Power of Veto

The Power of Veto is a power in Big Brother. The Power of Veto allows the owner to remove one of the Nominations from the Nomination Block. The Power of Veto also guarantees the holder safety should one of the nominees be removed, unless he or she is the only possible replacement nominee. 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 chosen by the three guaranteed players (until Big Brother: All-Stars) or a random draw. 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 the Nomination Block if he or she so desired. However, the winner of the Silver Power of Veto could not remove him or herself off the Nomination Block. If the Veto were used, the HOH would select the replacement nominee.

Golden Power of Veto
The Golden Power of Veto was the final Veto introduced at the end of Big Brother 3 and has been used in every succeeding season. The Golden Power of Veto allowed the winner to remove one nominee off the Nomination Block if he or she so desired, including themselves. If the Veto were used, the HOH would select the replacement nominee.

Diamond Power of Veto
The Diamond Power of Veto was introduced as the final Veto of Big Brother 4 and was essentially identical to the Golden Power of Veto. It was used by Alison Irwin to save herself from the threat of eviction. Erika Landin was the only possible replacement as Jun Song was already up on Nomination Block and Robert Roman was the Head of Household. The Diamond Power of Veto was reintroduced in Big Brother 12 and awarded to Matt Hoffman as a gift from Pandora's Box, however the rules had changed since Big Brother 4. It now granted the bearer the power to remove a player off the Nomination Block and select the replacement nominee, rather than the HOH. The holder of this Veto could not select either the HOH or the regular Veto holder as the replacement nominee. It was a choice for America's Care Package during Week 3 of Big Brother: Over The Top, but was not selected by Scott Dennis.

Dual Power of Veto
The Dual Power of Veto was used only in the first week of Big Brother 13. It gave one pair the opportunity to take both nominees off the Nomination Block, but they could only take both nominees off the Block, not just one. It was not used by Rachel Reilly and Brendon Villegas, who both won the Veto, on Porsche Briggs and Keith Henderson, leaving the nominations intact and sending Keith home by a 6-4 vote.

Double Power of Veto
The Double Power of Veto was first introduced in Big Brother Canada 3 as a choice for the Veto Power Vote during Week 4. It gave the winner the option to remove both nominees off the Nomination Block, but not one. It was similar to the Coup d'Etat, except the winner could not name a replacement nominee unless he or she were also the HOH. It ended up being chosen and won by Bruno Ielo, but was not used. It was later a choice for America's Care Package during Week 3 of Big Brother: Over The Top, but with different rules. At the Power of Veto competition, two vetoes would be won, rather than the one. It was selected by Scott Dennis, and the two veto winners were Alex Willett and Justin Duncan.

Golden Ball of Veto
The Golden Ball of Veto was a special Veto introduced in Week 7 of Big Brother 14 after Frank Eudy opened Pandora's Box. Including the typical Power of Veto won by competition, a Golden Ball of Veto could be received by winning it in a claw game. The Golden Ball of Veto was won by Ian Terry, who was unable to play in that week's Veto competition as he already had a Veto. He did not use it during that week's Veto Ceremony.

Forced Power of Veto
The Forced Power of Veto was first introduced in Big Brother Canada 3, as a choice for the Veto Power Vote during Week 4. Had it been chosen, the Veto winner would have been forced to use it on one of the nominees, forcing the HOH to name a replacement, as well.

Boomerang Power of Veto
The Boomerang Power of Veto was a choice for America's Care Package during Week 3 of Big Brother: Over The Top, but was not selected by Scott Dennis. If chosen, the houseguest could choose to use the Power of Veto twice, rather than the normal one time. It was originally dubbed as the Double Power of Veto during Big Brother Canada 3, but Big Bother: Over The Top changed its name to Boomerang Power of Veto, giving the Double Power of Veto a new usage.

The Power of Veto Contestant Selection
When the Power of Veto was first introduced on Big Brother 3, every houseguest was eligible to compete. Starting in Big Brother 5, 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. Since Big Brother: All-Stars, the HOH and the two nominees still compete, but rather than selecting their own players, each would reach into a bag filled with ping pong balls or small discs (depending on the season) with a houseguest's name or the words "Houseguest's Choice", where the player who draws the ball or disc gets to choose the additional player. In Big Brother 15 and Big Brother 18, due to there being three nominees, the HOH drew two names to determine the six Veto competition players. The six houseguests later play in a competition to determine the winner of the Power of Veto.

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 the Veto, and studies the portraits of all the remaining houseguests as he or she finalizes his or her 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 the Nomination Block. The Veto holder begins the meeting by explaining what powers the Veto holds and then asks the nominees to make a final plea, if they so desire, to try and convince the Veto holder to use the Veto on them. Once the nominees have made their speeches, the Veto holder makes his or her decision. If the holder chooses to use the Veto, he or she place the Veto around the neck of the nominee he or she has chosen to save. At this point, the Veto holder takes a seat, and the Head of Household stands and chooses a replacement nominee. In Big Brother 15 and Big Brother 18, if the holder used the Veto on the MVP nominee/Roadkill nominee, the MVP/Roadkill winner would secretly nominate the replacement. If the Veto is not used, the holder places it in a box on the coffee table and closes it shut. After all decisions are made, the Veto holder adjourns the meeting.

Trivia

 * The first ever Power of Veto winner in Big Brother history was Gerry Lancaster.
 * Gerry Lancaster also became the first houseguest to use the POV, while Danielle Reyes is the first PoV winner not to use it.
 * Jason Guy is the first male to win HOH and POV in the same week; Adria Klein is the first female to win HOH and POV in the same week.
 * Janelle Pierzina was the first HOH to veto one of her own nominations.
 * Marcellas Reynolds won the first ever Golden Power of Veto.
 * Marcellas is also the first person not to use the Golden Power Of Veto, despite being on the block.
 * He went home.
 * Big Brother 3, Big Brother 15, and Big Brother Canada 2 are currently the only seasons not to feature one houseguest winning the POV twice in a row.
 * Alison Irwin is the first female houseguest to veto herself; Jase Wirey is the first male houseguest to veto himself.
 * Alison Irwin also won the first ever Diamond Power of Veto.
 * Matt Hoffman was the first houseguest to win a Power of Veto through Pandora's Box, having been awarded the Diamond Power of Veto during his second reign as HOH. He is also the only person to use the Diamond Power of Veto.
 * The most consecutive Power of Veto wins is 3. This record is held by James Zinkand (Big Brother 9), Shane Meaney and Frank Eudy (Big Brother 14); Ashleigh Wood (Big Brother Canada 3), and Kevin Martin (Big Brother Canada 5).
 * James Rhine (BB6) could have held the record with 4 consecutive Power of Veto wins had he won the "Couch Potato" competition. Rhine chose to instead help his girlfriend, Sarah Hrejsa, win the Veto.
 * The most Power of Veto wins in a single season is 5, held by Janelle Pierzina (Big Brother: All-Stars) and Daniele Donato (Big Brother 8).
 * The record for most POVs won by a male in a single season is 4, held by James Rhine (Big Brother 6), Shane Meaney (Big Brother 14), John McGuire (Big Brother 17); and Kevin Martin (Big Brother Canada 5).
 * If Nick and Phil Paquette's Vetos are counted as one, they would tie the record of 4 wins as well.
 * Janelle Pierzina has won the most Power of Veto competitions in total, with 7 wins over two seasons (she won no POVs in her third season). Brendon Villegas and Kevin Martin have won the most POV competitions in total for a male, each with 6 POVs over two seasons.
 * Kevin Martin holds the record for most Veto competition wins by a winner with 4. Jon Pardy and Nick Paquette are tied for second with 3.
 * If Nick & Phil Paquette's wins are counted as one, then they also hold the record for most Vetos won as a winner with 4 wins.
 * No one in BBUS has won the game with more than 2 PoV's.
 * Dan Gheesling, Rachel Reilly, Ian Terry, Andy Herren, Steve Moses, Nicole Franzel, and Morgan Willett all hold the record for most POVs won by a winner in the American version with 2.
 * Memphis Garrett, Cody Calafiore, Paul Abrahamian, and Jason Roy all won 3 POVs and made the final two, but got second place. Daniele Donato won 5 PoVs in Big Brother 8 and also got second place.
 * HouseGuests who have gone on to win the Week 2 or Week 3 POV has never gone on to win the game.
 * Only three HouseGuests that won the Week 2 Veto made it to final 2 (Danielle Reyes, Erika Landin, and Daniele Donato.
 * The Week 3 veto winner has never made final 3.
 * Derrick Levasseur and Jillian MacLaughlin are the only winners never to win a Power Of Veto competition and go on to win the game while the POV existed.
 * Will Kirby did not win a Veto competition in Big Brother 2 as the Power of Veto did not yet exist.
 * Week 7 of Big Brother 14, as well as a 2 week period in Big Brother Canada 2 (which included a double eviction), mark the only times in Big Brother history when two houseguests have held Golden Powers of Veto that were not won in the same competition.
 * In Big Brother 14, 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.
 * In Big Brother Canada 2, Allison White found the Secret Power of Veto in the War Room, while the current houseguests won the Golden Power of Veto in the weekly POV competition. Allison held her secret Veto for two weeks and three POV competitions (she held the power during a double eviction).
 * In Big Brother 12, Matt Hoffman and Ragan Fox both held Vetos not won in the same competition. However, both were not Golden Powers of Vetos with Matt possessing the Diamond Power of Veto via Pandora's Box.