Big Brother Naija is Africa’s foremost reality show with a penchant for making stars out of its housemates. Some of the most popular faces in Nollywood today are or have been housemates in Big Brother’s house.
Here are ten Big Brother Naija stars making a name for themselves in the third-largest film industry in the world, Nollywood:
1. Gideon Okeke: He came into limelight in 2006 when he appeared on the first season of Big Brother Nigeria. He got his first major role on Tinsel in 2008 and has since appeared in many other movies, including ‘When Love Happens’, ‘Relentless’, and ‘Gbomo Gbomo Express’. He also appeared in the highly acclaimed ‘93 Days’, for which he received an Africa Magic Viewers Choice Award (AMVCA) nomination. The father-of-two has also appeared in many theatre productions, including playing ‘Fela’ in ‘Fela: Arrest The Music’ and touring London as one of the main cast of ‘Saro The Musical 2’.
2. Bisola Aiyeola: Bisola had been struggling to break into mainstream consciousness since her days as a contestant on Project Fame West Africa in 2008. She became a household name after participating in Big Brother Naija ‘See Gobbe’ in 2017. Since her time on the show, she has appeared in several movies, including ‘Chief Daddy’, ‘Bling Lagosians’, ‘Sugar Rush’ and ‘Skinny Girl In Transit’.
3. Tobi Bakre: Tobi left his life as an investment banker behind to participate in the third season of Big Brother Naija ‘Double Wahala’ in 2018. He finished the season as a finalist and has continued to harness the fame he got from the show. Tobi kick-started his acting career after his time on the show two years ago. He has appeared in several films, including ‘Sugar Rush’, ‘Mokalik’, ‘Phases’, ‘Hustle’ and ‘Jenifa’s Diary’.
4. Soma Anyama: Soma became popular after he participated in the second season of Big Brother Naija. He was only in the house for two weeks but that was enough time to show off his talent to the world. Since his time in the house, he has gone on to feature in several series and movies including ‘Mentally’, ‘The Bunglers’, ‘My Siblings & I’, and ‘Jenifa’s Diary’.
5. Bam Bam: Bamike Olawunmi-Adenibuyan, popularly known as ‘Bam Bam’ has been on a journey to fame since she made it to the 2008 Project Fame Semi-Finals. But she only became very popular after she was a housemate on BBNaija’s ‘Double Wahala’ in 2018. She has gone on to appear in a couple of movies including ‘Foreigner’s God’ and ‘The Gift’.
6. Venita Akpofure: She was already a known vixen and actress before her wild card entry into Big Brother Naija. But she has said on many occasions that she went into the house to help get more publicity for her talent. After leaving the house last season, she clinched a major role on Africa Magic’s ‘Unmarried’. She is currently working on other projects to be seen soon.
7. Elozonam: Elozonam had already appeared in a few movies before he joined the Big Brother Naija ‘Pepper Dem’ housemates in the fourth week. After he left the show in the thirteenth week, he went on to feature in ‘E.V.E’ and ‘Sanitation Day’. He has also produced and featured in his own web series, ‘W.T.F’, which is set to be released soon.
8. Teddy A: Tope Teddy Adenibuyan was trying to make it as a musician before he got into Big Brother Naija ‘Double Wahala’. However, since his departure from Biggie’s house in 2018, he has been more active in Nollywood. He has featured in both Yoruba and English movies including ‘The Gift’ and ‘No Budget’ alongside his wife, BamBam.
9. Thin Tall Tony: Offiong Edet Anthony is a professional choreographer and actor. After leaving Big Brother Naija ‘See Gobe’ in the 8th week, he started to feature in Nollywood films and stage plays. He has appeared in movies like ‘It’s Her Day’ and ‘The Ten Virgins’. He also featured in stage plays – ‘Bending and Bonding’ and ‘Emotan’.
10. Erica Nlewedim: Erica is a housemate in the ongoing Big Brother Naija Lockdown. She’s been trying to make it big in Nollywood and believes that being on the show will help her achieve her goal. The 26-year-old graduate of Met Film School, London has already featured in several movies and series including ‘Hire A Woman’, ‘The Paternity Deal’, ‘My Flatmates’, and ‘Fractured’.
Of course, there are a few others who deserve honourable mentions. They include Ifu Ennada, Sir Dee, T-Boss, and Alex Asogwa.
Experts say BBN has become a top-three source of fame and publicity, for anyone interested in breaking into the Nigerian entertainment scene. And we hope to see even more contestants break into the music and movie industries.