By Olusegun Olanrewaju
Barring problems, the popular Nigerian reality show, Big Brother Nigeria, or BB Naija will be on air again from 24 July 2022, with its Season 7 edition.
The kick-off will be preceded by the premiering of the Season 6 ‘Shine Ya Eye’ edition on DSTV channel 198 and Co TV Channel 29, with Ebuka Obi-Echendu returning as the official host for the sixth consecutive edition.
As usual, the organisers have called for entry from participants, with usual requirements which request Nigerian citizenship, adult age bracketing of at least 21 (before June), and possession of a passport for identification.
Intending participants are also expected to be “emotionally and mentally stable to handle the heat of the show for 90 days without any contact outside the world”.
In addition, participants are required to have minimum educational requirements of Ordinary Level General Certificate of Education (or its equivalent in WAEC or NECO). It is not compulsory to have a university degree.
•The reality show
The BB Naija was formerly known as Big Brother Nigeria. It is a Nigerian reality competition television series, based on the global Big Brother television franchise, in which, contestants live in an isolated house and compete for a large cash prize and other material prizes at the end of the show by avoiding being evicted by viewers who vote for their favourite housemates to remain in the run.
On October 12, 2021, the series was advertised in Nigeria, as “widely known as Big Brother Naija and different versions in other countries of the world.” The promoter and owner of the show are Multichoice Nigeria.
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•History
According to Wikipedia, the first season of the show first aired on M-Net and DStv Channel 37 from March 5 to June 4, 2006. The voting results were verified by the auditing company of Alexander-Forbes.
A series overview of the show shows that the first season took off in June 2006, won by Katung Aduwak, a scriptwriter and production assistant from Kaduna.
Seventy-seven housemates participated in Season 2 held between January and April 2017, with Michael Efe Ejeba winning.
Big Brother Naija 3 entitled, ‘Double Wahala’ was held between January 28 and April 22, 2018. Eighty-five contestants participated, and Miracle Igbokwe from Imo State led the pack of the entire 20 that finally reached the final.
The title of Big Brother Naija 4 was ‘Pepper Dem’, held between June 30 and October 6, 2019. Mercy Eke won the ultimate prize and received N60 million worth of prizes.
Big Brother Naija 5 was entitled ‘Lockdown’, and was held between July 19 and September 28, 2020. Seventy-one participants started, but 20 finished.
Olamilekan “Laycon” Agbeleshe won. He won N85 million worth of prizes. Big Brother Naija 6 ‘Shine Ya Eye’ was held between July 24 and 25 and October 3, 2021. Hazel “Whitemoney” Onou bagged the ultimate prize money and won N90 million worth of prizes.
•Getting in
According to reports, it is a hard task to get on Big Brother. Everyone has to fill out an application, send a video, and if they’re chosen, they have to be auditioned.
“It sounds like people have to put in quite a lot of time and hard work to even get to the audition phase.
•The definition
Widely believed to have huge potential for expanding foreign cultural policy and economic goals, it is, however, described as one of the nation’s most controversial showpieces,
A report said BB Naija “comes loaded with controversy”. Conservatives call it ‘immoral’ for “showcasing values that are un-African”, and “occasionally filled with raunchy episodes”.
But protagonists celebrate it as good TV material, possessing immense entertainment value. A compilation of seven of the most controversial moments in BB Naija in Season 6 trends on social media.
However, despite criticisms from columnists who question the relevance of the series, particularly on the planes of culture, many still flock to its platform to steal glances at the latest in drama.
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•Latest criticisms
Trending posts of past episodes have left some stars scarred. For example, the winner of the Big Brother Naija season fourth edition, Mercy Eke, declared herself a ‘billionaire’ on social media and got gutted with volleys.
Her problem came when she declared herself a billionaire while responding to fans on Twitter. The 28-year-old had narrated how she was added to her secondary school, WhatsApp group, and reminisced on the memories.
She tweeted;” I have just been added to my secondary school WhatsApp group. It is good to be back, with a lot of memories. I’m really happy to reunite with the girls. #EGSS 2008 set”
A fan, however, took to her comment section to insinuate that the WhatsApp group must have a billionaire, which in turn makes the BBNaija star one. She affirmed, yes.
The response of the reality star revolted followers who expressed doubt about her claim and expressed it.
One Onismate had it penned; “She is, calculating her endorsements, gigs, tips, royalties, and investments, she’s a billionaire in her own right.’
One hajjajo_ wrote; ‘Even Dangote no do pass like this’.
Another, who reacted, obia_nuju_ wrote; ‘If she says it. Then it’s true.’
There was a post at lex tonari; ‘What do you do for a living? Show us your tax report’
Nancyblaq; ‘Why doubt her when she could have a combination of assets and cash worth at least a billion or more? Most people think cash is all it takes to be one.
One chiumy ojay wrote; ‘Did you just say what 2008 set as in secondary school or Uni.’
Former Big Brother Naija’s ‘Shine Ya Eye’ Housemate, Maria Benjamin, also ran into trouble with posts.
An entertainment news platform, Naija News, reported Maria as having caused a stir when she shared ‘adorable photos’ to celebrate her 30th birthday, but perhaps for no good reason.
“For some days now, Maria has been criticised and dragged for lying about her age, despite admitting to being 33 years during the BBNaija reality TV show,” the report stated.
It added, “However, Maria still insists she is celebrating her 30th birthday today, 3rd May 2022.
But photos shared on her Instagram page captured the stunning reality star in a gorgeous ball dress, giving a ‘free show’ of her cleavages.
Maria also expressed love for herself, while wishing herself a happy birthday.
She wrote: “30!!! Happy birthday Maria Benjamin, I love you.” The insinuation in some quarters was that she could be older.
Nonetheless, many of her fans, colleagues, and Nigerian celebrities stormed her comment section with birthday prayers and messages.
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Next came another hail of criticism for a former housemate, Boma Akpore, whose post was said to have “thrown a subtle shade at his colleagues as the BBNaija Reunion 2022 broadcast is set to commence”.
Many fans of the reality TV show had earlier described the ‘Shine Ya Eye’ edition as the most boring in the show’s history.
“However, Boma’s latest post on social media insinuates that the ex-housemates are coming with lots of drama and ready to unleash their ‘inner demons, just like the previous editions.
“In the post shared on his Instagram story, Boma averred that “adults lying for public validation are the lamest shit ever”, urging his colleagues to “own up to whatever happened during the show”.
Boma caused trouble for himself when he added that only the truth could set one free, and the organisers should consider playing tapes of what happened during the show “since many people were lying”.
He wrote: “Adults lying for public validation is the lamest shit ever. Own it with your full chest. Only the truth can set you free. Make una show tape, since plenty people dey lie. The narrative must change.”
Another chance to paint the activities of BB Naija Housemates black came in a May 1st Workers’ Day post in Naija News to the extent that the London Metropolitan Police Service issued a ‘final warning’ to one of its female officers, Khafilat Kareem, who achieved fame as a participant in the Big Brother Nigeria reality TV show in 2019.
The service said she took part in the show without permission.
Khafilat, a police corporal (PC), was said to have requested leave without pay to feature on the reality TV show in June 2019, but her request was declined as the force told her that taking part in the show was “not in the best interest of either her or the Metropolitan Police Service”.
But despite the warning, however, she appeared on the show and handed over some official items she had taken with her without permission to the programme’s organisers.
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Thereafter, she entered the Big Brother house in Lagos where she spent 77 days before she was evicted.
Many embarrassing moments have been trailed by the activities of the housemates in the past.
There have always been grunts of housemates ‘falling in love’ amid bickering and backstabbing on the skill, in a bid to win the eventual prize.
Sex sagas are commonplace, capped in one instance, with an amorous relationship between a married woman and a housemate, which nearly wrecked their marriage.
Heavy arguments sometimes trail evictions. In one instance, one of them, Maria, was accused of playing “a secret task given to her to fake evict other housemates.”
