BBB 26 premiered this Monday, January 12, 2026, bringing a major novelty to the Brazilian public. Former participant Jonas Sulzbach, third-place finisher of the 12th edition of the reality show, was confirmed as part of a new and unprecedented group: the Veterans. With this change, the TV Globo attraction abandons the traditional division between celebrities and anonymous participants, now presenting three distinct categories to shake up the game from day one.
Jonas, who is from Lajeado in Rio Grande do Sul and is now a businessman known for his fitness lifestyle on social media, returns to confinement years after his first participation. The inclusion of a group formed by former brothers and sisters is the show’s main bet for 2026, promising twists and more complex strategies. In this way, the production seeks to renew the formula to keep the audience engaged throughout the entire season.
How the new groups and the Glass Houses work
The selection process for the Pipoca group, which brings together the anonymous participants, was one of the big novelties of the premiere. The production set up five Glass Houses, each with two men and two women, and left the final choice in the hands of the public. Thanks to a popular vote, one man and one woman from each house secured a spot, totaling ten people in the Pipoca group. Meanwhile, the Camarote group continues with celebrities, and the new Veteran group, with Jonas Sulzbach and other former participants, completes the trio of forces inside the house.
In addition to changes in the cast, the broadcast also received technological upgrades. Globoplay subscribers, for example, will have access to 12 simultaneous streams. The BBB Mosaic, which was already popular, gained a new feature: it is now possible to select and follow the audio from specific cameras. Another novelty are the three Big Phones scattered around the house, where the public can choose which one will ring and hear the message that the brother or sister will listen to, increasing interactivity and the fans’ firepower.
With these changes, it is clear that BBB 26 does not just want to repeat the successful recipe. The production invests in new formats and greater audience control, trying to create a more immersive and surprise-filled experience. Therefore, the 2026 edition promises to be one of the most unpredictable and technological in the history of the reality show, with Jonas Sulzbach and the Veterans at the center of this new plot.
