The Power of Veto ceremony in the Big Brother 17 house played out as many expected. John, who had won the Power of Veto earlier, chose to use it on himself. That forced the sitting Head of Household, Shelli, to name a replacement nominee. After weighing her options, Shelli put Meg on the block as the replacement nominee.

Shelli originally considered nominating Liz as the replacement. Her initial thinking was strategic: Liz appears well-liked by the house, and if Liz somehow ended up on the chopping block, she might not be a primary target. However, Shelli’s view changed after she caught wind of shifting loyalties. Several houseguests—most notably James, Jason, and Meg—seemed to be aligning more closely with Shelli’s intended eviction target, Da’Vonne. That perceived loyalty prompted Shelli to change course and nominate Meg instead. Shelli’s reasoning was clear: she believed that the majority of the house would choose to evict Da’Vonne over Meg, making Meg a safer pawn to ensure Da’Vonne’s eviction.

Shelli didn’t inform Meg about the decision until early this morning. She gathered Meg, James, and Jeff and explained her plan. Shelli emphasized that she didn’t want to place two major targets on the block at once—whichever of the two survived would likely come after her later. While Shelli acknowledged the threat Audrey represents to her own game, she insisted that removing Da’Vonne first was the more pressing move to protect her position as HoH.

Admitting the choice was difficult, Shelli told her allies, “I’m tearing myself up about this.” By her account, the only way to guarantee that Da’Vonne leaves is to nominate someone she’s close to—someone the house perceives as less of a threat. Meg fit that role. Shelli repeatedly stressed that she felt terrible about putting Meg up, but she believed the risk of Meg actually being evicted was low.

Meg’s reaction was a mix of resignation and frustration. “I get it,” she said, but added, “It sucks.” She acknowledged she had somewhat expected to be used as a pawn but made a direct request to Shelli: she wanted protection for the next few weeks. Meg is clearly worried about becoming a recurring pawn and asked Shelli to watch out for her game after this vote.

Adding an extra layer of unpredictability to this week’s proceedings is the Kathy Griffin twist. According to the twist rules, the houseguest who answers the seventh phone call from the comedian receives a special power: the ability to prevent three specific houseguests from casting votes in the eviction. That power could dramatically change voting math depending on who obtains it and which votes they block. Even if Da’Vonne were to receive that power and be able to choose who is barred from voting, Shelli and her allies appear confident they have enough numbers to send Da’Vonne home—though the twist introduces a meaningful wildcard into what otherwise looks like a straightforward eviction plan.

UPDATE: The phone calls have already been completed, and Da’Vonne (Day) was the seventh caller. That means on Thursday she will have the authority to stop three houseguests from voting in this eviction. How Day uses that advantage—if she keeps it for herself or employs it to save allies—will be pivotal to the week’s outcome.

Strategically, this week highlights key Big Brother themes: the balancing act between protecting the HoH’s game and managing personal relationships, the use of pawns to secure a primary target’s eviction, and the disruptive potential of twists that alter voting power. Shelli’s decision to place a close ally on the block underscores how Heads of Household must sometimes sacrifice personal bonds to preserve their own game. Meg’s request for future protection speaks to the precarious position of pawns who survive and seek to avoid becoming recurring targets.

At this stage, with John off the block and Meg replacing him, the house appears set to move forward with Da’Vonne as the primary eviction target—especially given Shelli’s belief in the loyalty of certain houseguests. However, with Day holding the Kathy Griffin twist power to silence three votes, the final outcome is not guaranteed. The coming days will reveal whether the HoH’s plan holds or whether the twist reshapes the vote in an unexpected way.

Is Da’Vonne’s eviction now a sure thing, or can the twist and shifting alliances change the result? Watch the votes unfold and expect a tense, strategic week inside the Big Brother 17 house.