The seventh season of the reality game show Pinoy Big Brother, subtitled Lucky (pronounced as Lucky 7 or Lucky Season 7) aired on ABS-CBN for 235 days from July 11, 2016, to March 5, 2017.

This is the third consecutive special season to air, following All In and 737, but this season still uses the same batch format as with the previous season, with celebrities, teens, and adults being divided into three batches. However, an additional twist was added where all finalists of each batch will then return in the fourth and final batch to compete for a spot in the final. This would later serve as the foundation for the formats of Otso and Kumunity 10, though the former would not feature celebrities like 737 and Kumunity 10.

This season was the first to reach the 200-day mark. It was later surpassed by Otso by 33 days, as well as by Kumunity 10, with this season trailing by only nine.

Developments The show announced its seventh season on March 30, 2016. On April 3, a Facebook page about Pinoy Big Brother posted a photo of the house and tells its audience to share it for a chance to be an official housemate. The Big Brother staff immediately disowned the promo as fake and reminds its social media followers to always verify their sources.

The official announcement for Lucky Season 7 aired on June 29. On July 2, 2016, during the airing of It's Showtime, Big Brother announced that the season will kick off with the entry of celebrity housemates. Other celebrity housemates were announced in various programs in the succeeding days.

During the transport of the celebrity housemates from the Philippines to Vietnam, three were barred from traveling by immigration officials due to problems with their visa and immigration cards; the three were able to travel the next day.

Auditions

Auditions started on May 21, 2016, and lasted until June 26, 2016. Like the previous two seasons, the auditions for regular and teen housemates were held together. Online auditions opened for overseas aspirants.

The following were the audition schedules. Note that, with the exception of the auditions held overseas, the first day is designated for teen auditions while the second day is designated for regular auditions:

Date Location Venue Source May 21 and 22, 2016 Quezon City PBB Covered Court May 28 and 29, 2016 Olongapo Harbor Point Mall June 4 and 5, 2016 Batangas City Batangas City Coliseum June 10 and 11, 2016 Calasiao, Pangasinan Robinsons Place Pangasinan June 11 and 12, 2016 Tagbilaran Alturas Mall June 11, 2016 North Yorkshire, U.K. The Racecourse, Boroughbridge Road Ripon June 12, 2016 Milan, Italy Teatro San Fedel June 15 and 16, 2016 Cagayan de Oro Centrio Mall June 17 and 18, 2016 Zamboanga City KCC Mall de Zamboanga June 22 and 23, 2016 General Santos KCC Mall of GenSan June 25 and 26, 2016 Legazpi, Albay Pacific Mall Legazpi

Other content Daily updates about upcoming episodes are shown twice a day. Pinoy Big Brother: Lucky Season 7 Online airs their episodes on the official website and on their official Facebook and YouTube page on weekdays, sometimes on weekends for after-eviction specials. For three weeks, during the stay of the celebrity housemates, a special show entitled PBB: Mga Kwento ng Celebrity Housemates (then formerly known as PBB Vietnam: Mga Kwento ng Celebrity Housemates when the latter was still in Vietnam) aired. It was then renamed to PBB: Mga Kwento ng Teen Housemates upon the arrival of the teen housemates, and PBB: Mga Kwento ng Housemates ni Kuya upon the teen and regular housemates lived in one house, and then renamed as PBB: Mga Kwento ng Dream Team ni Kuya when the Dream Team housemates entered. Online Bahay ni Kuya returned for viewers to participate and win ₱100,000 at the end of its run.

On February 10, 2017, the show aired its final episode from Kapamilya Gold's afternoon and was replaced by Wildflower block called Pinoy Big Brother Lucky Season 7: Mga Kwentong Dream Team ni Kuya.

Overview Like 737, this season is divided into batches. However a celebrity batch is added along with the teen and adult batches. The show kicked off with the celebrities. The teen housemates entered next, and the adults to follow last.

Episode format For the celebrity batch, housemates have entered a week before the actual premiere, and so the broadcast for these episodes are delayed as opposed to the previous-day format that had been present since the first season. Since the show does not display a day number for each episode, it is assumed that events had happened a week from the actual air date. It is possible that the length of stay of the celebrity housemates is shorter than what is being aired. On July 30, 2016, the celebrity housemates returned to the Philippines to enter the Pinoy Big Brother House, and so the previous-day format returns.

For the first three weeks of the season, the show only aired on weekdays due to the last few episodes of We Love OPM. After their stint in Vietnam, their format went back to air episodes 7 days a week.

Hosts Toni Gonzaga, Bianca Gonzalez and Robi Domingo reprised their roles as hosts. Mariel Rodriguez returned as host after her absence since Teen Clash 2010. During the season, Toni Gonzaga and Mariel Rodriguez took a maternity leave due to pregnancy. However, Gonzaga returned as a regular host when the Dream Team housemates entered the house. Maymay Entrata was the winner of this season.

Changes Logo – For the first time since Unlimited, the show had a major logo change for this season. Having a minimalist look, the logo resembles that of the American and Canadian versions while keeping the original Pinoy Big Brother typeface. They have also included a human eye instead of a graphical one that was seen in earlier seasons. House – For its first two weeks, the celebrity housemates were sent to the Big Brother House in Vietnam to complete the seven lucky tasks. On Day 17, housemates returned to the Pinoy Big Brother House. The House was inspired by the various scenery in the Philippines. Eviction – Evictions take place in a studio in ABS-CBN. Evicted housemates will transfer from the House going to the studio during the commercial break for an interview. Nominations and evictions can happen any day of the week. Ligtask challenges will determine the evicted housemates. Only when there are seven housemates left for each batch and the Dream Team starts, the public will be given the chance to vote.

Twists

2-in-1 Housemate – Hashtags members McCoy de Leon and Nikko Natividad competed as one housemate. Lucky 7 Tasks – Housemates will undergo seven tasks, where different rewards can be won. Ligtask Challenges – Nominated housemates will undergo several challenges to save themselves from evictions. These will serve as an eviction process for the nominated housemates. Excluding for celebrity batch, as soon as seven housemates remain for each batch and the Dream Team begins, this will serve as challenges where one of the nominated housemates will be saved from eviction. Ligtas Pares Challenges - Pairs will undergo series of Ligtask challenges to save themselves from evictions. The bottom two pairs will face the public vote. Big Jump Challenge – Housemates participate in a series of challenges to get a spot to the finale. #PBBPadaluck – This hashtag serves as a help for the nominated housemates in their Ligtask challenges. The nominated housemate who gets the most tweets in Twitter involving this hashtag will be given an advantage on the Ligtask. This will end once the lucky seven housemates are complete. This resumes during special tasks for the Dream Team housemates. Positive Nominations - Instead of voting to nominate a housemate to evict, housemates will nominate whom they want to save. Housemates receiving the highest nomination points will be saved from nomination. This was carried from the previous season. Wildcard Housemate – An evicted housemate will have a chance to come back on the roster of housemates. However, unlike in previous seasons, selected evicted housemates will participate in challenges for the wild card spot. Dream Team – Twelve housemates from different batches will compete to become a winner. 4 lucky stars were given to 4 celebrities, 4 lucky suns to 4 teens, and 4 lucky houses to 4 regular adults which made up into one team. Dream House Challenge – Housemates will compete to win a dream house. Overnight Voting - In some eviction nights, people will only be given 24 hours to vote for their favorite housemate. Dream Team Challenges - Remaining Dream Team housemates will be given several challenges. If they win the required number of challenges, seven housemates will be in the Big Night. Seven Minute Voting Period - The public will be given 7 minutes only to vote for their favorite housemate. Back-to-back Nomination and Eviction – The nomination and eviction will happen on the same day. Lucky 7 – Seven housemates advance to the Big Night, competing for the title of the season's Big Winner

Housemates

Celebrities Before the housemates of each batch officially entered the House, they were introduced in different ABS-CBN programs. They are officially introduced to the show's audience come the night of the show's launch.

From July 2 until July 4, five of the nine celebrity housemates were introduced with the first being two-in-one housemates, the first of its kind since Celebrity Edition 2. They were officially introduced during a live online show on the evening of July 4. As the online show was cut abruptly, events after the show were reported the following days, that the celebrity housemates flew to Vietnam and live in the Vietnamese Big Brother house. This season marks the first time a number of housemates were officially introduced a week before the official premiere. Four more celebrity housemates were revealed on July 6, 2016.

Teens The first teen housemate, who was chosen by the celebrity housemates, entered on August 5, 2016. Five male teen housemates entered on August 6, 2016. Six female teen housemates entered the following day.

Adults Seven adult housemates entered on Day 108. The last three Adult housemates entered on Day 112.

Dream Team On Day 145, Big Brother announced his Dream Team, 12 housemates from different batches will be competing to be the winner.

Name Age on entry Hometown Occupation Batch Entered Exited Result Refs.Dream Team 19 Cagayan de Oro Student Day 23Day 178 Day 129Day 235 17 Masbate Student, beauty queen Day 25Day 178 Day 129Day 235 16 Zamboanga Student Day 24Day 178 Day 128Day 235 16 Germany Student Day 24Day 179 Day 129Day 235 21 Nueva Ecija Model Day 108 Day 234 McCoy de Leon and Nikko Natividad 21 & 23Tondo (de Leon)Bulacan (Natividad)Dancers Day 1Day 178Day 24Day 234 26 Bulacan Fashion model, video blogger Day 108Day 179 Day 177Day 234 20 Mandaluyong Commercial model Day 1Day 178 Day 23Day 228 28 South Korea Gravure idol, cosplayer Day 2Day 178 Day 24Day 220 29 Quezon City Comedian, actor, host Day 1Day 178 Day 23Day 213 32 Tondo Nurse Day 108 Day 206 — 24 Las Piñas Medical intern Day 115 Day 199 —Evicted Wildcards 20 Batangas College student, vendor Day 108Day 179 Day 177Day 184 — 15 Zamboanga Student, varsity player Day 24Day 179 Day 112Day 183 21 Antipolo Actress, dancer, singer, model Day 1Day 180 Day 23Day 181 Adults 25 Makati Model, video blogger Day 115 Day 177 24 Taguig Model, actor Day 108 Day 158 — 24 Bulacan Professional singer, beauty queen Day 108 Day 148 — 25 Cavite Former reality show star Day 115 Day 148 23 Tacloban Nurse Day 108 Day 136 Teens 16 Bohol Student, dancer Day 25 Day 101 15 Italy Student Day 24 Day 95 16 Biñan Student, varsity player Day 25 Day 80 16 Makati Student Day 25 Day 72 13 Bohol Student Day 25 Day 59 13 Lucena Student Day 25 Day 52 14 Batangas Student Day 24 Day 45 Celebrities 28 Brazil Model Day 2 Day 23 15 Cebu Actor, singer Day 2 Day 23 28 Tondo Radio disc jockey Day 1 Day 11

Houseguests