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Will ‘Big Brother’ have an 18th houseguest? The theory, explained

Something smells fishy this season.

Big Brother
Image via Paramount Plus

Season 25 of Big Brother is here and as soon as it began, so did speculation about where the game will take us. As we know by now, Big Brother often has a few tricks up the sleeve saved for its contestants, something that not all of the houseguests might appreciate, but that makes for a much more interesting show. After all, what game worth its salt doesn’t have some twists and turns?

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While we, the audience, love to be surprised by events that drastically change the dynamics in the Big Brother house, it can also be plenty of fun to play detective. The clues are there for a reason, right? And so, as soon as a new season begins, fans tend to look for hints of what is to come. Sometimes events play out exactly like we expect them to, while other times we miss the mark completely, but at the end of the day, the enjoyment of guessing is the same.

Currently, a popular theory among viewers is that season 25 will actually have 18 houseguests, instead of the 16 that were originally announced. This theory didn’t come out of the blue, no, and it makes even more sense when we consider that the reality show already introduced a surprise 17th contestant, Cirie Fields. Now, though, the theory has expanded beyond fan speculation and made its way inside the house, as players begin to draw the same conclusion.

Why do people think there will be an 18th houseguest?

Image via CBS

The first hint, and by far the most suspicious thing about the Big Brother house itself, is that there are 18 beds. Why would that be the case, if there was no plan in motion to introduce at least one more player to the game? If there were fewer beds in the house than there are guests, no one would bat an eye, but to have more is a very obvious sign that not all of the puzzle pieces have fallen into place yet.

The fact that we haven’t learned much about the “Nether Region” is also being taken by fans as another possible hint. Sure, we know that contestants can get stuck there for periods of time, but not much else. What if this new concept also allows for some people to be brought back from the dead, so to speak? As some Redditors are theorizing, Cory Wurtenberger may very well have brought a “ghost” contestant back with him from the Nether Region — someone from a previous season of the reality show, that the audience is unaware of for the time being.

With Cirie Fields now in the Big Brother house, after being a contestant in other reality shows, there’s also the possibility that more players such as her will be introduced. By this, I mean players from other competition shows.

Right now, the options are limitless, so we’ll have to stay tuned to find out whether or not the 18th houseguest theory proves to be true. Big Brother airs new episodes every week, so make sure not to miss any.