Former Big Brother Naija housemate, Seyi Awolowo, has revealed that he never intended for fellow contestants to know he was a member of the famous Awolowo family when he joined the reality show in 2019.
Speaking during an interview on The Nigeria Meter Podcast, the grandson of the late Nigerian nationalist, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, said he wanted to compete on his own merit and avoid being judged because of his family name.
According to Seyi, his original plan was to simply introduce himself as “Seyi” inside the Big Brother Naija house without revealing his famous surname.
However, that plan came to an end the moment the show’s host, Ebuka Obi-Uchendu, announced his full name during the live introduction.
“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 he had hoped to participate in the competition without the expectations and attention that often come with belonging to a well-known political family.
“My own plan was just to be there as Seyi, but immediately he mentioned it, my whole plan went away,” he added.
Seyi also dismissed claims that his family background gave him any special advantage during the selection process.
He insisted that he went through the same rigorous audition as every other contestant and earned his place on the show without favoritism.
“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 recalled.
He further revealed that he attended the audition with a friend, while one of his stepbrothers also came to audition but arrived too late to participate.
Seyi Awolowo competed in the 2019 edition of Big Brother Naija, where he became one of the season’s most talked-about housemates.
