Big Brother Africa reality show remains Africa’s most watched television show. The show began in 2003 with the first season featuring 12 housemates from 12 different African countries, premiered to audiences in 42 African countries on Sunday May 25, 2003.
The show 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.
When the organisers of the show, Endemol set out with the concept of Big Brother Africa, cultural integration was the highest point of focus; bringing people from different countries, with diverse cultures to see how they can socialise in a confined setting, the Big Brother House in South Africa.
To some extent, they have been able to achieve this as the show has been able to produce couples who are in relationships that are still waxing strong despite their cultural differences.
Nigeria’s Kevin Chuwan Pam emerged winner in Big Brother Africa Revolution. Pam got married to another housemate from Tanzania, Elizabeth Gupta whom he met and fell in love with while in the reality show and they are blessed with a child. But despite the success story, it has not all been roses as the show has been criticised for not instilling any positive value in young Africans Through Big Brother VIP, a channel which gives exclusive online feature showcasing live online streaming of action direct from the Big Brother house including housemates’ shower hour, rant and rave sessions, exclusive interviews and videos on demand, viewers are allowed to watch what is going on in the bathroom.
In recent times the content of this show has come under attack from well meaning Africans who think the show has diverted from its main course. Big Brother Africa, The Chase which rounded-off last week has been enmeshed in so much controversies relating to sex acts in the game.
As the drama in the Big Brother Africa game kept unfolding, having sex or getting cozy seemed to be the best way to get to the mouth-watery cash prize.
Howe v e r , h o u s e mates who did have a taste of this in the house had it tough with fans who decided to vote them out. Such is the case of Ethiopia’s Betty Abera and Sierra Leone’s Bolt who became the first couple to have intercourse in The Chase.
When Betty got evicted, a group of lawyers in Addis Ababa concluded plans to sue her for having sex in public. According to a local radio show, Ethiopikalink, if she is convicted, Betty could potentially face up to six years behind bars. Betty has received all sorts of insult on social networking sites as fans have been condemning Betty’s very-open hook up on live television.
Also Ghana’s Selly and Tanzania’s Nando became the next housemates to be accused of having sex in the game. After this incident, she was evicted from the show. As the quest to become millionaire progressed, Maria one of the contestant in the ongoing game, spilled the beans in her Diary Session when she revealed that some of The Chasers are struggling to keep it together because they have not had sex in ages.
“There is so much sexual tension in the House Big Brother. Even Melvin kicked me out of his bed recently because of the pressure. People need sex,” she said.
When the dust on Selly’s alleged sex scandal was still settling, it was the turn of Nigeria’s represent a tive; Beverly whose alleged sex video with South Africa’s Angelo went viral. Even though Beverly has made history by being the first housemate to reach the finals without being nominated for once, however many fans seemed dissatisfied with her bathroom and bedroom display such that they decided to vent their anger through social networking site, Twitter on Denrele Edun, the man who is said to have made it possible for Beverly Osu to be in the game.
Here are some of the tweets:“@ eboseremengray bev has boosted her career as a porn star, she came to BBAdChase 2 advertise herself, na wetin u send am come do#God dey” “@wetinleak@Denrele_Edun is the worst thing to happen to Nigeria’s morals, second to Yerima, sure your Beverly is reping yu#BBAtheChase” “@defiwa I wudn’t rily blame anyone 4 insulting @Denrele for bev’s porn. He’s bn forming voltron 4 her all dis while, so enjoy the shitty side”.
“@ogechiohalee what did we do to u @Denrele that u decided to humiliate Nigerians thru Beverly .I’m shocked that u have only runs girls as friends.”
However, there was a twist to the story following a discussion betwe e n Beve r ly Osu and Angelo suggesting they never got intimate.
As far as the show is concerned many people think the show has done more harm than good reason why some African youths decided to write this letter to the organizers of the show.
According to a message sent to CKN Nigeria by some concerned youths titled ‘African Youths Condemn
Bigbrother Africa’ spreading on social networks, the youths called on the organisers of the show to change the content.
The letter reads thus: “Letter to DSTV on BBA from African youths. We urge and plead with All Africa Youths, let’s ask DSTV to give Us a BBA where Africa Youths go and discuss, proffer solutions to solve Africa Problems not this morally loosed show where single parents who can’t keep their relationships go into the house to show their fallen breast, drug addicts, porn stars, ill mannered people mix up and get rewarded.
Ha! Having sex in public with somebody who is not your spouse? God have mercy! The demon of sexual immorality has etched its ugly head into the show, hence the next sane option is to nip the
programme in the bud.
The BBA is all about immoral behaviour and that is why it attracts lots of fans. They even prefer open sex every day. There is no single thing to learn from the programme, they just promote sex and immorality.
It’s time we ignore it & speak up against it, for what it’s worth. How long does it take to imbibe a habit; 21 days? And BBA runs for 90days, subtly making people addicts to bad habits. Say No to TV shows without value.”
People have different opinions about the show. To Rose Njokwu a 400 year student in the University of Abuja, The Chase was awesome but for the fact that Nigeria could not win the prize money. “I loved the
show, it was quite interesting. It was not all that bad at least there were some good things to pick out from the show,” she said