Big Brother Canada (season 9)
Big Brother Canada 9 is the ninth season of the Canadian reality television series "Big Brother Canada". It is based on the Dutch series of the same name, which gained notoriety in 1999 and 2000. Arisa Cox returned as the host for the series as well as her new role as executive producer. The season premiered with a two-night premiere on March 3–4, 2021, on Global. This season revolved around 14 strangers (known as HouseGuests) living in a house together while being constantly filmed and having no communication with the outside world as they  competed to be the last HouseGuest remaining. Each week, the HouseGuests competed in challenges for power and safety before voting each other out of the house. When only two HouseGuests remain, a Jury of previously evicted Houseguests decided which finalist won the grand prize of a $110,000 cash prize (consisting of the base prize of $100,000 with an additional $10,000 provided by sponsor Sunlight), $10,000 worth of grills and grilling accessories from Weber, and a vacation for two from Expedia. The runner-up wins $20,000. A new prize for "Canada's Favourite Houseguest" was also  introduced this season, where the Canadian public voted for the recipient of a $10,000 prize. After 69 days, the season ended on May 6, 2021, when Tychon Carter-Newman beat Breydon White in a 6-1 vote. Carter-Newman is the first Black HouseGuest to win a season of "Big Brother Canada", and the second (after "Celebrity Big Brother 2" winner Tamar Braxton) to win a season of "Big Brother" in North America. Twists. For the first time in "Big Brother Canada", the HouseGuests will compete in two teams (known as Team Destiny & Team Defender). The teams were selected  by Team Captains determined by Canada's Vote, which opened as the cast was revealed. The Captains are also awarded immunity for the first week. For the duration of the teams phase the Head of Household would win immunity for their entire team. The draft for the teams was as follows: HouseGuests. The HouseGuests' images and profiles were released on Wednesday, February 24, 2021. Initially announced HouseGuest Ethan Quance was later removed when significant concerns were brought to the attention of production. He was replaced by Kyle Moore. Production. Development. Following the cancellation of the eighth season due to the  COVID-19 pandemic, the future of the show was uncertain, however on July 13, 2020, "Big Brother Canada" was renewed for a ninth season. It was also announced that Arisa Cox would return as host and would assume the role of executive producer for the new season. On February 17, 2021, Global announced that the season will start airing with a two-night premiere on March 3–4, 2021. Casting. Kassting Inc. returned to cast the ninth season. On August 10, 2020, casting opened online. Filming. Filming started on February 27, 2021, without a live audience for the premiere episode for the  first time in "Big Brother Canada" history due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Release. The free 24/7 live feeds, hosted on "Big Brother Canada"s website, started on March 4 after the first eviction episode. A tribute to "Big Brother Canada 4" HouseGuest Nikki Grahame aired on the 18th episode following her passing. House design. On February 22, 2021, Global released an image of the living room wall. The theme for the season was confirmed to be post-apocalyptic. The full house design was revealed on March 1, with most of the house being similar to the season 8 superhero themed  house, but with decorative fake vines and overgrowth covering large portions of the house. The bathroom, the HoH bedroom the outdoor spa area, and the Expedia-themed lounge room remained the same as last season. Of the few rooms to be completely redesigned was the main bedrooms, which were redecorated to correspond the theme of each team. The swamp themed Have-Not room was replaced by a ball-pit. Additionally, there was no nomination room, with the space normally taken by the nomination room being used as a OLG themed games room. Episodes. <onlyinclude> </onlyinclude> At  the beginning of the game, the HouseGuests competed in two teams. These are noted by color ( Team Defender Team Destiny). As part of the team format, the Head of Household would also win immunity for their team (indicated by ). On Day 13, the game reverted to the regular format, with the HouseGuests playing as individuals. Controversies. Ethan Quance. On February 24, 2021, Global announced 22-year-old Ethan Quance, a line cook from Banff, Alberta as one of the fourteen HouseGuests competing in the ninth season. However the following day, several allegations were made against him including sexual assault and  the use of racist and homophobic language. As a result, Global made the decision to remove Quance from the cast and announced that he would be replaced prior to the premiere. He was replaced with Kyle Moore.