Pinoy Big Brother: Connect
Pinoy Big Brother: Connect is the ninth main and fifteenth season of "Pinoy Big Brother" which premiered on December 6, 2020, on both A2Z and Kapamilya Channel. The show was also simulcast and digitally streamed via ABS-CBN's entertainment website, iWantTFC (on-demand streaming service) and Kapamilya Channel's Kapamilya Online Live in Facebook and YouTube; live feeds of the House were also shown on Kumu, an online streaming platform. With the blocktime arrangement inked between ABS-CBN and TV5, the show aired on free television broadcast from March 8 until its finale. Toni Gonzaga , Bianca Gonzalez, and Robi Domingo reprised their roles as hosts. Meanwhile, new digital hosts joined the show: Richard Juan was the host for the show's online updates; while Enchong Dee and Melai Cantiveros were the hosts for the show's online companion programs across various online platforms. Kim Chiu, Edward Barber, and Maymay Entrata were earlier reported to host online contents for the program (with Chiu and Entrata having joined the official launch and the Big Night respectively, while Barber only appeared on the Big Night, acting for the Comedy sketch as one of the housemates), but were never  seen doing their hosting stints in the succeeding events of the show; Dee and Cantiveros, on the other hand, were occasionally seen to host the afternoon online companion show. This was the first season where the show was not being aired on ABS-CBN after the said network was ordered by the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) to cease and desist its free-to-air television and radio broadcast operations on May 5, 2020, following the lapse of its congressional franchise. The network also failed to secure a renewal of its congressional franchise after its renewal bid was rejected by the  House of Representatives on July 10, 2020. Also before the show's grand finale, this was the first time and season that to be aired on TV5 due to ABS-CBN's legislative franchise renewal issue and to the partnership agreement of the two networks. Spanned beginning March 8 until March 13 (which is the finale week), and March 14, 2021 (which is the Big Night). This was the fifth consecutive time that both civilian adults and teenagers participated in one season, and the first time since the "" season to house them together as just one batch. Among all regular  and special seasons, this season was the season with the shortest number of days (99) of which a group of housemates representing an entire season have stayed in the House. The show concluded on March 14, 2021, with Liofer Pinatacan declared as the Big Winner. Development. With the scrapping of the television broadcast operations of ABS-CBN by the NTC on May 5, 2020, the continuity of the local "Big Brother" franchise was left uncertain. This is because of the Philippine senators and congressmen who voted YES to shut down ABS-CBN's operations. No news or information were provided  by the network nor by the production team behind the show of the fate of the said franchise. However, on October 16, 2020, "Pinoy Big Brother" hinted an announcement for a possible return of the show. On the 18th of October in 2020, on "ASAP Natin 'To!", it was officially announced that a new season will air and the said season will be called "Pinoy Big Brother: Connect". No physical auditions will be held; instead all auditions will be done online. ABS-CBN's Television Production Head Unit and the Head Director of the "Pinoy Big Brother" franchise, Direk Lauren  Diyogi, revealed in an interview of an episode of "TV Patrol" that "Pinoy Big Brother: Connect" will push through in November 2020, although the exact date was not mentioned. However, it was later confirmed that "Pinoy Big Brother: Connect" will begin on December 6, 2020. Dyogi also revealed that the ninth season to take place at the current situation of the network and of the country was unplanned, and that it had only prospered after the show had partnered with Kumu. The number of housemates that will take part in this season was initially lowered to 12, making this season  with the fewest housemates in "Pinoy Big Brother" history, surpassing the of "Pinoy Big Brother", the season that had only 13 housemates. However, it was later confirmed via online "PBB: KUMUlitan" show with Robi Domingo and Lie Reposposa that 18 aspiring housemates will be taking part this season. Auditions. "Pinoy Big Brother: Connect" was first revealed during the October 18, 2020 episode of "ASAP Natin 'To!", along with new audition mechanics for this newest season. Owing to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines, the auditions and its program were held using Kumu, a Filipino online streaming platform. Auditions were  opened for ages 16 to 35 years-old. The auditions were opened on October 19, 2020; it ended on November 11, 2020. For an aspiring housemate to join "Pinoy Big Brother: Connect", they must create a Kumu account and record a 1-minute video wherein they will be introducing themselves and why they want to join "Pinoy Big Brother". Afterwards, they were required to upload it on Kumu and use the hashtag "#PBBkumuaudition"; a maximum of one entry per account. If an auditionee was accepted as one of the shortlisted hopefuls, they will then receive a message from a PBB  executive via Kumu. At the end of the online auditions via Kumu, a total of 177,524 audition entries were submitted for this season—the highest in the entire history of the franchise. COVID-19 precautions. "Pinoy Big Brother: Connect" had some notable changes due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines. Prior to the premiere of "Pinoy Big Brother: Connect" on December 6, 2020, the Pinoy Big Brother house was thoroughly disinfected, the hosts, crew, and the housemates of the show also went onto a PCR testing, and social distancing was also being observed inside the house as the preventive  measure from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. There is also no audience present on the premiere night of the show on December 6, 2020. Timeslot. The show aired daily on Mondays to Fridays at 10:00 p.m. after "Walang Hanggang Paalam", on Saturdays at 10:00 p.m. after "Maalaala Mo Kaya", and on Sundays at 8:30 p.m. after "Your Face Sounds Familiar". The show's companion show, "Pinoy Big Brother: Kumunect Tayo", aired daily via Kumu, Facebook, and YouTube at 5:00 p.m. for its afternoon show, while it follows the main show's schedule for its evening show. Also, in this season, evictions  regularly occurred on Sundays, while the lists of nominees were usually revealed on Mondays or Tuesdays. The show did not air on December 20, 2020, as it was pre-empted by ABS-CBN's Christmas Special. Prizes. The winner of this season won a unit from PHirst Park Homes and a cash prize of 1 Million pesos only from Brilliant Skin Essentials. The second, third and fourth big placers received five hundred thousand pesos, three hundred thousand pesos and two hundred thousand pesos, respectively. Format. Each week, each participating housemate had to nominate two people for eviction with the first  receiving two points and the second with one point. The housemates with the most votes (usually three) will then face the public vote with the nominee receiving the fewest votes (through a save to evict voting system) being evicted from the house. The format however may be altered as seen in Day 49 where the Co-HoHs directly nominated two nominees each and in Day 81 where the housemates ranked their housemates rather than the usual nomination process. As a punishment or as a consequence, Big Brother can automatically nominate additional housemates if they had incurred violations or have failed  a specific task. Big Brother can also give immunity to those who have succeeded in winning a challenge or a task. Sometimes, Big Brother can suspend the nomination process or moved the nominations to a later date in lieu of the result of a pending challenge or task. Overview. Logo. The logo for "Pinoy Big Brother: Connect" still used its graphical eye, (first introduced in the ) in which the eye features motifs inspired by and colors taken from the Philippine flag. The outline of the house which was used before in the logo of "Pinoy Big Brother: Otso" was later  removed. The colors of the text were also changed from the previous navy blue color now with a slightly lighter blue. The color of the season text in the logo was emphasized with a bright yellow and an orange gradient. House. The "Pinoy Big Brother" house was refurnished with new furniture in the living room, the bedroom, and the dining area. There were no major changes in the house interior, which still follows the original layour used in "". The house façade was decorated with Christmas decorations due to Christmas already drawing near at the start of the season. Theme song . This season's theme song is "Connected Na Tayo" performed and written by "" ex-housemates Jem Macatuno, Shawntel Cruz, Lie Reposposa and Kiara Takahashi where, just like the preceding season's theme song "Otso Na", most elements (including the chorus) from Orange and Lemons's "Pinoy Ako," the franchise's theme song, were included in the song. The season's eviction theme song was performed, written, and produced by Jem Macatuno entitled "Bagong Simula." Both songs are included in the album "Connected Na Tayo (Ang Soundtrack Ng Bahay Mo Vol. 2)". Housemates. A week prior to the entry of the  first 12 housemates, the identities of two housemates were revealed daily via "It's Showtime!" and "TV Patrol". Officially, the first 12 housemates entered during the premiere night of the show on December 6, 2020. Among them, 6 were adults, while the remaining 6 were teenagers. It was later announced that 6 more housemates will soon be introduced in the upcoming episodes after accomplishing their mandatory 14-day quarantine. Three of the additional housemates were already pre-selected and were completing their own isolation periods before their entry, including one from France whose travel to the Philippines in order to  compete was facilitated by the production staff. The other three were selected via Kumu; they vied among 117 hopefuls in various series of livestream challenges in three different stages. The selection process began on December 6 and ended on December 26. As of January 24, 2021, the three new housemates have already entered the House, after completing the required health clearances, including mandatory quarantine, psychological test, and COVID-19 test. Housemate selection via Kumu. The final three housemates were selected via Kumu. 117 hopefuls competed in various series of livestream challenges in three different stages. The 9 remaining hopefuls were then  divided in groups based on their traits, namely "Matatag" (Steadfast), "Madiskarte" (Resourceful), and "Malakas ang Loob" (Courageous). Each group competed in different weeks. The Top diamond earners in each group will become the last three housemates to enter the house for the season. Amanda Zamora, Gail Banawis and Glenda Victorio were initially reported to be the winners of the campaign. However, due to Victorio withdrawing in her sequester, she was replaced by Quincy Villanueva, the runner-up in her team. Houseguests. Unlike those in previous seasons where houseguests normally visit the House, most of the houseguests for this season participated  via video conferencing only. Sometimes, they were ordered by Big Brother to do some tasks, such as: to help, to coach, or to judge various tasks or challenges of the housemates. Tasks. Weekly tasks. As part of every season, weekly tasks are given in order for the housemates to earn their weekly groceries. However, as part of this season's twist, the housemates are allowed to do Kumu livestreams so that viewers can help with their weekly tasks. The diamonds (in-app gifting currency) they will earn from livestreaming can be used to purchase supplies for their tasks or to  pay for minutes to practice their routines, to name a few. Other tasks. Aside from the weekly tasks, the housemates were also given other significant tasks. These tasks usually involve rewards for someone special, some may include nomination or eviction twists as a consequence of failing such tasks, some were required to be done secretly, some may involve a combination of two or more types of tasks, or very difficult punishments. Challenges. Heads of Household. Every week, each of the Housemates will undergo challenges to become one of the two Heads of Household. Becoming a Head of Household will earn  them immunity from being nominated in that particular week. For the fourth Heads of Household challenge, the "Padaluck" twist was implemented. It gave an advantage to a housemate who had received the most Kumu gifts. Ligtask. The Ligtask challenge, carried over from previous seasons, were usually held in lieu of the Heads of Household challenge. Before the Ligtask challenge, the public has a chance (via Kumu) to give an advantage to a housemate. The advantage will be given to the housemate who has received the most "padalucks" (done through Kumu's livestream gifting system). At the end of the challenge , the winner will be saved from becoming one of the nominees. Big Jump. To determine this season's Big 4, all housemates participated in a series of challenges that was quite different from the "Big Jump" of the other previous seasons. All Big 4 slots were determined by all of these challenges—a deviation from the other seasons' Big Jump twist where the public's vote also played as a determining factor in choosing the final four. The series of challenges were called "Big 4 Karapatdapat Challenges" (Big 4 Worthy Challenges) and tested the housemates qualities: their self-trust, sense  of camaraderie, resourcefulness and being steadfast. Also as part of the twist, winning any of the Big 4 slot did not automatically guarantee their place for the Big Night as the winning housemates had to defend their spots against the two challengers chosen by the public to challenge them and take their positions. Challengers. There were four "Big 4 Karapatdapat Challenges" that were played by the seven remaining housemates, each of which determined a holder for a certain Big 4 spot. Unknown to all of them, with four housemates taking the Big 4 spots, the three others who failed to  take any of those spots were automatically nominated and had to face the public vote. The two housemates with the highest number of public votes were given a chance to stay and challenge the Big 4 while the housemate with the least vote was evicted. As challengers, with their identity being hidden to the Big 4, they were required to challenge two housemates. In order for them to win and take any of the Big 4 slots, they must choose and defeat two of the current Big 4 occupants. Failure would mean automatic eviction. The challenger challenges given by Big  Brother were a combination of previous challenges the housemates had participated throughout this season and were exclusively chosen by the public via Kumu. Amanda and Ralph drew of lots to determine the order of who will they pick to challenge: Amanda got the 2nd and 4th picks while Ralph got the 1st and 3rd picks. Ralph chose Andrea first for the first pick and Kobie for the third pick; Amanda chose Jie-Ann for the second pick and Liofer for the fourth pick. Their identities were revealed prior to the challenge. Before they made themselves known to the housemates, Amanda  is known as the white challenger, while Ralph is known as the black challenger. Big 4 Tasks. During the final days of the season, Big Brother gave the finalists a task. Each task can grant either extra votes to save or the deduction and transfer of vote to evict. Nomination History. Note that the production team of show does not tally the launch night as Day 1. For the purposes of uniformity with the other previous season articles, the launch night is marked as Day 1, not the day after it. The days reflected in this article were always numbered  a day ahead compared to that as shown in the program. Power of Veto. The "Power of Veto" was a power given to the winner of certain tasks. The holder of the power is given the chance to automatically save a nominee of their choice from the list of nominees. If the power was given to a group, the group will decide which nominee gets vetoed via a collective vote. Unlike its American counterpart, no replacement nominee was required to be named making the power controversial among viewers. Rank-based nomination result. For the 10th nomination week, the list of  nominees was based on the housemates' rankings. Each housemate will rank all remaining housemates, including themselves. Each rank will receive a specific number of points: the first will receive 1 point; the second with 2 points; and so on until the eighth with 8 points. The total points received by each housemate will determine the final ranking; the housemates in the first six ranks will be saved from becoming part of the final list of nominees, while the housemates who receive the most points will be in the last two ranks and will become the official nominees for the week . The housemates did not know that their rankings were the basis of this week's nomination until Big Brother mentioned this to them before the announcement of the rankings. Note that the underlined names in the table below were the rank of the housemates they gave to themselves. S–E voting system result. The following is a summary of the results of the evictions nights that had used the S-E voting system. In this system, a voter may vote to evict or to save a nominee from eviction. The votes to save are then subtracted by the votes to  evict which may result in a nominee receiving a negative number of votes as seen in the first, eighth, tenth and eleventh evictions, this also results in the percentages not adding up to one hundred. The votes were taken from the combined SMS and Kumu votes. In the second and the succeeding eviction nights, the detailed summary was replaced by a combined net results of both votes from Kumu and SMS without further detailing the results of each medium. The percentage of Kumu's votes being 70% and that of SMS votes comprising 30% of the total votes remained the  same. Big Night. For the first time in "Pinoy Big Brother" history, the finale of the season, dubbed as Pinoy Big Brother: Connect @ The Big Night, was held in front of the "Pinoy Big Brother" House with a virtual audience. The finale also featured several guests, including past "Pinoy Big Brother" winners such as Nene Tamayo of "", Bea Saw of "", Ruben Gonzaga of "", Ejay Falcon of "", Slater Young of "", Daniel Matsunaga of "", Jimboy Martin of "" and Yamyam Gucong of "" and other former housemates. At the end of the night, Liofer Pinatacan was declared as the winner of the season. Andrea  Abaya was declared as "second big placer", Kobie Brown as the "third big placer", and Jie-Ann Armero as the "fourth big placer". Controversies and criticism. Just like in all other seasons, this season was not spared from controversies and criticism. One issue involves the rude behavior of one housemate towards another; another was the inclusion of two housemates who favored the shutdown of ABS-CBN; and a mechanic that was tagged as "unfair" by viewers.