Adekunle Olapade says many ex-contestants struggle financially after leaving the show.
He blamed Nigeria’s lack of a true reality TV culture for limiting post-show opportunities.
Former Big Brother Naija housemate, Adekunle Olapade, has expressed worry that many ex-contestants are now struggling to make a living after leaving the show.
He said that even though Big Brother Naija is the biggest reality TV show in Africa, there is “almost no sure way to succeed” after it ends.
According to him, the problem comes from Nigeria not having a real “reality TV culture,” which means there are no clear opportunities for housemates once the show is over.
In a post on his X handle, Adekunle wrote, “BBN is the biggest reality TV show in Africa, but Nigeria does not have a reality TV culture. There’s almost no certain success path after the show, and most of the stars suffer for this.” His post got mixed reactions online. When a fan said former housemates should just go back to their old jobs, Adekunle replied that many joined the show because they had no jobs and wanted to change their lives.
“A lot of the cast didn’t have 9-to-5 jobs before the show. That’s why they joined, hoping for a better life. But yes, going back if things didn’t work out isn’t a bad idea,” he said.
This comes after activist lawyer Deji Adeyanju also asked if Big Brother Naija winners really get their prizes, claiming that some of them became poorer after the show.
