Power of Veto

The Power of Veto is a power in Big Brother. The Power of Veto allows the owner to veto one of the Nominations off the Block. The Head of Household chooses a new nomination.



The Power of Veto is won weekly in a competition. Six houseguests compete for the Power of Veto, the Head of Household, the two nominees, and three other houseguests. Powers of Veto may be won under rare occurrences besides competitions, namely as a prize to come from Pandora's Box.

Silver Power of Veto
The Silver Power of Veto, used in Big Brother 3, allowed the winner to remove one nominee off of Nomination Block, if they so desired. The winner of the Power of Veto could not remove his or herself off of Nomination Block. If the Power of Veto was used, the HOH (Head of Household) would select the replacement nominee.

Golden Power of Veto
The Golden Power of Veto was introduced in the end of Big Brother 3. It was the final Veto used of the season. It has been used ever since then in all of the succeeding seasons. The Golden Power of Veto allowed the winner to veto a nomination from Nomination Block if they so desired, including themselves. The HOH would select the replacement nominee if the Veto was used. If a person not on the block wins the POV, they can then take a nominee down and be safe at the same time. Or they can choose to leave the nominations the same.

Diamond Power of Veto
The Diamond Power of Veto was introduced as the final Veto of Big Brother 4. It was essentially the same as a Golden Power of Veto because it was used for the Final 4, in which case there was only one possible replacement nominee anyway. It was used by Alison Irwin to save herself from the threat of eviction. Erika Landin was the only possible replacement because Jun Song was already up on Nomination Block and Robert Roman was the Head of Household. The Diamond POV was reintroduced in Big Brother 12 and awarded to Matt Hoffman as a gift from Pandora's Box. The rules of the Diamond Power of Veto became more clear than when it was first introduced in season 4. It grants the bearer the power to remove a player off of Nomination Block and then select the nomination themselves, rather than deferring to the HOH for the replacement nominee. The holder of this Veto may not select either the HOH or the regular Veto holder as a replacement.

Dual Power of Veto
The Dual Power of Veto was only used in the first week of Big Brother 13. It gave one pair the opportunity to take both nominees off the block. But, you could only take both off and not just one nominee. It was not used by Rachel Reilly & Brendon Villegas, who both won the veto (because of the duos twist), on Porsche Briggs & Keith Henderson leaving the nominations the same sending Keith home by a 6 to 4 vote.

The Power of Veto Contestant Selection
When the Power of Veto was first introduced, every houseguest was eligible to compete (BB3-BB4). Starting in Big Brother 5 and ending in Big Brother 6, the Head of Household and the two nominees each got to select one player of their choosing to compete alongside them in the Power of Veto competition, but this was replaced in Big Brother 7 with a draw. The Head of Household and two nominees still competed, but rather than select their own players would reach into a bag filled with ping pong balls or small discs (depending on the season) with either houseguests names on them or "Houseguest's Choice," where the HoH or nominee chooses the additional player. The six houseguests would compete in a competition determining the winner of the Power of Veto. In Big Brother 15, due to there being three nominees, the HoH randomly drew two names.

The Power of Veto Meeting
The winner of the Power of Veto is called to the Diary Room, where they are briefed on the procedures of the Power of Veto meeting. The Veto Holder then proceeds to the Memory Wall, retrieves their Veto, and studies the portraits of all the remaining houseguests as they finalize their decision. The Veto Holder then calls in the remaining houseguests, who await the meeting in the backyard. The houseguests take their respective seats, either on the couches or on Nomination Block. The Veto Holder begins the meeting by explaining the power the Veto holds and then asks the nominees to make a final plea. Each nominee makes a brief speech, if they so desire, to try and convince the Veto Holder to use the Veto on them. Once the speeches are concluded, the Veto Holder makes their decision. If they choose to use the Veto, they place the Veto around the neck of the nominee they have chosen to save. At this point, the Veto Holder is seated, the Head of Household stands, and chooses a replacement nominee, who then immediately takes the empty seat. If the Veto is not used, the Veto Holder places it in a box on the coffee table and closes it shut. After all decisions are made, the Veto Holder calls the meeting adjourned.

Trivia

 * The first ever Power of Veto winner in Big Brother History was Gerry Lancaster.
 * He also became the first HouseGuest to use the POV.
 * Marcellas Reynolds won the first ever Golden Power of Veto in Big Brother History.
 * Big Brother 3 is currently the only season to not feature one HouseGuest winning the PoV twice in a row.
 * Alison Irwin won the first ever Diamond Power of Veto in Big Brother History.
 * Matt Hoffman was the first to win a Power of Veto through Pandora's Box, having been awarded the Diamond Power of Veto during his second reign as HOH.
 * The most consecutive Power of Veto wins is 3 back to back. This record is held by James Zinkand (BB9), Shane Meaney (BB14), and Frank Eudy (BB14).
 * The most Power of Veto wins in one single season is held by Janelle Pierzina (BB7) and Daniele Donato (BB8) with 5.
 * However, the record for most POV's won by a male in a single season is four (4): tied between James Rhine of BB6 and Shane Meaney of BB14.
 * Week 7 of Big Brother 14 marks the only time in Big Brother History two House Guest have held two Golden Power of Vetoes that were not won in the same competition.
 * Ian Terry received the Golden Ball of Veto due to a Pandora's Box Twist, while Jenn Arroyo won the Golden Power of Veto in the PoV competition.
 * However, in Big Brother 12, Matt Hoffman and Ragan Fox both held vetos not won in the same competition, with Matt possessing the Diamond PoV via Pandora's Box and Ragan possessing the Golden PoV via that week's competition.