Staving off eviction is the top priority of Big Brother houseguests. So, which contestant has gone the longest without hitting the chopping block during a single season of CBS’s flagship series?
We’ve seen players last the entire game without being nominated until finale night, like Big Brother 16 winner Derrick Levasseur, and season 3 standouts Danielle Reyes and Jason Roy. Heck, Cody Calafiore won Big Brother 22 without ever facing the threat of eviction.
Regardless, Big Brother 25’s Bowie Jane Ball holds the record for avoiding nomination. Season 25 aired in 2023 and was the longest season of the American reality competition show’s two-decade run thus far. Seventeen hopefuls moved into the house to begin a 100-day campaign for $750,000, as well as the illustrious accolade of Big Brother champion.
Bowie Jane, a barrister and DJ hailing from Australia, walked through the door on day 1 and didn’t exit until day 100 — the last day of the competition, and the first day she felt the fire of being a nominee.
Through three Head of Household wins and her social and strategic connections, specifically with Jag Bains and Matt Klotz, Bowie Jane wasn’t nominated for eviction until the final Head of Household competition played out during the season’s last episode. Jag Bains ultimately secured the power position, which forced Matt and Bowie Jane into the eviction chairs.
Jag then voted out Bowie Jane in favor of bringing his “Minutemen” ally to the end.
Although Bowie Jane isn’t viewed in the same light as Derrick, Danielle, or Cody for her gameplay, her Big Brother run cannot be denied. She was only nominated when no other chess pieces were on the board.
So, how does Bowie Jane’s record stack up to the aforementioned houseguests?
If you consider rounds of play and the number of competitors who battled for the six-figure grand prize, Bowie’s record is relative to Derrick, who was also nominated during the final three. But, that was on day 97 — not 100. And Jason, who went out in third place in Big Brother 3 on day 78, only played against 11 other houseguests, not 16.
Other players weren’t nominated until late into the game, like Enzo Palumbo in Big Brother 22 and Hardy Ames-Hill during season 2, but their stints fall short of Bowie Jane’s lengthy stay as well.
Lastly, Matt deserves praise for his Big Brother run. Regarded as having one of the best social games of season 25, Matt didn’t touch the block until the final week when only four players were left standing. Lasting over 90 days without a nomination is an impressive feat. But, even though he outlasted Bowie Jane, it’s the latter who lives in the history books with the record.