The season of twists and twins that redefined Big Brother

History · Published 5 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: In 2015, Big Brother 17 introduced a massive twist: a pair of twins competing as a single player. This high-stakes experiment, combined with a cancelled 'Takeover' twist and a record-breaking number of HouseGuests, turned the reality series into a complex game of survival and strategy.

Premiering on June 24, 2015, Big Brother 17—also known as 'Big Brother: Takeover'—was defined by its complex mechanics and unexpected developments. The season featured a unique 'Twin Twist' where Liz and Julia Nolan competed as one HouseGuest, switching places every few days to maintain the illusion. This strategy was successful through the first five evictions, after which the twins began competing separately, bringing the total number of HouseGuests to 17, the highest in the American series' history.

The season's structure included several layers of strategic tension. For the first five weeks, the game utilized two concurrent Heads of Household (HOH). This led to a 'Battle of the Block' competition, where pairs of nominees competed for safety, effectively dethroning one HOH each week. Additionally, the season was intended to feature a 'Takeover' twist where surprise guests would introduce new elements each week. However, host Julie Chen later noted that the twist was cancelled after Week 3 because there was already enough activity within the game.

The competition concluded on September 23, 2015, after 98 days of gameplay. Steve Moses was crowned the winner following a 6–3 jury vote against Liz Nolan. While the jury—comprising the last nine evicted HouseGuests—decided the winner, the viewing public had the opportunity to award a separate $25,000 prize to 'America's Favorite HouseGuest,' which was won by James Huling. This season also marked a technical milestone, as it was the first to broadcast live internet feeds in HD.

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