It has been 15 years since one of Big Brother’s most iconic seasons first aired in the United States. So let’s take a walk down memory lane. Big Brother 10 is considered by many as one of, if not the best season ever produced in the U.S., despite being the shortest season since the show first premiered more than two decades ago.
Fans of the popular CBS reality program were introduced to a colorful cast of characters, who delivered with big fights, ever-changing allegiances, bold moves, and even some romance. (Entertainment Weekly even has it ranked as their pick for the best season in franchise history!)
So in honor of the historic season’s crystal anniversary, here’s a look at 10 of the most iconic moments from Big Brother 10:
10. Jerry Falls in the Pool (Ep. 23)
It's a moment that lives rent-free in many Big Brother fans' heads. Jerry MacDonald and some of his fellow houseguests were attempting to read some skywriting when the 75-year-old went one step too far to his right and tumbled into the pool.
9. The Slow and Old" People Fight (Ep. 5)
Early in the game, several houseguests believed Libra Thompson was a troublemaker. And one comment quickly came back to bite her.
During a small group discussion in Week 2, Renny told Jerry MacDonald that Libra had complained to her about having two older people on their team for the Week 2 food comp. (Jerry was 75 at the time, and Renny was 53.) So Jerry confronted Libra, telling her that he was told she blamed the “slow, old guys” for causing their team to lose food privileges for the week.
(In actuality, Libra said, “We did get you and Jerry on the team. Y’all are the oldest competitors,” in response to the loss, but was openly complaining about having them both on the team before the competition began.)
Libra denied the claim, and demanded Jerry tell her who made the comment. After Jerry revealed his source, Renny got into her own screaming match with Libra over what was said — not realizing that Jerry had misconstrued the entire conversation.
8. The Formation of "The Renegades" (Ep. 15)
It’s one of the most successful duos in Big Brother history, and it wasn’t even formed until Week 5, more than a month after the game began.
With alliances up in the air after Jessie’s stunning eviction, Dan Gheesling and Memphis Garrett were looking for a sturdy alliance to move forward with in the game. The duo found themselves on the same page during a brief nighttime chat on the patio. And thus, “The Renegades” was born.
Dan and Memphis agreed that not a single houseguest — not even their closest ally Keesha Smith — could know about their alliance. They managed to keep the secret for more than three weeks, until they spilled the beans ahead of Keesha’s eviction in Week 9.
7. Banner Plane Drama in the Big Brother House (Ep. 8)
Banner planes are a magnet for drama in the Big Brother house. That was very much the case in Week 3, when a plane with absolutely no connection to the game soared over the compound.
About half of the houseguests were outside when the plane was spotted, so they use the opportunity to devise a plan to lie about what the banner said. Michelle then made her way to the HOH room, and told the remaining houseguests that the banner said, “Libra’s a liar. Love Steven.”
Libra and her allies seemingly do not take this news well, either — falling right into the trap.
6. Jerry Calls Memphis a Womanizer (Ep. 8)
Big Brother can often be a war of words, and Jerry wasn’t afraid to speak his mind. Several comments wound up rubbing people the wrong way, including his suggestion that Memphis was a womanizer.
In Week 3, Memphis made it clear that Jerry was the only person he ever said he wanted to leave the house after Jerry expressed interest in sending Memphis packing in Week 1.
Jerry acknowledged this, and then suggested that Memphis was “disrespectful” to him that same night. Memphis countered by mentioning Jerry’s suggestion to Dan that he was a womanizer, and Jerry doubled down.
That sent Memphis into a tizzy, while Jerry sat nonchalantly and watched as the outburst unfolded.
5. Libra steals Michelle’s Hawaiian Holiday (Ep. 11)
The Yankee Swap competition (a.k.a. the prize-swapping POV competition) is known for stirring up trouble in the Big Brother house whenever it's played. And Season 10 was no exception.
During the Week 4 POV competition, Michelle was the lucky person to select the Hawaiian Holiday after placing 5th in the competition. But after winning first place, Libra had two options: keep the punishment she was given — the red unitard worn by Jen Johnson (Big Brother 8) and Sheila Kennedy (Big Brother 9) — or switch it for another prize.
Unfortunately for Michelle, Libra opted to snag the Hawaiian Holiday for herself and her husband. Naturally, Michelle was not pleased, and made that very clear during a dramatic Diary Room session, in which she suggested that Libra’s decision to select a vacation over a letter from home made her a bad mother.
Michelle even claimed that Libra “deserves to have her kids taken away” for her decision.
4. Jessie’s Blindside — and the Epic Fallout (Ep. 13)
Jessie thought he was sitting pretty in Week 4, until a stunning 4-3 vote sent him out the door. And what followed was one of the biggest fights of the season.
The blowout began after the HOH competition, with members of Jessie’s alliance accusing Dan of using his religion to manipulate others in the house. (Dan cast the deciding vote against Jessie, but was ordered to do so by voters as part of the America’s Player twist).
While Dan hid in a bedroom, Michelle continued to gloat over her HOH victory and chirp at those who voted Jessie out. The argument quickly erupted into an all-out screaming match involving nearly every houseguest, including a face-to-face confrontation between former allies April and Libra.
3. “You Will Always be Judas in My House” (Ep. 14)
Jerry was not a happy camper when Dan went against his word and voted for Jessie, as directed by America. What seemingly bothered him most was Dan’s decision to go back on his word after swearing on his cross to help protect Jessie.
So Jerry felt pretty powerful when he had the Power of Veto hanging around his neck in Week 5. And even though he didn’t use it to get Dan on the block, he did make sure to his platform to tell Dan off in front of their fellow houseguests.
“Dan, I’ve very sorry that you’re not there [on the block],” Jerry said, later adding, "You would always be Judas in my house.”
2. Replacement Nominee Roulette (Ep. 20)
In one of his most daring moves of his Big Brother career, HOH Dan had four houseguests play a game of his design called “Replacement Nominee Roulette” at the Week 7 POV ceremony that resulted in an epic double blindside — and eviction.
During the HOH competition, Dan promised Ollie that he could essentially run his reign as HOH. But Dan had other plans when it came to using the Power of Veto, which Memphis used to take himself off the block after going up at Ollie’s direction.
So when it came time for the POV ceremony, Dan ordered the four houseguests eligible for nomination to play his game, which required them to say the name of the houseguest they wanted to see nominated. Before the game was even played, Dan assured that each player’s name would come up once.
Ultimately, both Ollie and his ally Michele got the short end of the stick. Michelle was put on the block, and ultimately evicted with a 5-3 vote. Ollie was quick to follow, too, during a Double Eviction held that same night.
1. Keesha’s Birthday (Ep. 11)
If you look up the definition of “iconic” in the dictionary, you just might find an image from the epic blowout known fondly as “Keesha’s Birthday.”
The argument began when a snoozing Jessie overheard Keesha and Libra discussing April (loudly) in an adjacent room. Looking to stir up trouble while on the block, Jessie made his way to April’s HOH room and inform her about the conversation her allies were having downstairs.
The ensuing drama spiraled into various tangents, with nearly every houseguest getting involved. The fight even lasted after the house sang “Happy Birthday,” which was perhaps one of the most unenthusiastic renditions of the song ever recorded.
Anybody want cake?
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