming one of the first television productions to return to the screen in 2020. On paper, a solid cast with some legends and fan-favorites. What a crushing disappointment it was when this turned out to be the most frustrating, lackluster season ever. The ill-tempered and oft-arrogant Committee alliance steamrolled from day 1, executing the most unstoppable alliance domination ever seen. Every week was predictable and unexciting as we watched our favorites and potential underdogs fall one by one. The only two gifts this season gave us were the magical and hilarious reunion of Janelle and Kaysar, and the dazzle of Da’Vonne’s heart and humor.
27. Big Brother 19
Although the pre-jury weeks of this season gave us some riveting and extremely tense fights (the likes of which we hadn’t seen in a few years), the rest of the season was so predictable, boring, embarrassing, and infuriating that it makes this an undoubtedly bottom-tier season. Three of the four likable people in this cast were evicted pre-jury, leaving insufferable idiots for the remainder of the game who threw every competition to whomever Paul decided should win that week. There’s never been a season where one single person runs the entire game like a dictator with no opposition, with nearly all the houseguests following his every command as his minions. It’s bewildering that no one realized Paul was playing them all, but it’s not even impressive because the game was so obviously rigged by production to keep Paul safe and in power. How would Paul have done without 3 guaranteed weeks of immunity and several competitions he already won the previous season? The only good episode in the second half of the season was the finale — one of the most suspenseful and exciting endings ever.
26. Big Brother 1
I have a soft spot in my heart for this season since it was cute and the original, but it’s just not the game we know and love. America controlled the “banishments” in this very different popularity contest format, and immediately voted out the only two pot-stirrers, leaving kind and simple people who never raised their voices again for the rest of the season. No drama, no strategy, very little fun. Curtis remains the most boring houseguest in Big Brother history. But there are some memorable moments, like Chiquita the Pug being adorable and almost drowning on live TV within 1 minute of entering the house, and Chicken George thinking the secret meaning of the game was for the houseguests to band together and all walk out, thus forfeiting the money (thank God they didn’t do it). A pleasant but fairly boring beginning to the franchise.
25. Celebrity Big Brother 3
The Celebrity edition of this game faltered for its first time when season 3 rolled around. The fan-favorites were either eliminated before getting a chance to make the moves we all hoped to see, or lasted just long enough to squander all our dreams by betraying their own allies and furthering the largely unlikable duo that dominated this run. Some funny characters (hi, Carson) and occasional fighting (Shanna vs. Cynthia; Cynthia vs. Todd) provided some flavor, but overall this season felt bland and predictable.
24. Big Brother 18
This season just rubbed me the wrong way, and I’ve heard the same thing from many other fans. I hate any time the houseguests are forced to compete in teams, and that horrible twist kept certain people (*cough* Frank *cough*) safe for longer than they should have been. Paulie Calafiore is my most hated houseguest of all time, and it was unbearable to watch his arrogance and sexism for weeks on end. My favorite houseguests — Tiffany, Michelle, and Da’Vonne — were snubbed and never given real chances to shine. James did almost nothing the entire season, and Nicole and Corey were just lying in bed together every time I turned on the live feeds. The runner-up deserved to win this season while still an underdog, so then we wouldn’t have had to suffer through them on BB19. Honorable mention for the best Jury House fight we’ve ever seen between Da’Vonne and Paulie.
23. Big Brother 11
In my opinion, this is the most unlikable cast in Big Brother history. It makes it hard to watch. Normally, a house divided in half would make for a great season, but these people were just so obnoxious that the drama was barely enjoyable. Ronnie was an intolerable terror, and seeing Natalie, Lydia, and Chima sob over meathead Jessie was beyond pathetic. Natalie acted like a rotten child the entire time, making up ridiculously annoying lies like that she was only 18 years old and that she was tied up and blindfolded in the HOH room. Plus the houseguests had to compete in teams based on high school cliques… yuck. Jeff and Jordan had a cute story as ‘America’s Sweethearts’ but they’re not as great as the show made them out to be, and possibly benefitted from some rigging, as superfans can point out. A few iconic moments like Chima’s expulsion and Jeff’s coup d’éta power bring this season up a bit, but there are many more things dragging it down. These iconic moments are sort of the only reason it ranks above BB18.
22. Big Brother 21
Following a frustratingly slow pre-jury phase involving much problematic behavior, a massive house fight kicked off the jury portion and things were never quite the same. This season became often explosive, with about one big fight happening every week like clockwork. The second half featured several edge-of-your-seat confrontations and serious gameplay from all sides of the house. From Jessica’s upset HOH win, to a thrilling double eviction, to Jackson’s shocking lie about Tommy, it truly became unpredictable, with the tension of a lit bomb permeating the air as each eviction night approached. This season ended up being quite the wild ride; however, it was severely hampered by a largely unlikable cast, the stench of racism in the early weeks, an eviction order that rarely seemed to go the audience’s way, and episodes that failed to fully capture the tension and unpredictability of the feeds.
21. Big Brother 9
This season has a bad reputation, but I actually enjoyed it. The houseguests behaved terribly (hot tub orgy; squirting breast milk on people) and said the most horrible things in the history of the show (Joshuah and Chelsia telling Amanda to hang herself like her father did) and they should all be held accountable for these atrocities. The cast was a bunch of dirtbags who never showed much strategy at all. There was only one alliance the whole season — the ridiculously named “Team Christ” — comprised of people who thought reading the Bible to keep themselves busy made them good people. The season was also harmed by the incredibly weird twist of houseguests being forced into romantic pairs for the first half of the game — it gave us some good drama, but it was mostly just uncomfortable and messed with how the game should be played. But despite the bad cast and twist, the drama never stopped and the extremely tense fights kept you on the edge of your seat. Crazy James winning the Veto three weeks in a row, forcing the other houseguests to turn on each other, was pretty epic. Ultimately, this season was just enough of a trainwreck to make it interesting.
20. Big Brother 3
A good season, do not get me wrong. But, it has several issues. For one, drama is almost nonexistent: there were like three fights total. Every eviction episode, the houseguests would go on about how much they loved one another. Yawn. The Veto was only used once the entire season since a nominee was not allowed to use it on oneself until the final 5. There may have been more drama if nominees could take themselves off the block. The saving grace of the season was Danielle Reyes being one of the greatest players of all time and proving herself to be a master of the game in her top-secret alliance with Jason, all while hilariously mocking her housemates in the Diary Room. Because of her and a few others, this season is still quite fun to watch, and seems to be a fan favorite.
19. Big Brother 16
Many superfans regard this as one of the worst seasons because the live feeds were somewhat boring and predictable, but there’s a reason so many casual fans love it. Looking only at the edited episodes, this cast is one of the most likable of all time overall, giving us possibly the most comedic season. Frankie Grande was extremely polarizing, with most casual fans adoring his flamboyant personality, while many superfans considering him delusional and impossibly over-the-top. Derrick played one of the most impressive and dominant games ever while evicting anyone who began to catch onto him, which was compelling for episode-watchers, but not so much for live feeders. There wasn’t all too much drama, but Derrick’s mastery, Nicole’s adorable showmance with Hayden, Donny’s sweet but competitive nature, and Zach’s hilarious and bold antics made the season a lot of fun. It was dragged down for having a dominant male alliance that faced no opposition, and the needlessly complex “Battle of the Block” twist that completely messed up how the game is meant to be played.
18. Celebrity Big Brother 1
The celebrities actually came to PLAY! There were some truly memorable personalities on this season who played strategically and competitively. Omarosa played a savage game and made it far with the biggest target on her back, all while causing drama and keeping the nation captivated with her White House revelations. The season was also pretty funny, with Metta acting so bizarre and Brandi being one of the pettiest houseguests we’ve ever seen, constantly hating on James Maslow. The season’s low points were having two houseguests essentially quit by demanding to be voted out so they could return home, for fan-favorite Shannon being turned on so early in the game, and for the jury ultimately being bitter and crowning the wrong winner.
17. Big Brother 13
In this season, half the cast was returning dynamic duos from previous seasons and half was brand new players. It was a fun idea and the season was good, but the newbies were pretty unmemorable and easily got taken advantage of by the returning players. None of the newbies stand out as particularly great players, and nearly all the houseguests made extremely dumb moves. As for the returning players, almost all of them were much less likable this time than they were on their original season. Rachel was an emotional wreck who needed Brendon to console her every two minutes, and the appeal of Jeff and Jordan was lost now that they were no longer underdogs. The saving grace was Daniele Donato, who was just as likable this time if not more so than on BB8, standing up to her fellow returners and leading an alliance of newbies against them. Daniele’s savagery and sassiness, as well as the frequent fights and betrayals, made this a fun season still.
16. Big Brother 23
The breath of fresh air that this season provided will always retain my appreciation, as it ushered in a new post-All Stars era of Big Brother characterized by a greater commitment to diversity. With a new casting team in place, our favorite game was rejuvenated by an overall likable group who were visibly empowered to play with a purpose. “The Cookout” rallied together to make history in more ways than one — guaranteeing the show’s first ever Black winner by securing an all-Black final 6, and becoming the most successful alliance (of more than 2 people) ever in the process. Of course, whenever one alliance dominates so strongly without significant opposition, certain weeks drag. Despite an abundance of predictable evictions, one always felt a forward momentum toward something more powerful, and it was energizing to see it through.
15. Big Brother 20
When the live feeds first turned on and we saw that the house had already divided directly in half, we knew that BB20 would be a welcome return to form after a couple of underwhelming seasons. For the pre-jury phase, the audience was on the edge of their seats as week after week, a massive blindside was pulled off, leaving an entire side of the house in utter shock as someone unexpected was either nominated or evicted. Never before have there been so many blindsides executed consecutively. If that momentum kept up, this would get a Top 10 ranking for sure. Unfortunately, as we got into the Jury phase, the Level 6 alliance came to dominate far too much, leaving us with predictable evictions and no opposition to the concentrated power. Without a doubt, The Hive (fka FOUTTE) is the stupidest alliance in Big Brother history. Despite their extremely frustrating pattern of terrible moves, this season remained enjoyable because of memorable personalities like Rockstar and Brett, savage speeches (Angela: “Your power trip is over, honey”), and already-classic drama (like the GIF above).
14. Big Brother 24
Let’s face it! This season has one of the most satisfying winners of all time. That goes a long way given that we are much more often left disappointed in the result of our long three-month investment. Beginning with a stormy first week, the skies cleared Week 3 when The Leftovers alliance was born and flipped the house on its head with the first of several compelling blindsides. Some new form of entertainment emerged every week, whether it was Jasmine and Turner’s petty feud, Michael and Brittany’s gamer-savvy duo dealings, Taylor’s underdog ascension, or a uniquely forced split house that divided the cast into an indoor group and an outdoor group that could not communicate for an entire week of separate gameplay. A rare twist that was actually quite intriguing to watch! Having the fluid drama all converge in a thrilling finale felt like the bow on top of a memorably chaotic run.
13. Celebrity Big Brother 2
This cast is best described with one word: MESS. The paranoia in the house was so pervasive it was almost annoying, but luckily resulted in arguments or fights almost every single day and made this a super entertaining season with must-see live feeds. In fact, the live feeds were more entertaining than the actual episodes, with more bad-mouthing and confrontations than the show could cover. Tamar brought the drama from day one with her pre-existing beef with Kandi, and Lolo kept it going with her screaming matches against Tom and Kato. Alliances crumbled as quickly as they formed and these celebs took the game more seriously than I ever could have expected. Culminating in a history-making Final 2, this season was a short-and-sweet blast with a diverse, strategic, and confrontational cast.
12. Big Brother 2
The season that really started it all, debuting the format we know and love with Head of Household competitions. BB2 just has such a compelling energy about it, seeing the houseguests figure out how to play this brand new game with no past seasons to reference. The casting department switched things up for this season from BB1, casting considerably meaner people who got into plenty of fights and gave us iconic moments such as Justin holding a knife to Krista’s throat and getting expelled from the game, or Shannon cleaning the toilet with Hardy’s toothbrush after he nominated her. The crowning achievement of this season is the debut of BB legend Dr. Will Kirby, who played one of the most bewildering but impressive games to this day, blatantly lying to everyone at all times (and being honest about the fact that he was lying). It’s impossible not to laugh watching the “Evil Doctor” play everyone like a fiddle. He single-handedly pioneered lying and deception as the way to play this game. This season misses the Top 10 because without the Power of Veto being invented yet, the game had slightly less strategy and unpredictability than it has today. Slightly.
11. Big Brother 12
This season’s selling point is its extremely memorable cast, giving us perennial fan-favorites like the us-against-the-world showmance of Brendon and Rachel, the wicked liar Matt Hoffman (who lied to his housemates that his wife had a terminal disease so they’d give him sympathy), and possibly the funniest houseguest of all time, Britney Haynes. The fights on this season are still talked about today, especially when Rachel won her second HOH and yelled her now iconic line, “Floaters, you better grab a life vest!” One of the best episodes in all of Big Brother history was when Rachel was unleashed back on the house as a punishment, bringing hilarious chaos as Ragan eviscerated her in one of the most sharp-tongued BB fights ever. This season, however, would have been improved had it not been completely controlled by the secret all-male alliance of the Brigade, resulting in most of the evictions being pretty predictable.
10. Big Brother 5
This season had the best and most mind-blowing twist of them all: “Project DNA.” Two houseguests, Cowboy and Nakomis, discovered in the house that they were actually long-lost half-siblings who share a father. It’s impossible not to get chills or tear up watching them learn that they have a sibling they never even knew existed. The second prong of Project DNA was even more exciting, with identical twins switching places in the house without any of the houseguests catching on that they were actually two different people. The twins being revealed to the house is one of the greatest episodes of all time. In addition to the insane twists, the season was full of drama and important moments of BB history, such as when Nakomis invented the original “backdoor” strategy. The unlikable all-male alliance of the Four Horsemen and the incredibly unfortunate Final 2 bring it down a few ranks.
9. Big Brother 15
People love to despise this season, but those people have tunnel vision. The cast is comprised of several awful individuals who spewed racism, sexism, and homophobia throughout the season, with the most controversial houseguest of all time, Aaryn, being the most notorious culprit. The bigotry this season was horrible and must always be condemned, but that was ultimately 10% of an otherwise wildly entertaining season. The strong female cast dominated most of the game, evicting three guys in a row to start off (which is extremely rare). This was a highly tumultuous season, with edge-of-your-seat screaming matches being common. Amanda Zuckerman was problematic, but watching her rampage and terrorize Elissa in her birthday party hat is forever burned in my brain as captivating entertainment. Gameplay and strategy was more solid than it’s given credit for but the season’s useless “MVP” twist (three nominees on the block is always a waste of time) and unremarkable Final 3 bring the season down.
8. Big Brother 14
This season lives and breathes because of its twist: bringing 4 of the best and most compelling players from BB history back to coach and compete against new players. Although this was another teams situation, it only lasted 3 weeks so it wasn’t bad. The returners were some of the best casting in the more modern seasons — the all-time competition beast Janelle, the hilarious but strategic Britney, the devilish Mike “Boogie,” and the master of chaos, Dan. They all fell short of their past successes, but there’s a reason they’re icons of the game — you can’t look away from them. Any season with Dan is fantastic because he’s such an evil mastermind you can’t help but root for him. He played even more aggressively this time than his last, plunging the house into chaos several times and always sidestepping the fallout. This time he gave us what is still regarded as the greatest move in Big Brother history — Dan’s Funeral — where he had the whole house crying and got himself off the block. Unfortunately, this season had possibly the weakest newbie cast ever in a mixed season; they were easily taken advantage of by the returning players. Also, the incredibly bitter jury made the wrong decision in the end.
7. Big Brother: Over the Top
This online-only spin-off season was extremely polarizing for fans, but I found it to be a very fun oasis in the middle of the subpar BB18 and BB19 seasons. The house divided directly in half: the offbeat “Late Night Jamboree” alliance vs. the cooler all-girls “Ballsmashers” alliance (and male friends). And it was all-out war. When a house is as divided as this, the fights get personal and nasty. The two funniest houseguests of the season — Shelby and Jason — led their opposing sides of the house against one another in a petty rivalry for the ages. Power consistently shifted back and forth and the “America’s Nominee” twist threw some unexpected curveballs in the players’ games, resulting in the most unlikable people getting evicted quickly. Fans picked sides and had their own battles on Twitter with death threats and everything. It was civil war in the BB fandom. The Ballsmashers, one of my favorite alliances ever, gifted us with Shelby, a hilarious and genius queen who tricked the whole house into thinking she was a dumb waitress when she was actually a brilliant law school graduate. May she be brought back for (and win) a real season.
6. Big Brother 4
My second-favorite twist ever: “The X Factor.” In a stroke of brilliant casting, several of the houseguests were forced to play the game against their ex-boyfriends or girlfriends. You can imagine the drama. The fights were personal and frequent. What also made this season so exciting was that power continuously shifted between opposing alliances, meaning no one was ever safe for more than a week. Alison Irwin is one of the most compelling villains this show has ever had, getting into bed with every guy to stay safe despite having a boyfriend back home whom she claimed to love. Her unexpected alliance with the similarly sharp-tongued Jun (they hated each other) was so exciting to watch claw their way through the game. Much of the cast turned out to be unmemorable, however.
5. Big Brother 17
This was the season that made me a fan, so I may be somewhat biased toward it, but most people will agree this is the best “modern” season of the past few years. The cast was so likable but also very strategic and serious about the game at the same time. You could root for the Austwins alliance that revived the legendary Twin Twist from BB5, the hilarious Veto beast Johnny Mac, lowkey stealth players like Becky and Jackie, or the strategic genius Vanessa, who dominated competitions and had a hand in almost every single eviction all season long by crying and rambling until the HOH did what she wanted. From the twins switching places, to the several crushing blindsides, to meme queen Da’Vonne, and the fact that this was one of the most female-dominated seasons ever, there was entertainment at every turn. Probably one of the most all-around competent casts ever. Not even the Battle of the Block twist was able to ruin this season.
4. Big Brother 7
The All Stars season! The best players from the first six seasons are all right here and boy is it amazing to watch. The biggest and most strategic personalities from the game’s early days came together to outplay one another. Really, they ended up all getting played by Dr. Will and Mike “Boogie,” who revived their short-lived “Chilltown” alliance from BB2 and this time proved that they’re the greatest alliance in the history of the game. Will was already an evil mastermind on season 2, but somehow he takes it up 10 notches in this season, lying his face off to every person in the house as he and Mike orchestrated their evictions. It’s astounding and hilarious to watch as they mock their housemates in the Diary Room with their famous phone call skits. They were pure evil, each having a showmance partner (Janelle for Will and Erika for Mike) whom they had no true feelings for and only used for their own advantage. Besides the iconic entertainment they delivered, this season gave fan-favorite Janelle her title as the biggest competition beast of all time, again refusing to be evicted despite everyone wanting her out. Chicken George from BB1 brought much-needed levity to this otherwise serious and strategic season that didn’t even need many fights to be super compelling. For the best experience, watch seasons 1–6 first.
3. Big Brother 6
The first time the Big Brother house divided directly in half was also the best time. It was all-out war of the popular “Sovereign Six” alliance versus the despised “Friendship” alliance. Amazingly, the HOH power shifted back and forth between the two opposing sides of the house each week, so the alliances took turns taking shots at each other one by one. The division was deep and bitter, causing frequent fights that were personal and nasty but in the most entertaining way. This season is probably most known for giving us one of the best reality TV contestants of all time in Janelle Pierzina, who outlasted the rest of her Sovereign alliance by winning competitions when she needed them most. She left the Friendship alliance exasperated as she refused to be evicted at any cost, while all of America cheered her on. The iconic “Pressure Cooker” endurance comp lasted 14 hours, longer than any other competition in the show’s history to this day, showing just how determined this cast was to beat the other side. This season missed the Top 2 because half the cast (the Friendship) were some of the most unlikable people to ever be on the show and of course two of them made it to the Final 2, to everyone’s dismay.
2. Big Brother 8
This season had the most compelling storylines we’ve ever seen in Big Brother. We were introduced to the legendary Donatos — Evel Dick and Daniele — the estranged father and daughter who unexpectedly found themselves in the house together. Watching them put aside their bitter differences and agree to work together in the game was fascinating television. It’s still mind-blowing that they made it so far together with the house out to get them nearly every week, but it’s a testament to their strategic minds and competition prowess. Evel Dick is one of the most notorious villains in reality TV history, tormenting his housemates with cruel, vicious personal attacks to shake them up before competitions. There was no shortage of fights in this house. Daniele seemed to win every Veto she needed, proving herself to be an awesome competition beast while also being more of the social/strategic yin to her father’s brute force yang. Other houseguests like the hilarious narcissist Jen Johnson, and shifty Eric Stein who played the game as “America’s Player,” secretly following America’s every command, give this season so much rewatchability.
1. Big Brother 10
I smile just thinking about this season. I don’t think there could ever be another season as good as BB10. The best casting ever gave us a dynamic and diverse group that absolutely HATED each other. It must have been a miserable existence to live in that house because there was a fight every. single. episode. But the fighting in no way distracted them from being strategic — these people were there to PLAY and to WIN. This season had virtually no twists — it was just straight-up Big Brother with no frills, exactly how fans wish it would be. The Coven alliance was fascinating: three women — Libra, April, and Keesha — who hated each other and fought often, but still found time to put their differences aside and work together for the first half of the game. Keesha slayed 24/7 and is one of my all-time favorite houseguests; it’s a shock to every fan that she’s never returned to play again. The elders of the house, Renny and Jerry (who is the oldest person to ever be on the show at age 75) brought just as much drama as the younger people, yelling and winning competitions with the best of them. And of course, there was the greatest player of all time (in my opinion) — Dan Gheesling. I can’t help but crack up laughing watching Dan play this game because he’s so insane but always gets away with the bold stunts he pulls. He makes everyone like him while also causing chaos every chance he gets, blowing the target onto someone else. Everything about this season was just incredible.
Big Brother Canada
11. BBCAN 7
Boring and predictable gameplay combined with unlikable or frustrating houseguests made this season a real snoozefest, unless you love all-male alliances. The Pretty Boys alliance dominated from the very beginning and never faced a single considerable threat. Although there were some affable houseguests we wanted to root for like Kiki, Este, or Damien, they never managed to win power or make a much-needed move. Twists that could have turned the game around — like the mysterious Blood Veto or the Secret Assassin — flopped miserably. In addition, the intolerably delusional Kyra stuck around far longer than they were welcome. Most boring season in North American BB history? Quite possibly so, yeah.
10. BBCAN 8
Despite lasting only 9 episodes before being shut down permanently due to the pandemic, this season was still better than BBCAN7. Let’s be clear, though: it was a total disaster, and not just because of how it was forced to end. There was only 1 week of legitimate gameplay, which happened to be exciting, dramatic, and better than the entirety of season 7. But besides this, the game was seriously marred by 1 self-eviction, 2 expulsions for bad behavior, and 1 houseguest begging to be voted out. With 4 people out of the house by the end, there had only been one eviction! Ultimately, though, Minh-Ly was the life force of the season, causing so much drama with her confrontational and hilarious personality. It was satisfying to know that she never got evicted despite so many people desperately wanting her out. This season also gets points for being the only Big Brother season ever where a woman never left the house! A bit iconic if you ask me.
9. BBCAN 6
This season was just so unengaging to me, but at least had some interesting personalities and multiple alliances, which can’t be said for BBCAN7. Based on the pre-season interviews, the girls seemed like one of the best female casts ever, but none of them lived up to my hopes for them. Erica won almost every competition before she was betrayed and backdoored, and then the second half of the season was dominated by the rude Derek and Kaela showmance, who essentially alternated competition wins and called all the shots. Besides a small few exceptions, it was basically 3 arrogant people who ran everything the whole season. Whenever I turned on the live feeds, absolutely nothing was happening. There was some drama and fights, but it just never seemed too consequential to me. If the likable Maddy and Olivia won more comps, and if the crazy villain Veronica lasted longer, this season may have been much stronger. Plus, even though I didn’t care for her, the runner-up was robbed of her win (I’m avoiding spoilers here). Her social game was nowhere near as bad as the jury made it out to be.
8. BBCAN 4
This was my first season of Big Brother Canada and I loved it, but looking back, I can see how it pales in comparison to some other seasons. The “Third Wheel” alliance had the three most unlikable people in the cast and it was frustrating to watch them go far — typical cocky meathead Jared, ice-cold bitch Kelsey, and unpleasant Raul. The Final 2 of the season both had significant advantages in the game and were bigheaded. This season would’ve been much more satisfying if the 3rd and 4th placers were the Final 2 instead. Despite its problems, BBCAN4 gave us the legendary Cassandra — one of my favorite Big Brother Canada houseguests ever. She’s one of the best campaigners to play this game and also one of the funniest. It was heartbreaking to watch her best friend Tim let her down in the end after he had promised he’d save her when she needed it most. We also had Nikki Grahame — the most memorable houseguest from Big Brother UK — who played the game as part of the “Internationals” twist (that also included Tim, a winner of Big Brother Australia). Nikki was endless entertainment, cracking under pressure every other day and losing her mind in frequent blowups.
7. BBCAN 1
What a great first cast to start off with. These houseguests were serious about playing. Peter was secretly a semi-evil mastermind in his impressive “Sheyld” alliance with Alec. Emmett and Jillian were a powerhouse showmance, winning many of the comps throughout the season, but somehow you could root for them along the way. Gary became Canada’s sweetheart with his glitter obsession and strong competition track record. And Talla is forever the #1 funniest crackhead to play this game, acting loony at all times and throwing some memorable tantrums. The finale is one of the most notorious finales in Big Brother history, with Topaz accidentally casting the wrong jury vote, resulting in her best friend losing the game. Knowing this going into the season allows you to see the build-up all season long to that gut-punching moment.
6. BBCAN 3
This is a lighthearted season but very fun. The cast was super likable, especially the “Fembots” alliance of Sarah and Brittnee, who showed exactly what two girls can do when they team up and never let a guy influence their decisions. Brittnee is sort of a beast in competitions, and Sarah is one sly manipulator with an undeniable social game. All of Canada was rooting for them. The Final 4 was all very strong, and I think the most deserving winner came out on top. Although there weren’t many fights at all (I can only think of one huge blowup between Sarah and Bruno in the storage room), the power dynamic between the Fembots, the “Diaper Alliance,” and wildcard Godfrey led to an interesting game.
5. BBCAN 9
What a blessing this season was! After a dreadful U.S. outing a few months earlier, and an abruptly discontinued Canadian run the previous year, our first 50% BIPOC cast delivered on classic Big Brother drama, gameplay, and fun in a massive way. The threat of a steamroll seemed to loom early on, but week after week we were saved by inexplicable thinking and unpredictable game moves that kept us, and the houseguests, on our toes. High tension and paranoia kept the live feeds lit since the very beginning with fighting and confrontation all along the way. Huge moments like the perfectly executed “trap door,” the epic hot tub blowout between Victoria and Tera, and the absolutely historic Final 2 will keep BBCAN9 beloved by fans forever.
4. BBCAN 2
For a long while, this was the most dramatic season of Big Brother Canada, with tons of fighting every step of the way. Ika shredding everyone’s letters from home remains the most iconic moment in BBCAN history. The house was infuriated. Sabrina was a hot mess, crying all the time but also serving us entertainment, and she will always be remembered for losing her mind in the above GIF. Neda was extremely strategic and compelling to watch. She called all the shots from behind the scenes, using her showmance partner Jon as a shield. This season never gets boring and has tons of rewatchability, but the only things that keep it from being #1 are the irritating “First Four” alliance that dominates the first few weeks and the fact that Neda did not get her crown (although her downfall gave us one of the most iconic blindsides ever).
3. BBCAN 11
Full disclosure: eliminating the live feeds this season was so disrespectful and wrong to the loyal fans. The feeds are what make Big Brother so uniquely transcendent and special. But I can’t sit here and lie and pretend like this season wasn’t a blast. A largely women-dominated season is always going to have my heart, and this one delivered in both competition wins and drama. Kuzie had us cackling with scathing shade and explosive fights. Santina clashed with someone at every turn. And one of my favorite alliances of all time — the Girlypops — proved that an all-girls alliance can absolutely eat this game up. The episodes were must-see television without feeds to know what was going on, and they kept us on our toes.
2. BBCAN 10
There couldn’t have been a more excellent run of the game to celebrate 10 years of BBCAN! I could absolutely see how this season would be most people’s favorite. Kevin captured that rare villain essence that is deliciously diabolical while still likable and fun to root for. Gino and Jacey-Lynn offered solid showmance eye candy with some iconic moments to boot (who could ever forget the red gummy bear!!). And the myriad other dynamic personalities — Betty! Summer! Josh! Haleena! — kept us reeling from cutthroat moves and shocking betrayals. All culminating in one of the most jaw-dropping finales of the show’s first decade. Whew.
1. BBCAN 5
This season’s twist could have gone wrong, but it ended up making it the most compelling Canadian season of them all. Half the cast was all star returners from the first 4 seasons, and half the cast was brand new players. Luckily, the newbies were totally competent, stepping up to the plate and giving the returners a run for their money. The cast was both likable and strong. Neda was the most beloved of the returners, being voted immunity until Jury by Canada. But somehow she became a nasty bully since her first season and turned the country against her. The greatest double eviction EVER (US or Canada) occurred this season when Ika convinced Sindy to betray Neda, summoning thunderous applause from the audience. Ika and Neda screaming at each other over the commercial break is the best fight Big Brother Canada has ever seen. For the rest of the season, newbie Demetres and returner Kevin (one of my favorite male players ever) alternated HOHs back and forth trying to get each other out. Sounds boring on paper, but the fact that they kept taking shots and missing left us on the edge of our seats. Ika proved herself to be an all-time fan-favorite, being a huge source of drama at all times and not taking anyone’s shit. I believe the Final 4 was my favorite Final 4 of any BB season ever; any one of them winning would have made me happy.
