Outside of Red Pepper studios where Big Brother Naija is being shot, it seemed as though the entire population of Johannesburg had come to see who the new housemates would be.
The interior didn’t disappoint either: it was a proper television production set with cameras ready to beam proceedings to millions of viewers across Africa.
Here are a few things that happened away from the cameras which only those in attendance experienced.
South Africans Love to turn up
Dozens of South Africans found their way into the studio after and made themselves ready to enjoy the show.
At right side of the studios about 20 women dressed in colourful South African attires were sighted at the middle of the hall probably ready to put up a performance. Right beside where I stood with my colleagues in the media, a young guy who told me he came all the way from Lesotho beckoned to me to give him my VIP access as he really loved the show and would love to go in. I told him to wait while I tried to secure a pass for him to find his way in. I would later come outside to find him on the other side of the building trying to squeeze his way through to catch a glimpse of the show! It was that that grand.
DSTV And Red Pepper Studios delivered a truly epic show
Ebuka’s frustration at another ‘guitar person’ in the house
After the show host, Ebuka announced 20 of the housemates, he jumped down the stage in his bedazzled Ugo Monye agbada and moved forward to whisper to one of the guys beside him, ‘Oh boy there is a housemate with another guitar in the house o! Nah mehn, I was depressed immediately I saw the guitar. I just said what is this one again?’ He shook his head and faced the stage as we burst into laughter .
Well, who could blame Ebuka actually? Especially with what former housemate, Debby Rise did with her guitar last year. She gave us guitar lessons even in her sleep. Throughout her stay, it was nothing but her guitar, her guitar and her guitar.
No one can hide from all the cameras
Apart from the 42 cameras staring at the housemates in the big brother house, I counted about 50 other cameras. I could hear the screams and hushed voices and footsteps of the workers behind the scences.
The audience booed the faces they did not like
Like a typical Nigerian audience at a concert, South Africans and Nigerians alike hailed some housemates as they came into the stage to stand with Ebuka, but I noticed that as they called out one of the housemates, Miracle who is a pilot, one of the guys who sat beside me booed him and rolled his eyes unapologetically. I heard him tell his friend ‘I don’t dig these Naija dudes who come to steal our women my brother, what is so special about him that the ladies are screaming? I don’t like him’ he said, as he kept booing Miracle off the stage.
South Africans love Nigerian Music
This is not to brag about the versatility of Nigerian music but yes, Nigerian music has gone global. And we saw this clearly at he grand opening of Big Brother Naija 2018. Mayorkun mounted the stage to perform and he thrilled the audience with his hit song ‘Che che’ and after the interlude, the Next musician to be unveiled was Kiss Daniel who got the ladies screaming at the top of their voices as he sang his hit song ‘Mama‘. Kiss Daniel delivered a remarkable performance as he vibed with the audience who scored him really high.