Pinoy Big Brother: Otso

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Pinoy Big Brother: Otso is the eighth season of the Philippine reality show Pinoy Big Brother. Otso means “eight” in Filipino. It aired on ABS-CBN from November 10, 2018 to August 4, 2019, lasting 268 days—the longest season in PBB history and one of the longest Big Brother runs worldwide.

How it worked
- The season started with four batches of housemates: two teen batches and two adult batches. Later, an Ultim8 phase brought back batch winners to compete for the final eight spots.
- A big twist: Star Dreamers were 16 hopefuls who competed to become eight official housemates; the rest went to Camp Star Hunt.
- There were several crossovers and new formats, including a 2-in-1 housemate concept (where two related contestants could be joined as one), and regular Star Dreamer crossovers into the main house.
- Finalists from each batch returned to compete for eight slots in the finale, creating a mega, season-long competition.

Twists and challenges
- Golden Circle: a immunity challenge. Those who did well earned immunity; losers faced eviction.
- Do-or-Die tasks and The Duel: high-stakes challenges that could save someone or force them out.
- Batch-Bakan: a series of challenges between batches to win final eight slots and other advantages.
- Ultim8 Batch: at the end, all four batches competed as one group to determine the ultimate Big Four, using a mix of challenge results and public voting.

House and production
- The Otso house was redesigned, with HD cameras and a 16:9 aspect ratio, marking a move to a more modern look and removing the old one-way mirror setup.
- The show used a rotating slate of hosts over the season, including Toni Gonzaga and Robi Domingo, with appearances by Alex Gonzaga, Kim Chiu, Melai Cantiveros, and Bianca Gonzalez.

Prizes
- Each batch winner received ₱100,000.
- The overall winner earned ₱2,000,000 in cash, plus prizes such as a condo, a business package, and travel packages (sponsors contributed additional perks).

Winner
- The season ended with Yamyam Gucong from Batch 2 winning Pinoy Big Brother: Otso. He took home the grand prize and the coveted title of PBB Otso winner.

Soundtrack
- The season’s theme song is Otso Na, performed by Toni Gonzaga and Alex Gonzaga. Moira Dela Torre sang the eviction theme, “Before It Sinks In.” An official soundtrack album, Ang Soundtrack Ng Bahay Mo, was released in 2019 with songs tied to the season.

In short, Pinoy Big Brother: Otso was a sprawling, multi-batch season packed with twists, big challenges, and a wide cast leading to a dramatic, star-studded finale won by Yamyam Gucong.