The Saboteur was a twist on Big Brother 12 (US). It was later reintroduced on Big Brother 26 (US) as the AI Instigator.
The Saboteur was to wreak havoc on the houseguests by sabotaging a group, an individual, or the house as a whole by causing paranoia or physically sabotaging the game. The Saboteur would be granted $50,000 if he or she made it to the half-way point in the game, five weeks, undetected. The first Saboteur was Annie Whittington and after Matt Hoffman opened Pandora's Box, the second Saboteur was Ragan Fox. The Saboteur communicated to the houseguests through the television in the living room while disguised behind static and appeared only as a silhouette. The Saboteur would threaten the houseguests and warn about upcoming sabotage.
Press Release[]
Retrieved from CBS.com
The producers of BIG BROTHER are implementing a major twist for this season’s batch of Houseguests that will top all past seasons. One Houseguest, known as the Big Brother Saboteur, will enter the house to play their own game, unbeknownst to their fellow competitors. The Saboteur’s mission will be to carry out viewer suggestions on how best to disrupt the lives of fellow players.
Upon moving into the house on premiere night, Houseguests will discover that one of them is not really there to win the game, but rather to sabotage their fellow players. While the saboteur’s identity will remain a secret to the Houseguests, America will learn his/her identity on Thursday, July 15, during the first LIVE show. At that time, fans can begin offering suggestions for how the saboteur should disrupt the game. The longer the saboteur is able to maintain their anonymity while carrying out their fan-inspired sabotage, the more financially rewarding it will be for them. For instructions on how to submit suggestions to the Big Brother Saboteur, visit http://www.cbs.com/bbtwist.
“We’ve inserted a game piece into the show this season that will make life for the Houseguests harder than ever before,” stated Allison Grodner, Executive Producer of BIG BROTHER. “This is a twist that will wreak havoc on the house and the audience will be a part of it.”[1]
History[]
Big Brother 12 (US)[]
Annie Whittington was chosen to be the first Saboteur. Had she made it to Week Five, she would have collected $50,000 for being the Saboteur. However, she was evicted after committing only three acts of sabotage. One of the main reasons for Annie’s eviction was because of suspicion of her being the Saboteur.
After Matt Hoffman opened Pandora's Box, a new Saboteur was released upon the house. The new Saboteur was decided by an America’s Choice vote. Ragan Fox was chosen to be the new Saboteur. Ragan was tasked with commuting three acts of sabotage for two weeks, and if he stayed in the house for those two weeks, he would receive $20,000 as a reward. Ragan successfully completed the task and claimed the cash prize.
Big Brother 26 (US)[]
During Week 5, America voted for one houseguest to become the AI Instigator, who can spread chaos and misinformation throughout the house by framing their fellow houseguests with Deepfake Clones from the Proto Box, similar to how the Deepfake HOH operated in Week 4. At the start of Week 6, the Instigator was revealed to the audience as Tucker Des Lauriers, and he began his duties immediately. Unlike the Deepfake HOH, however, he must keep the power a secret. If the audience thinks Tucker did a good enough job for the week, they will also determine how much money he is rewarded for completing his mission, between the options of $0, $5,000, $10,000 or $20,000. After being evicted in Week 6, it was revealed that America decided to award Tucker with $20,000.
Trivia[]
- Other houseguests who were initially considered by the house as saboteurs include Eric Stein, America's Player from Big Brother 8 (US), as well as both Zach Rance and Team America in Big Brother 16 (US).
- All male saboteurs won $20,000 as a reward.