The Big Brother 25 production team is receiving criticism for allegedly staging HouseGuests’ reactions in a disingenuous attempt to boost ratings for the veteran reality television series.
An irate viewer took to the r/BigBrother subreddit, where they accused the show of blatantly encouraging HouseGuests to feign fear.
Many viewers felt the Head of Household competition was contrived. The production crew organized a game of hide and seek for HouseGuests, in an unfortunately-named residential area called the Nether Region, among ominous houses and eerie statues. The contestants received instructions from a costumed performer called the Nether Gorgon. In the end, Hisam Goueli triumphed and became the new Head of Household.
Some fans felt that the HouseGuests gave a performative display of fear, complaining that the cast were not actors and should not be required to perform.
Another Redditor found the gimmicky approach to the themes unimpressive.
However, it wasn’t all gloom and doom. Some viewers found the competition fun and were unperturbed by the artifice.
It became evident that the Big Brother production team keenly understands the preferences of specific audience members.
Premiering on Aug. 2, 2023, Big Brother 25 broadcasts on Sundays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. Despite the recent dip to 3.1 million viewers due to the “cringe-worthy” Head of Household competition, the show maintains its status as the highest-rated program in its time slot. However, it is unlikely that the production team will be swayed by negative feedback, given its steady viewership of 3.3 million. Like it or not, the shenannigans on Big Brother 25 are ratings gold.