Some of the best reality shows have always been reality competition shows, but among them Big Brother is pretty unique. Houseguests spend weeks together in a relatively small space feeling out the game, and becoming both friends and enemies in the process. The houseguests also get toiletries, snacks and even costumes during this time, leading me to wonder: What exactly do Big Brother houseguests get to take home?
Yes, They Can Keep Some Of The Clothes
Thank goodness for the Internet, because Big Brother 27 runner-up Vince actually did an unboxing of what he got to take home last year. He noted that he got a lot of the fits he’d had to wear, from the egg punishment outfit to random tank tops and Hawaiian shirts he’d competed in. He got jackets, shoes, and even some props from some of the challenges. The box Big Brother sent him is honestly one of the largest boxes I’ve seen, and it really goes to show you the CBS series goes out of its way to give the contestants a lot of their stuff. It’s a nice little thank you, and it means this stuff doesn’t get thrown away or recycled from season to season.
In one viral punishment this year, Mallory and Melody were forced to be tied together in Eve bikinis covered in fauna as part of the Adam & Eve punishment. They had to wear these outfits for longer than a day and sleep tied together in them. While that’s not the worst Big Brother punishment (and maybe not even the worst this season, see: The Lady of the Lantrine) I’m not sure that’s not a fond costume they’d automatically want to keep. At least now we at least know they probably got offered.
Intriguingly, it does seem from the footage I’ve seen from previous houseguests that just because you are offered something doesn’t mean you have to keep it. Although some of those exercise costumes like the ones worn during the wall are cute, not everyone takes everything. Vince kept one of Lauren’s tank tops because “she didn’t want it” apparently. So, if you have bad memories about something, you can leave it behind or maybe even give it away.
The Big Brother Contestants Also Get Their BB Comics
Probably the coolest prop and one of the more exciting challenges is the BB comics challenge. The show puts together two version of a comic book cover for each of the houesguests, and they have to cycle through and figure out the differences between each cover. Not only do they were a superhero cape during the challenge they get to keep, but Big Brother sends them one (though seemingly not both) of the covers. If I were on the show, that would be going on my wall for sure.
It’s not just Vince, Angela put up an entire video showing she had her original comic from her first season on the reality competition show framed so she could put it up in her home. I’d presume she’ll do the same with Season 28 (particularly given she had such a better experience this time). I would think this would probably be the most memorable thing I’d want if I were competing. It’s nice to know many of them feel similarly.
Some Comfort Items Are Also Included
In Vince’s unboxing, he revealed some items from the house are thrown in. That included a blanket he apparently liked a lot and was spotted on the live feeds using, and then his key and a water bottle from the house. These items are all more personal to him, and he mentioned the blanket even smelled like the CBS property he'd lived at for a summer.
One additional thing to note though is that the Big Brother team seem to be the ones mostly deciding what to send home. In a Reddit thread some people mentioned the cast members can’t grab things like toiletries or dishes or whatever from the house on their way out. One person noted they especially aren’t allowed to take the pieces of paper they read off of that give directions about what needs to be executed on set. That last bit I find really interesting, as I wonder what directions might be on the paper we don’t hear read aloud onscreen.
There has to be a reason those are a no go right?
Regardless, I would say of all of the reality competitions I am familiar with, the Big Brother houseguests are given a huge amount of swag they can fondly look back on and wear as Halloween costumes for years and years. It’s probably not a consolation for those who did not land in the final two or win Big Brother, since stuff is clearly not as cool as taking home a lot of money, but it’s still pretty cool.
