We Would Have Won Big Brother - Ola and Chris

During their brief participation in the 2012 edition of Big Brother competition, the duo of Olamilekan Bakare and Chris Asekomeh, made quite an impression with their witty nature, thereby heightening Nigeria’s hopes of winning the whopping $300,000, (about N46.8m at official rate) prize money.

Although they had to voluntarily leave the competition owing to Ola’s health challenge, after developing high blood pressure in the house, they chorused that they were confident they would have emerged winners.

“We were obviously the favourite among the housemates while in the house. In fact, we were shocked when they said we were a very strong team. Just one week in the house, they (other housemates) already accepted defeat. We would have won Big Brother if we stayed longer because we had all it takes to win,” they said.

On how they adjusted to life in front of cameras, Chris says, “it was clumsy as first. When we first got into the house, I noticed that when we talk deep, the camera moves. I was like, ‘which kain thing be this’, luckily, I got used to it by the second day as I did not care any longer or think about the cameras in front of me.”

For the Big Brother faithful, Keagan’s victory on Sunday did not come as a surprise. When placed alongside other finalists, Prezzo (Kenya), Lady May (Namibia), Talia (Zambia), Kyle (Uganda) and Wati (Malawi), they opined that with home advantage, the odds appeared to be in favour of the 22-year-old intern manager.

Ola and Chris also shared this view “Keagan’s victory was well deserved. During our time in the house, we noticed that he had a very strong personality contrary to what some people will think,” says Ola.

Chris on the other hand, said he (keagan) is a free person who cared less what others think of him. “I remember one of our talks when he disclosed that he got married at 19 and walked out of the marriage shortly after. We were stunned. And then when we asked him where his wife was, he said he did not know her whereabouts. I mean that should give you a clearer picture of his kind of person. “When he was announced winner, you will recall his expression. He deserved to win.”

From inception, the choice of Goldie as one of Nigeria’s representatives at the competition generated mixed reactions. Her rating seemingly dropped when she became romantically involved with Prezzo and was evicted after spending 70 days in the house.

“Goldie was strong enough to win. She had all the Nigerian swag but forgot the fact that she went to play a game too soon. She did not realise that it is only a game and that is why it is difficult to get attached to a person too soon. Not that it was bad for her to have fallen in love with Prezzo, but it was just a competition. That was why we decided not to get attached to anyone in the house so I don’t get caught up with the whole love triangle,” says Chris.

Since leaving the house, the duo who have been friends for 12 years, noted that they had put behind them the rumours that they were paid to leave the house. For now, they say all that mattered to them was to maximize their new-found fame.

“We are working on starting an entertainment based reality show, running an NGO that will focus on the dangers of high blood pressure, especially among young people.”