Former Big Brother Naija Pepper Dem housemate, Ike Onyema, has admitted that his biggest regret from the 2019 reality show was not being more emotional, saying he would have done "anything" to win the grand prize if he had understood how the game really worked.
Speaking in an interview with Kaptain Jeff TV, Onyema revealed that he entered the competition believing that winning tasks alone would guarantee victory.
"I regret not crying. If I knew what the show was, guy, I'd have been in that house doing emotional displays, crying up and down. But I thought if I went in there, won all my challenges and kept winning, I'd win the money," he said.
The reality TV star disclosed that despite winning several tasks during the show, he earned less than ₦4 million from his first appearance.
"The first time, I can't remember, but it shouldn't be more than four million. It should be three point something million," he said, explaining that most of the rewards came in bits of "₦500,000 here, ₦300,000 there."
Reflecting on his relationship with a fellow housemate, Onyema insisted it was genuine and not a game strategy.
"For me, it was a normal relationship. I even think I tried because, normally, like I said, I'm not really a relationship person. I'm focused on business."
Asked if he regretted the relationship, he replied:
"How am I going to regret it? I enjoyed it for the time it lasted. The only thing I would change is I would try to win that money. See, I would try different ways. I would win that money. But other than that, I wouldn't change anything."
Onyema also explained why he relocated from the United States to Nigeria, saying the country offers entrepreneurs more flexibility to start businesses.
"I sell drinks here. To get my liquor licence, I just had to talk to a few people, make some good contacts at the government office and do one or two things. I got my liquor licence and my store quickly.
"When I was in the US, I tried to get a liquor licence to sell drinks. Do you know how many months and how many times I applied? They rejected me over and over. So the freedom here is sweet."
However, he admitted that building wealth in Nigeria requires much more effort.
"But to make money the way you want, you have to think and work a lot harder here than you would over there.
"It was when I came to Nigeria that I realised I thought I used to struggle. I didn't know. It's here I learned how to struggle."
He also praised the resilience of Nigerians despite the country's economic challenges.
"Everybody was so happy. You could even see a street boy who hadn't eaten for two days, but he'd wake up that morning thanking God.
"He's smiling. He's joyful. Somehow, you give him ₦1,000 and he's happier than ever."
Speaking on his financial journey, Onyema admitted that he made costly mistakes by spending excessively on image-related expenses and investing in businesses without properly evaluating them.
"Some of the financial mistakes I made were spending too much on photo shoots and stylists, and investing in businesses because people came with proposals and they were my friends. I didn't properly examine the businesses."
He dismissed suggestions that women contributed to his financial losses, saying:
"That's why I thank God. The thing I want has been hard to get, money. But the thing I don't want, women, is too easy."
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