BBNaija Maintains Record-breaking Streak

Vanessa Obioha

Since its return in 2017, the popular reality TV show Big Brother Naija has continued to shatter voting records. Each season records a higher number of votes. For instance, the ‘Pepper Dem’ edition, recorded 240 million votes. That number was almost quadrupled in the ‘Lockdown’ season which recorded 900 million votes across different voting platforms.

More than a billion votes were however recorded in the just concluded ‘Shine Ya Eye’ season that saw WhiteMoney take home the grand prize of the season. He beats Liquorose, a popular dancer who many hoped would become the second female winner of the competition. Female contestants often occupy the first runner-up position but in 2019, Mercy Eke broke the jinx, clinching the number one position.

Although the organisers MultiChoice Nigeria restricted voting to DStv and GOtv mobile apps as well as the Africa Magic website, the voting records showed that the SMS voting which was scrapped this season did not impact negatively the voting numbers.

“The impact of this shift meant that our viewers could enjoy the show and vote for favourite housemates at no extra cost,” said Executive Head, Content and West Africa Channels, MultiChoice Nigeria, Busola Tejumola, during the prize presentation.

The records also spoke volumes of the show’s popularity on the continent and beyond. For the first time, the show was streamed to a UK audience via the online subscription video-on-demand service Showmax. In addition, a new recap show The Buzz hosted by media personality Toke Makinwa was streamed on the platform. The show featured a secret diary session where housemates aired their thoughts on different topics without filters.

The season retained some of its elements of last edition owing to the coronavirus pandemic. Guests were not allowed into the house and had a particular game for the Head of House challenge, although there were modifications this season.

A significant record in this season is that housemates won a total of N63 million in task presentations sponsored by different brands.

“That’s a first; the biggest we’ve had,” said the Chief Executive Officer, MultiChoice Nigeria, John Ugbe. “We can’t forget the fans who voted and created the atmosphere for the show; online and offline. They are the kingmakers that made this day possible by helping us pick a winner.

Thirty fans who predicted the winner accurately were rewarded with One Million Naira each.

Now that the season is over, fans are looking forward to the reunion where housemates will air and attempt to settle their differences. The drama is already unfolding as some of the housemates are already grabbing headlines for unfollowing one another on social media platforms. It is an indicator that the ‘Shine Ya Eye’ housemates may have a more explosive reunion session.