On July 31, another exciting season of Mnet’s reality TV show Big Brother Africa (BBA) came to a sizzling end with two winners walking away with $200,000 (about Kshs.18m) each!
Nigeria’s Karen Igho and Zimbabwe’s Wendall Parson were the winners. But who are the former winners, how will Africa remember them and what did they do with the cash?
BBA1 Winner – Cherise Makubale
The first season of Big Brother Africa, featuring 12 housemates from 12 different African countries, premiered to audiences in 42 African countries on Sunday May 25, 2003, and ended on September 7 of the same year, lasting 106 days. It was the first time in the world that the internationally famous program was created using participants of different nationalities from one continent. Mark Pilgrim was the host. When Cherise won, she kicked off a whole new trend for subsequent contestants on the show – especially the women. Winning in the inaugural show, no one knew what Africa was looking for in a winner.
Cherise came into the house, cooked, cleaned and stayed away from the ‘bad’ boys. Africa rewarded her with the $100,000 prize money with most viewers agreeing she represented the true African woman. But that is Africa for you; subsequent housemates like Nigeria’s Offuneka in season 2 and Zambia’s Paloma in season 4 tried to cook, clean and be motherly like Cherise, but Africa rewarded them with a big yawn.
Moving on, Cherise is reportedly living a large and comfortable life in the UK after getting married in October 2008. She is also still involved in charitable ventures in Zambia, although she is hardly seen in her hometown Kitwe.
BBA2 Winner – Richard Bezuidenhout
The second season of Big Brother Africa, featuring 12 housemates from 12 different African countries, premiered August 5, 2007, and ended on November 11 of the same year, lasting 98 days. The show returned from its four year hiatus, with a brand new host, Kabelo "KB" Ngakane. Richard's win is still the most surprising of all that changed everything on the reality TV show. In his case, that was sheer luck. For once, African women chose to empathise with ‘the other woman’. See, Richard came into the house as the only married housemate. Newlywed, by any standards.
But in a matter of weeks, he was cheating on his wife Ricki, with the Angolan model Tatiana Durao. His emotional rollercoaster – tearfully admitting on several occasions that he was falling in love with Tatiana, but also still loved his wife dearly – got Africa talking and prolonging his soap opera.
Because of this – and quite accidentally, I believe – Richard ended up being the last man standing. Richard is reportedly still married to Ricki and they now have a son, Joshua. He has also established his film company in Tanzania, which is doing really well.
BBA3 Winner – Ricardo Venâncio (Ricco)
The third season of Big Brother Africa, featured 12 housemates from 12 different African countries, premiered August 24, 2008, and ended on November 23 of the same year, lasting 91 days. Kabelo "KB" Ngakane returned as host. Ricco, Ricco, Ricco. Someone remind me again; why did he win? I like to think it had something to do with his looks and the fact that he came from Angola, land of Tatiana Durao, the girl who pulled at a few heartstrings the season before Ricco’s when she fell for the wrong man and got burnt for it, while her partner in crime was rewarded in typical African style.
Ricco reportedly relocated to Brazil for studies and he’s also dating.
BBA Revolution winner – Kevin Chuwang Pam
The concluded fourth season of Big Brother Africa, featured 25 housemates from 14 different African countries. The season premiered September 6, 2009, and ended on December 6 of the same year, lasting 91 days. This year, Ikponmwosa "I.K." Osakioduwa took over as the new host. Kevin was the first to walk away with the doubled prize money of $200,000. The pint-sized Nigerian initially showed tendencies of getting on the last nerves of the Pan African viewers with his constant dancing before the mirrors and rapping.
But his fortunes turned around when he started showing interest in Tanzania’s representative in the house, the beautiful Elizabeth Gupta.
As the saga of Kevin trying to get this girl continued, his ratings outside the house soared. At one time, he broke down and sobbed in front of millions of enchanted viewers after yet another rejection from Elizabeth.
Come September 2009 and Kevin was the last man standing, winning the dollars for Nigeria. With the money, he has kick-started a singing career and even released an album. But more importantly, he got himself a wife in no other than the Tanzanian lass Elizabeth, who made an about turn and started loving short, black men with a few dollars to their name!
BBA All Stars winner – Uti Nwachukwu
Big Brother Africa 5 started on July 18, 2010, and ran for 91 days until October 17, 2010. This was an all-star series which featured 14 former Big Brother Africa contestants. For the second time IK was the host.
A year after Kevin won on the reality show, no one expected another Nigerian to win it so soon. But Uti breezed into the house in 2010 and turned out to be the most popular of housemates picked from various seasons of BBA. He had previously featured on season 3, where he was voted out because of his infamous temper tantrums that once saw him trash Big Brother’s house. When he returned for the All Stars season, he was a reformed man. Like his compatriot Kevin, the emotions card played well for Uti.
First, weeks into the game, he got devastating news from home that his father had died. He chose to stay in the game despite that, after reassurances from home that the funeral would be postponed until after his return. In a way, his winning was by many Africans’ way of sending him condolences.
But he also started a cat and mouse romance with Kenya’s beauty Sheila Kwamboka, a development that had Africa keep him longer in the house to see what would happen next.
Before anybody knew it, another Nigerian had won. With the $200,000, Uti has ventured into music, even releasing an album. He has also used his win to make inroads into Nollywood and for his modelling career. As for what happened to Shuti (as the Sheila/Uti romance was codenamed by viewers), it is not clear if the two are still seeing each other.
Big Brother Africa season 6
The sixth season of Big Brother Africa: Amplified ran for 91 days from May 1st, 2011 to 31 July the same year. Bringing together 26 housemates from 14 different African countries, Mnet co-partnered with Cocacola for the series. IK returned as host. This season is the first ever series of Big Brother in the world to have 2 winners.
Big Brother Africa season 7
With the continued success of Big Brother Africa, it is assumed that the 7th series will air sometime in 2012. My fellow BBA Fanatics, are you ready for the next season?