The latest series of Big Brother on ITV delivered a brutally timed twist in its final hours, forcing two housemates to leave immediately—just one day before the live grand finale. The unexpected double eviction shattered the hopes of Mechanical Engineer Marcus and Cleaner Teja, who missed out on the chance to win the coveted £100,000 prize (The Mirror, PRIMETIMER).

The dramatic episode on Thursday, November 13, saw the Big Brother house transformed into the enchanting Emerald City as part of a final week task celebrating the upcoming film release of Wicked For Good. The housemates became "Citizens of Oz" and were tasked with various challenges, including rebuilding the Yellow Brick Road (Derry Journal).

The Cruel Twist of Fate 🎁

The week's evictions were decided entirely by a public vote to save, bypassing the traditional nomination process (OK! Magazine). Farmer Cameron, who was granted a direct "ticket to the final" earlier in the week following a challenge, was already safe. The remaining housemates were left vulnerable to the final public tally.

After completing the Oz-themed challenges, the housemates gathered for what they thought was a celebratory moment—a final gift from "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz."

Big Brother announced: "Ozians, you stand before The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. He has decided to reward each of you with a very special gift."

• Some housemates, like composer Richard, received commemorative items such as a golden keyboard, and content creator Elsa was given a Princess wedding dress.

• However, Marcus, the 22-year-old Mechanical Engineer, and Teja, the 18-year-old Cleaner and the season's youngest contestant, opened their packages to find a devastating ticket home. As the two housemates with the fewest public votes, their journey ended instantly, forcing them to exit through the back door without the traditional cheering crowd (Radio Times).

Public and Housemate Reactions 😭

The unexpected timing and brutal nature of the eviction left both the housemates and viewers stunned, with many sharing their shock on social media.

• One viewer commented on the abruptness, posting: "Oh wow, my face was the same as Jenny's when I saw that ticket."

• Another highlighted the irony of the gifts: "How you gonna give Elsa a wedding dress and Marcus a ticket home omg. LMAO." (OK! Magazine).

• Fan favourite Teja's departure was particularly shocking to some, with one commenter writing: "Teja was evicted? I’m so shocked! I thought she was gonna be in the top three at least."

The double eviction cemented the Final Six housemates who would fight for the £100,000 prize. The confirmed finalists are: Cameron, Elsa, Richard, Tate, Jenny, and Emily. This year's final saw a historic win, with 60-year-old author and composer Richard Storry ultimately being crowned the oldest winner of the UK series (Bristol Live, Wikipedia).

Context of the Final Week Twists 🎲

This final week twist followed a pattern of controversial last-minute shake-ups throughout the series, which has been widely criticized by viewers. The season featured multiple "backdoor evictions" (unannounced eliminations without a live crowd) and a "pass to the final" challenge (Eastern Daily Press).

The dramatic double elimination was necessary to narrow the field down from eight to the final six for the live event. For Marcus, the eviction also ended a blossoming house romance with finalist Elsa, though their connection was a key talking point in the finale, with Marcus confirming he planned a series of "mini-rom-com" dates with her outside the house (Indiatimes).

The live final, hosted by AJ Odudu and Will Best, aired on Friday, November 14, to crown the winner of the rebooted series.

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