Former Big Brother Naija housemate Seyi Awolowo says he deliberately concealed his family identity when he auditioned for the show in 2019, hoping to be judged on his own merit rather than his famous surname.
Speaking on The Nigeria Meter Podcast, the grandson of the late Nigerian nationalist Chief Obafemi Awolowo said he never intended for his fellow contestants to know his family background while in the house. His plan fell apart the moment host Ebuka Obi-Uchendu announced his full name on stage.
“I didn’t want anybody to know I was an Awolowo in the house. I didn’t want the housemates in particular to know that’s who I was, but when I got to the stage and Ebuka called ‘Seyi Awolowo,’ that’s when everyone knew,” he said.
He explained that his intention had been to compete simply as “Seyi,” without the weight of expectations tied to his surname.
“My own plan was just to be there as Seyi, but immediately he mentioned it, my whole plan went away,” he added.
Seyi dismissed any suggestion that his family name gave him an advantage on the show, insisting he went through the same audition process as every other contestant.
“I did the audition proper, I stood in line. I didn’t get my golden ticket until about 3 a.m. on the third of February that year,” he said.
He recalled attending the audition with a friend, while one of his stepbrothers also showed up but arrived too late to take part.
“Me and my guy went for the audition. One of my stepbrothers also came for the audition but he got there late,” Seyi said.
Seyi was among the contestants in the 2019 edition of Big Brother Naija, where he became one of the show’s most talked-about housemates.
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