The Walking Dead twist made its debut in Big Brother Australia 13. Contestants who faced eviction were redirected to a purgatory setting. In this zone, a subsequent vote awaited them, and its outcome determined if they could make a comeback to the primary competition.
Later, this twist resurfaced in Big Brother 25 (US), rebranded as "Big Brother Zombies." This iteration was integrated with the season's "multiverse" theme. Notably, the "Big Brother Zombies" twist was a central element during a Double Eviction episode, where the two houseguests who were evicted in the same night would stay in the house for an entire week of paused gameplay before playing in the Do or Die Competition.