While much of what is aired on Big Brother is unprovoked and naturally occurring, one part of the show that is mandated are the speeches. Nomination ceremonies, veto meetings, and final pleas before eviction votes are cast all feature speeches that tend to be a bit dry and formulaic in order to not stir any drama. However, this is not always the case.
Some contestants have broken the usual cordial atmosphere of these required moments and taken different approaches. A few speeches have become some of the most memorable scenes in show history, whether it's because of how funny they were, the drama they stirred up, or both at the same time.
Brett's Poem, Season 20
Brett is remembered for his comedic antics throughout his time in the Big Brother house, but his week three veto speech might be the most memorable of them all. Nominated against his best friend Winston, the two of them made up one of the most genuine friendships in BB history, but without a good final plea, the two of them would be separated.
Brett tried his best in his Veto speech, giving a poem where he profusely complimented Veto holder Scottie, before doing an exaggerated impression of Kaitlyn having a vision. The other houseguests looks of concealed laughter to not offend Kaitlyn made it even better. It unfortunately did not work and Winston was soon voted out, but it was a memorable moment nonetheless.
Zach Rance's "Fruit Loop Dingus" Rant, Season 16
In a speech that coined one of the funniest quotes in Big Brother history, the eclectic Zach Rance held nothing back. As one of the dual HoH's alongside his buddy Frankie, Zach decided to nominate Christine and Nicole for nomination. He would go on to call Nicole a "fruit loop dingus", making viewers and houseguests equal parts confused and giggly.
An underrated part of his speech that gets glossed over due to his Nicole diss is what he said to Christine. He compared her to Jenn City of season 14, saying the two are the definition of floaters. Zach was known for his bluntness, and this speech exemplified that perfectly.
Dr. Will Hates Everyone, Season 7
One of the more unnecessary things production makes houseguests do is give a veto speech when there is no hope that it will be used on them. Dr. Will, source of some of the most legendary quotes in BB history, had to give a speech to Chicken George as to why he should use the veto on him. Issue is, George was on the block and would be using it on himself.
Instead of making a convincing speech, Will went with a different approach. He declared that he hated everyone in the house and he will be throwing every competition from here on out, and asked to be evicted. While the veto wasn't used on him, he did survive eviction that week despite his wishes, so the speech was seemingly effective
Marcellas' Big Blunder, Season 3
The third season of Big Brother was the first to have the Power of Veto, leading to an iconic speech and moment. Fan favorite and future All Star Marcellas possessed the veto, and gave an emotional speech on the verge of tears about how he did not want to use it on himself because he did not want to cast a vote to evict his friend Amy.
HoH Jason had to cast a tie breaking vote, and followed it up with an equally devastating speech. He blankly told Marcellas he should have used the veto, and cast his vote to evict him. While the unexplainable decision to not use the veto is what is mostly remembered, hearing Marcellas' confidence in him staying during his speech, and then the contrast in Jason's speech is certainly one of the best the show has seen.
Dan's Replacement Nominee Roulette, Season 10
Dan is commonly known as one of the best villains in Big Brother history, and this speech he gave is one of the biggest reasons why. As HoH, Dan was forced to nominate a replacement nominee after Memphis used the veto on himself. In an attempt to stir up drama in the house, Dan gave a speech explaining the rules of "replacement nominee roulette." Each houseguest would have to name who they personally want to see up, or they themselves would be nominated.
It was one of the more unique moments during the veto speech, which usually isn't particularly exciting. To add even more intrigue, Dan ended up breaking his deal with Ollie and nominating his ally Michelle. Everyone naming who they wanted up also exposed some people, creating more drama in an already tense house.
GinaMarie's Dynamic Duo, Season 15
GinaMarie made a bigtime move with her HoH, nominating showmance McCrae and Amanda. While GM may not hold the most stellar reputation in the Big Brother community as being considered one of the cringiest players in Big Brother history, her HoH speech is remembered fondly.
She repeatedly attempted to call the showmance a dynamic duo, but repeatedly stumbled over her words over muffled giggles from her fellow houseguests. She eventually decided to just call them a power couple instead. She was a good sport about it though, which makes this more funny than sad.
Devin Causes Chaos, Season 16
Devin may have appeared on a season with one of the best casts in Big Brother history, but he was far from likable during his three weeks from the show. He was not a bad guy or a bully by any stretch, but his frequent power trips and overplaying of the game led to contentious moments, with it peaking during his week two veto meeting.
This was more of a roundtable, with Devin, Brittney, Zach, and Paola all joining in the shenanigans with speeches of their own. While they all varied in some ways, the overarching theme in all of them aside from Devin's was that Devin had to go. He had betrayed way too many people, and his shady gameplay made him a liability to his allies. Many memorable quotes came from this meeting, making it memorable even all these years later.
Austin Goes Philosophical, Season 17
In pre-show interviews and diary room sessions, Austin would talk about having an alter ego named Judas. While he may have overstated how much of an impact his dual personalities would have, Judas did have at least one moment that people remember.
Austin threw on his top hat, signifying his switch to Judas, and gave quite the bizarre speech. It was deep and laden with philosophical observations about how life is both meaningless and precious, how everyone will die one day, and the iconic line "unfortunately in life, victims aren't we all." His housemates were split with looks of confusion and nervous laughter, with viewers at home having a similar reaction.
Chima Does What's Right, Season 11
Chima's speech prior to the first live vote of the season was not only memorable, but quite courageous. She was nominated alongside Braden, who used racial and and misogynistic slurs earlier in the week. It should have been an early choice to evict him, but it unfortunately was not.
Chima did not hold back, saying the exact slurs he said and blankly calling him a racist. Her speech was slightly censored on network TV, but the gist of it was aired. Audible gasps could be heard from the studio audience, while Julie herself even called it the most memorable speech she has seen. Harassment and lack of diversity are both common criticisms the show has faced, so Chima going after these on a live show when she knew it would be aired was quite brave.
Andrew Exposes Kristen and Hayden, Big Brother 12
Andrew, more affectionately known as "Captain Kosher" was unable to do a whole lot on his season, but his last plea speech was amazing live television. With his back against the wall facing eviction, he went with a scorched earth final approach, trying to b low up Kristen and Hayden's games.
He accused them of being a showmance more dangerous than Brenchel, and that they were two-faced liars. The most iconic part may have been his line of "They're doing massages, they're doing kisses ... they're doing more." It did not work as he was unanimously evicted, but Kristen was booted next week, so he may have had a slight impact.