Big Brother 2025 is the fifth cooperation season of the Dutch and Belgian version of Big Brother. It is the eleventh regular version of Big Brother in both Belgium and the Netherlands. The show is broadcast on RTL 5 in the Netherlands and Play4 in Belgium beginning on 6 January 2025. Live streams are available 24/7 on Videoland for Dutch viewers and on GoPlay.be and Telenet for Belgian viewers.

In the summer of 2024, when calling for candidates, the program makers announced that the new season would be completely different from previous seasons. At the unveiling of the house in early January 2025, this was confirmed. The house received a complete makeover and was barely furnished. There was also only 1 bed in the only large bedroom. There were several new rooms such as the Decision Room, the Panic Room and the Vault.

In addition to changed spaces in the house, the concept was also greatly altered. For example, the season started back-to-basics and residents had to compete for furniture, their own clothes and food. There were several new game elements. Critics again called the program fun.

The Live show was changed by a short Live Exit Broadcast. Starting in Week 2, a podcast was also recorded in the house.

The budding relationship of Jeffrey Leijzen and Jolien Pede received much attention in the broadcasts. One of the most talked about residents, Lennie Blockmans, left the house after a few weeks for health reasons. When three housemates voluntarily left the house on three days midway through the season, the question was raised whether this season was too harsh. Programmers assured that the three candidates left the house for three different private matters related and that it was always planned that from midway through the season the residents would have more luxuries. Because of the harsh conditions during the first half, tensions and discussions often arose between residents. Halfway through the game, tactical player Jordy de Maar formed a nomination union "the cartel" with some fellow residents, this created a tough game and backlash from the other residents.

Viewers spoke of manipulation by favoritism for members of "the cartel" by Big Brother through exemptions, tailored assignments and chosen images in the television broadcasts. A plane with message for the cartel, collected by fans, for "the cartel" was shown in a broadcast, while the first plane of that season for Jane Karto a week earlier was not featured in the broadcasts. Karto had to leave the house as the last contestant before finals week, while the last three members of "the cartel" did advance to finals week.

The final was on April 4, 2025. Jordy de Maar, leader of “the cartel,” won and received his individually saved prize money of 55,500 euros.

After five seasons, this series was axed after this season.

Production

Format Big Brother 2025 followed the same format as the previous seasons. Housemates lived isolated from the outside world in a custom-built house for a period of 100 days, hoping to be the last one to leave the house as the winner, and walk away with its cash prize.

Concept Programmers announced in advance that this season everything would be different. At launch, it was announced that basic comforts would no longer be a certainty. The first photos of the house showed a stripped house with a barely furnished house, an enclosed kitchen, locked closets and an outdoor shower. There were also new rooms such as the Decision Room and the Panic Room. In "The Vault," housemates could buy gamechangers to bend the game to their will. In the 'Panic Room,' housemates were challenged in different ways. There was a Big Brother suite - a luxurious room to which only the housemates who had access were allowed to go. A boudoir was added.

Not only did the house look different, the game play was also different.

Changes in the concept: The Decision Maker: every week one resident had a special role, decision maker. This resident made important decisions in the new Decision Room about team compositions, the distribution of bedrooms, etc. In addition, this resident could choose and purchase the weekly basics and luxury ingredients. Each resident could create their own prize jackpot, from which only the winner would receive their effective cash prize. The legacy ("de erfenis"): if a resident was voted out, the residents who had nominated that resident received that resident's money. The nomination targets: the nomination target pin was introduced. Not everyone could be nominated. By losing assignments, being chosen by a decision maker or by a twist, a resident could become a nomination target. During the nomination round, only residents who were nomination targets could be nominated. Residents could also gain immunity through a favor or game win. The gamechangers: on a weekly basis, residents could use their prize pool to purchase gamechangers from the Vault. With these gamechangers, nominations could be influenced, changing the course of the game. Housemates could buy gamechangers such as double nomination vote, the revenge, the theft, the collector...

Housemates

On January 3, the first ten housemates were announced. Lennie Blockmans was the first transgender candidate in this Dutch and Flemish co-produced Big Brother series. Sharice Van Steelant and Vikaash Lalbiharie entered the house under fake identities, respectively, as Nele and Remi.

Name Age Occupation Country Residence Day entered Day exited Status Jordy de Maar 27 Legal assistant Kampen 1 92 Mattheüs Jonckheere 27 Content creator Sint-Truiden 1 92 Sharice "Nele" Van Steelant 26 Psychiatric nurse Kortrijk 9 92 Jolien Pede 27 Bank employee & Miss Exclusive 2023 Zwalm 6 91 Jane Karto 28 Content creator Diemen 23 85 David Depoot 30 Plasterer Wevelgem 23 78 Axel van Wingerden 28 Truck driver Naaldwijk 9 71 Keanu Bruijnen 22 Employee bowling center Maastricht 1 64 Milena Dadabayeva 33 Account manager IT Mechelen 1 57 Elsa Rudge 53 Prison guard Rijnsburg 1 50 Eva de Graaf 23 Beautician Haarlem 25 45 David De Saedeleer 51 Contractor Ninove 23 43 Wicky/Vikaash "Remi" Lalbiharie 26 Port employee Hoofddorp 6 43 Jeffrey Leijzen 24 Unemployed Belsele 1 36 Niels Mestdagh 38 Firefighter & entrepreneur Blankenberge 1 29 Lennie Blockmans 26 Student psychology & therapist Antwerp 1 19 Linda van den Akker 46 Orderpicker Heesch 1 15 Fleur van der Vegt 31 Estate agent Haarlem 1 8

Weekly summary The main events in the Big Brother house are summarised in the table below. Week 1 On Day 1, the 10 first housemates entered the house. These were Elsa, Fleur, Jeffrey, Jordy, Keanu, Lennie, Linda, Mattheüs, Milena and Niels. The housemates were given the chance to press a button for an exemption and a personal benefit, or not to press at all and already make a lot of money together. The group unanimously chose not to press. This earned them 100 euros each. In the next assignment, the housemates had another chance to print. This time there were eight prizes at stake, from 1,000 euros over a golden key to a can of ravioli. Again, no one pressed. Once again 100 euros per person was handed out. On the last round, the housemates were obliged to press, but with a twist: the fastest and the slowest would be penalized. Jordy pressed first, Keanu last - and both received a nomination target pin. This week, only they could be nominated. The rest of the group was allowed to choose a prize and enter the house.

Once inside, the housemates quickly discovered that comfort was far away and the only food was "slob." Elsa, thanks to her choice of mystery box, was able to enter the "Big Brother" suite with the golden key. She chose Linda to accompany her.

When the housemates introduced themselves to each other, Lennie's sex change came up. The fellow housemates listened with admiration to the path she has already taken.

On Day 2, housemates were awakened by an alarm. This was the shower alarm. During this alarm there was hot water in the showers. Each housemate was allowed a maximum of 5min to shower with hot water.

Niels was called to the Decision Room by the prize he had chosen the day before. One housemate was allowed to accompany him: this was Jeffrey. Both got the pin with 'Decision maker'. Later they could decide to buy food with the housemates' personal jackpots, this they did. Lennie was called to the jackpot because she had chosen the clothing token the day before. She was allowed to open her closet but was not allowed to share her clothes with anyone. Linda was able to go to the Vault because of her choice of the key on the first day but there she decided not to buy a gamechanger.

Keanu struggled because he has trouble opening up with new people, saying that few people really know him.

During Day 3, the decision makers must assemble two teams. Team green consists of Niels, Elsa, Jordy, Keanu & Milena. Team pink consists of Jeffrey, Fleur, Lennie, Linda & Mattheüs. The teams compete against each other in the game area and must keep their balance via a pendulum course to reach the other side in group. Team pink wins. They receive a cash prize of 1,000 euros and a clothing token. The clothing token is unanimously given to Fleur. In the Decision Room, the members of team pink get to choose one by one how much of the money they won they will take for their personal jackpot. As previously agreed, they each choose a fifth, which is 200 euros.

In the afternoon, the decision makers must put together a group of 5 housemates for an assignment where the first part of the kitchen can be unlocked. Jeffrey chooses for himself, Jordy, Keanu, Lennie and Matthew. They have to keep a ball with poles in the air for 2 hours. The group succeeds and a part of the kitchen is opened allowing the housemates to cook and they have a refrigerator. Decision maker Niels regrets that he was not involved in the composition of the group.

On Day 4, decision makers must give three other housemates a nomination target pin. Each housemate must give a motivation as to why they do not deserve this pin. Decision makers Jeffrey & Niels are not on the same page. Jeffrey is having a very hard time because he sees Elsa as a mother figure to him. Without explanation, the decision makers give Milena, Fleur and Elsa a pin in this order.

Later that day, all housemates have to name three housemates from the group of housemates with target pin - Elsa, Fleur, Jordy, Keanu and Milena. Fleur, Jordy and Milena are the first nominated housemates.

On Day 6, Jolien and Remi enter the house as new housemates. Remi is Vikaash's fake identity; he has the secret assignment of pretending to be different.

On Day 8, there was the Live Eviction Broadcast. Jordy was exempted first. Fleur was the first housemate to be voted out. Week 2 - Nomination gamesOn Day 9, Elsa, Jeffrey, Jordy, Keanu, Linda, Mattheüs and Niels inherit the money from voted-out housemate Fleur. They inherit this because they nominated her. Mattheus gets the luxury suite because he is the one with the biggest jackpot. Decision makers Jeffrey & Niels must choose from Jeffrey & Linda who have as much money in their jackpot as second and third, which of them accompanies Mattheüs. They choose Jeffrey.

Sharice, who is a new fake housemate Nele, and Axel enter the house as new residents. Axel immediately declares that he is there to win, and this worries the other housemates. Axel and Sharice are that week's Decision Makers.