Big Brother: The 10 Most Boring HOHs Challenges, Ranked

The show Big Brother makes its players endure some pretty grueling competitions to be named head of Household (HoH) each week. They range from endurance competitions that can last for hours to trivia, and short and sweet games. Sometimes things get messy (literally!), sometimes they draw out well after hours such that viewers don’t find out who won until the following week. Some competitions require physical prowess, others rely more on intellect and being able to think critically.

And while there are really entertaining recurring Head of Household competitions that fans look forward to every season, like Spelling Search and Slippery Slope, there are also some boring ones that are ripe for retirement.

10 Standing Endurance Competitions

Pretty much any endurance competition that requires the players to stand on a moving platform of some kind is worthy of being considered among the most boring. There have been many variations of this type of competition, like the wall competition.

It’s fun to see the players trying to hold on for dear life as their muscles ache and they are pelted with slimy goo, cold water, and a variety of gross substances. But just watching, waiting, then realizing the competition extends beyond the episode and into the next is more annoying than fun.

9 Stay or Fold

A specific quiz-type situation, this is a counting one that’s similar to the competitions you might find at any baby or wedding shower. Players are shown objects in an area and have to guess how many there are. Once answers are revealed, they can decide to stay or fold. The person closest to the actual number wins each round.

This continues until a certain number of wins is reached. While the competition can get intense, it isn’t among the best. It’s a pretty frequent one, too, appearing in seasons 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, and 18.

8 Bowling Or Shuffleboard Games

Appearing in several episodes have been bowling or shuffleboard-like competitions that are low-key but also rank among the most boring.

While competitions like Bowlerina add a fun element by making the players spin around in circles before trying to bowl a ball into pins, others, like Ball Roll, include the players just running back and forth, rolling a bowl along a tube making sure it doesn’t drop on either end. There’s also Perfect Shot, where the ball is rolled down a ramp to land in a slot with a specific score, aiming for the highest.

7 Putting For Power

Appearing in seasons 5, 7, 11, 13, the Over-The-Top (OTT) season, and, most recently, in season 22, this competition is also known as the Golf Invitational. The idea is that each player heads out to the backyard, one by one, and putts a golf ball in an attempt to get a hole-in-one. If they don’t, the ball will land in a spot with a corresponding number. They can choose to keep that score or try again and replace it with the second attempt score.

The game has appeared as both an HoH and Veto competition. Interestingly, fan favorite player and former winner Jordan Lloyd has won it twice, though both times, her showmance partner Jeff Schroeder threw the game to her.

6 Puzzles

Any puzzle-based competition is pretty boring because viewers are just watching the players frantically pick up pieces and try to fit them together. Imagine sitting and watching someone do a puzzle in real life when you couldn’t even help?

It usually ends up becoming clear from the get-go who is good at puzzles and who isn’t. Then it’s just a matter of watching them put together and take apart pieces. Similar competitions are in other reality shows like Survivor. And while the show needs some simpler competitions, these are never the ones fans look forward to watching.

5 As Close As You Can

If the Big Brother game were taking place in a retirement home, this competition might be more fitting. But in a game full of young, athletic competitors, it’s truly boring. Yes, they need a break from time to time from the grueling, physical competitions. But this one isn’t exactly entertaining for fans.

The premise: shoot a ball or other item and try to get it as close to the target as possible. The person who gets it closest wins. The game first appeared in the second season and came back in seasons 3, 4, 5, 6, 19, and 22.

4 Wheel of First Impressions

Any time a wheel of any kind is involved in the competition, chances are it isn’t going to be one of the most exciting. While this recurring competition has been modified each time it returns, the basic premise is always the same: choose two house guests based solely on your first impressions of them. One gets to stay and the other is instantly eliminated.

The competition first appeared in the second season where fan favorite player Mike “Boogie” Malin (one-half of one of the most popular and dominant alliances on the show) was one of the two names chosen. It returned in season three and again in season 10. Most recently a variation appeared in season 21 but with the reverse purpose: for players to choose a leader instead of someone to evict. It’s not only boring but also a totally unfair competition. Imagine going through the grueling audition process, getting cast on the show, then being evicted before even getting the chance to play!

3 True Or False Quiz Competitions

Another recurring competition that appears in a variety of ways and with different themes, any competition that has the competitors stand at a podium and turn a block to show either a true or false answer to a question host Julie Chen asks is anti-climactic.

Yes, it’s fun to watch people get knocked out, one by one, as they deliver the wrong answers. But sometimes, it draws on pretty long because everyone keeps getting the right answers. It seems like a corny way to win an HoH when others battle for hours in an endurance competition to win.

2 Before Or After

This snore-worthy quiz competition sees the host Julie Chen reciting two things that happened in the house and the players have to guess whether the first happened before or after the second. It’s a competition the houseguests study and requires a lot of counting and memorization.

It’s one of the least exciting HoH competitions, which sometimes also appears as a Power of Veto competition. Nonetheless, it’s also one of the most frequently occurring. It has been part of seasons 5, 6, All-Stars, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16.

1 Who Said It?

It doesn’t get any more boring than this quiz-based competition that is really not based on anything other than wild guesses. Host Julie Chen reads a statement said by an evicted houseguest and players have to guess who said it. If they guess correctly, they get a point. It continues until someone earns enough points for the win.

The competition appeared in seasons 3, 4, 5, and as a variation in season 10 called “Diary Room Confessions.” Thankfully, it seems this competition might have been officially retired, and for good reason.

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