Big Brother 7 (U.S.) - Format

Format

The format remains largely unchanged from previous seasons. HouseGuests are sequestered in the Big Brother House with no contact to or from the outside world. Each week, the HouseGuests take part in several compulsory challenges that determine who will win food, luxuries, and power in the House. The winner of the weekly Head of Household competition is immune from nominations and must nominate two fellow HouseGuests for eviction. After a HouseGuest becomes Head of Household, he or she is ineligible to take part in the next Head of Household competition. HouseGuests also take part in competitions to earn food for the week. The losing team will be forced to eat Big Brother Slop for the week. This is the second season to feature Slop as the punishment food, as it was originally peanut butter and jelly. The winner of the Power of Veto competition wins the right to save one of the nominated HouseGuests from eviction. If the Veto winner exercises the power, the Head of Household must then nominate another HouseGuest for eviction.

On eviction night, all HouseGuests except for the Head of Household and the two nominees vote to evict one of the two nominees. This compulsory vote is conducted in the privacy of the Diary Room by the host Julie Chen. In the event of a tie, the Head of Household must cast the deciding vote, announcing it in front of the other HouseGuests. Unlike other versions of Big Brother, the HouseGuests may discuss the nomination and eviction process openly and freely. The nominee with the greater number of votes will be evicted from the House on the live Thursday broadcast, exiting to an adjacent studio to be interviewed by Chen. HouseGuests may voluntarily leave the House at any time and those who break the rules may be expelled from the house by Big Brother. The final seven HouseGuests evicted during the season will vote for the winner on the season finale. These "Jury Members" will be sequestered in a separate house and will not be allowed to watch the show except for competitions and ceremonies that include all of the remaining HouseGuests. The jury members will not be shown any Diary Room interviews or any footage that include strategy or details regarding nominations.

Though the majority of the format stayed the same for Big Brother: All Stars, there were some differences from previous seasons. One of the main changes was the departure of the peanut butter and jelly diet that had been used since Big Brother 2. In its place, the contestants who lost the food competition would be required to eat Big Brother Slop for the week, which has an oatmeal like texture to it. Big Brother Slop has been used in all subsequent seasons following its debut. A second twist occurred in which a new special power was brought into the game. The HouseGuests were given clues to a secret phrase that referenced the game of Big Brother. The first clue was of a sheep, and the second was an oversized needle and thread being found in the house. The final clue was a grim reaper. The correct answer was the phrase "You reap what you sew", and Mike was the first person to correctly guess it in the Diary Room. He therefore won the Coup d'Etat, giving him the ability to overturn the Head of Household's nominations and replace them with two HouseGuests of his choosing. He could not nominate the reigning Head of Household or the Power of Veto winner during the week he decided to use it. If the power was used, that week's Head of Household would be allowed to compete in the following Head of Household competition. Ultimately, Mike chose not to use the power. The Coup d'Etat was later brought into the game during Big Brother 11, in which viewers chose one HouseGuest to obtain the power.