What are the 'Big Brother' curses? Bad luck seems to follow houseguests on the reality show even after they leave
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: The next season of 'Big Brother' is due to premiere on August 2, and anticipation for the freshly resurrected reality program is at an all-time high. However, after becoming successful on the renowned show, several of the show's adored former participants have met with tragedy.
Not all 'Big Brother' victories are good ones. Fans have kept track of former 'Big Brother' houseguests and have spotted a pattern of bad luck 'curses' ruining their chances of winning the show's grand prize or ruining their lives after they leave the house. Too many to be mere coincidence. These occurrences dubbed "curses" by fans are said to afflict a significant number of houseguests. Learning about the curses can help viewers foretell who will win the game.
View this post on Instagram
'First to enter' curse
'Big Brother' seasons often begin with houseguests entering the house in waves. It also appears that the first individual to enter the residence is chosen at random. However, it is thought that the "first to enter" curse exists. This means that the individual who enters the home first never wins.
On 'Celebrity Big Brother' Season 2, the curse was technically broken. Tamar Braxton was the first to enter and was the winner of the game. However, because it did not occur on the main broadcast, some fans do not recognize this as the curse being broken. If a houseguest is a superstitious super fan, they should avoid being the first to enter the house.
View this post on Instagram
OTEV Curse
The OTEV curse refers to the once-a-season OTEV veto tournament. It's a game of musical chairs, with each houseguest kneeling in front of the OTEV statue and solving a question. This often challenges the memory of the houseguests, and they must dig through the water to answer questions. They can be eliminated if they answer incorrectly.
Winning the Power of Veto is a positive thing. However, spectators have noted that those who win this challenge do not win the season. Tyler Crispen from 'Big Brother' Season 20, Liz Nolan from 'Big Brother' Season 17, Dan Gheesling from 'Big Brother' Season 14, and Ryan Quicksall from 'Big Brother' Season 9 all came in second place following their OTEV wins. So, if you want to win the game's largest reward, you should aim to avoid winning this veto.
View this post on Instagram
Second and Fifth HOH Curse
Certain 'Head of Household' (HOH) triumphs have also not boded well. The HOH title is significant since the winner can choose two persons to be expelled. If someone is removed from the block, the HOH replaces them. If the votes are deadlocked, the HOH will have the last say. However, you may not wish to win in the second or fifth week of the game. This is due to the fact that no one who won those weeks went on to win the game.
Daniele Briones in 'Big Brother' Season 8, Paul Abrahamian in 'Big Brother' Season 18, and Holly Allen in 'Big Brother' Season 21 all came close to winning after being HOH in Week 5. However, it was insufficient to break the spell.
Show's former stars face tragedy outside the House too
From unexplained murders to violent attacks and terrible health problems, one must wonder if the 'Big Brother' curse is genuine. Miriam Rivera, a former 'Big Brother' celebrity, was discovered dead at her home in Hermosillo, Mexico, in February 2019. The transgender model was just 38 years old when she was discovered hanging, and her death was ruled an obvious suicide. Miriam's husband, Daniel Cuervo, suspected foul play and claimed her death was 'passed off' as a suicide when she refused to work as a prostitute. He stated that Miriam's body was discovered at 2 PM the same day. When Daniel inquired about flying his wife's remains to New York, he was informed that she had already been burned, eliminating the chance of an autopsy. He stated he afterward received a phone call from an unknown individual about Miriam's death.
Miriam, who went on 'Big Brother' in 2004, isn't the only competitor to die as a result of her time on the show. Gordon Sloan, a 2001 participant, died in a Chinese hospital under unknown circumstances in March 2009. Donna Mulhearn, a friend of the late reality star, disclosed to News.com.au at the time of his death that medics had turned off his life support after he went into a coma in Beijing in September 2008. At the time of his death, the 34-year-old was serving as an Iraq war human shield volunteer, with Donna praising him as a 'hero' but admitting he had 'detractors' as well. There was no additional information provided concerning his death, and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade stated that they were 'assisting the family' at the time.
Meanwhile, according to an ABC News article from June 2019, 2012, 'Big Brother' star Sam Wallace was shot in the leg in a violent incident that turned out to be a case of mistaken identity. Anthony Yoon Sun Soong was sentenced to 13 years in jail for killing Sam in December 2015, mistaking him for his ex-lover's new boyfriend. Sam was traveling through a Gold Coast carpark when the guilty guy attempted to murder him by firing shots into his car. After shooting Sam in the left leg, the man approached his car and attempted to fire a close-range shot, but the weapon did not fire, so he hit the 'Big Brother' star with the butt of his pistol instead.
Other 'Big Brother' stars have had health problems, like Reggie Bird (now known as Regina Sorensen), who was ruled legally blind. The 46-year-old was diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa, a rare and inherited eye illness that is forcing her to go blind, after winning 'Big Brother' in 2003. Reggie stated in an interview with Woman's Day magazine that medical improvements had allowed her to restore part of her sight.
The 25th season of CBS's 'Big Brother' premieres on Wednesday, August 2, at 8 PM ET.
