Every season, the Big Brother Naija show comes with many twists and surprises. From housemates adopting several strategies to gain a lot of screen time and Big Brother Naija himself inventing new twists and weekly themes to surprise evictions from the fans’ votes. But there is something spectacularly different about this season. From the reactions on social media, it seems to be one of the most unpredictable seasons yet. And we quite agree.
In the previous seasons, one of the strategies that keeps housemates in the house is being in a ship. The fans always look forward to a housemate forming a romantic relationship, and right from the first week, fans ship one housemate to another, forming tags for them. This season, we see the ships too: Kayikunmi and Isabella, Doris and Denari, Mide and Bright Morgan and almost, just almost, Thelma Lawson and Kaybobo. Before the first surprise Saturday Night eviction this season, the fans saw how Kaybobo and Thelma Lawson couldn’t keep their hands off each other at the night party.
But despite how strong these ships are, they were not strong enough to keep the housemates in the house. This shows a shift in fan culture. Fans are no longer swayed only by housemate strategies or on-screen romance; their votes show that they value authenticity and connection over spectacle. They vote for who they feel most connected to, and who has the genuine story arc.
This season, we also see how fans actually dictate who stays in the house. One of the surprise evictions this season is Danboskid. He was one of the first evicted housemates, and from fans’ reactions, it seemed it wasn’t expected. A day before the eviction, he participated in a task where he won and was just beginning to bring his A-game. But when the fans don’t vote you to stay in the house, you’re not staying. This also means having a longer screen time does not guarantee you’d make it to the finals. One of the housemates who frequently appeared on our screen was Joanna. She enjoyed a week’s staycation with Mide and Rooboy after picking the red telephone during the Bare Minimum week. She enjoyed the Saturday and Thursday parties, always dancing to the fullest, with occasional drama here and there. She did her best, but fans ultimately decide.
One of the things that makes this season entertaining is the weekly themes. A week was the bare minimum where housemates had to survive on half of what they usually enjoyed. They couldn’t sleep on the mattresses, couches were off-limits, and some kitchen equipment, like the gas cooker, microwave and oven, were locked off. Housemates had to survive based on their initiative. Another week, Big Brother did not speak to the housemates throughout. They had to conduct their diary sessions by themselves, and the Head of House had to put the house in order. In the Bare Minimum week, Faith was the Head of House, and throughout the week, he went from being the silent guy to the main character. He used the entire week to make sure the fans got to know him.
The season is now approaching its final days; housemates who will get to the final week are already lining up. Meanwhile, one of the unexpected housemates to get to the final was Sultana. Being the final head of house, she automatically becomes the second finalist after Mensan, who won immunity through being the most influential housemate of the week. In another twist, Kaybobo secures his place as the third finalist after being offered through the red telephone to either become a finalist and forfeit 10 million naira out of the prize money or try his luck through votes. He bought himself the immunity.
It is the twists and the unpredictable evictions that make this season stand out from previous editions. Viewers are constantly kept on edge, unsure of what Big Brother will introduce next or whose journey might be cut short despite seeming momentum. This is why we love the Big Brother Naija show. Despite being in its tenth season, it continues to adopt strategies and turns that keep the fans glued, affirming that no strategy is foolproof and no housemate is safe until the very end. What a show we are having.
