Vanessa Obioha
Since its return two years ago, Big Brother Naija has developed a thing for ‘wahala’ themes. In 2017, it teased audience with ‘See GoBBe’ where audience revelled in the dramatic affair between housemates Bisola Aiyeola who emerged runner-up in that season and Thin Tall Tony (Anthony Offiong).
The 2018 edition which featured interesting characters like Cee-C, Tobi Bakre, Lolu proved indeed to be ‘Double Wahala’ with the intriguing twists and turns.
For its fourth season, the organisers Multi Choice Nigeria is teasing audience with another enticing theme ‘Forget Wahala’. The season was announced earlier in the year with the surprise details that the Big Brother House will be situated in Nigeria. The particular location bis yet unknown but there are speculations that the mysterious house will be located in Lagos.
For a long while, MultiChoice Nigeria was pilloried for hosting the Big Brother Naija outside the shores of Nigeria. The wave of criticism started after the leading entertainment company in Nigeria held the 2017 and 2018 editions of the reality show in South Africa. Its first edition in 2006 however took place in a location in Ikeja area of Lagos State.
To most Nigerians, the organisers actions were unpatriotic even if the company had in several press briefings argued that the cost of having the Big Brother Naija House, a luxury apartment where the housemates (contestants) are accommodated for the duration of the programme is very expensive in Nigeria coupled with other logistics. Fans of the show felt that the company was robbing them of their national pride.
There were few attempts to boycott the show but none was successful as the show always provided undiluted entertainment to viewers, owing to the different personalities that spend a lengthy period of time in one house together, totally cut off from the outside world, except on elimination nights.
“I think what has not really reached us in Nigeria is the fact that we have actually been running other Big Brother shows in other territories. It makes sense to share the house in South Africa, from a cost perspective. One house that is purpose built in such a way that Mozambique, Angola, can deploy the property for their versions. We were not in the position then to invest here in a Big Brother House.
“We do allude to the costs involved in having a proper state of the art facility to deliver a show that will be enjoyed and in top quality that is expected throughout the world. We are now in the position and the construction is underway,” the company’s General Manager, Sales and Marketing, Martin Mabutho said at a press briefing in January.
Auditions kicked off in February and the season will officially kicked off in June.
Prior to the announcement, MultiChoice Nigeria treated fans to an exclusive reunion show and special pop-up channel on DStv and GOtv. The BBNaija pop-up featured highlights from the previous two seasons – ‘See GoBBe’ and ‘Double Wahala’ and a special reunion show which featured the stars of the BBNaija ‘Double Wahala’ season.
A typical Big Brother House comes with all the perks of luxury life: a lavishly furnished apartment with different rooms for different activities; a beautiful garden for games, gossips and of course love. There are cameras all over the house for the mysterious Big Brother to monitor the activities of the housemates. The organisers are promising audience a very entertaining season as Ebuka Obi-Uchendu is getting ready to host the show again.
