Former Big Brother Naija housemate Seyi Awolowo has disclosed that he initially planned to keep his family identity private during his appearance on the reality show, saying he wanted to be judged solely on his personality and abilities.
Speaking on The Nigeria Meter Podcast, the grandson of late Nigerian nationalist and statesman Chief Obafemi Awolowo explained that he had hoped fellow contestants would know him simply as “Seyi” rather than associate him with his prominent family.
According to him, that plan changed during the live introduction when the show’s 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.
Seyi said he had wanted to participate in the competition without the expectations that accompanied his surname, but the public introduction made that impossible.
Addressing claims that his family background may have given him an advantage, the reality TV personality insisted he followed the same selection process as every other contestant.
He said he queued for the audition and only received his “golden ticket” around 3 a.m. on February 3, 2019, after completing the standard screening process.
Seyi also recalled attending the audition with a friend, adding that one of his stepbrothers also came to audition but arrived too late to take part.
The media personality was among the contestants in the 2019 edition of Big Brother Naija, where he emerged as one of the season’s most talked-about housemates.
