Former Big Brother Naija housemate Seyi Awolowo has revealed that he tried to keep his famous family background a secret when he auditioned for the reality show in 2019 because he wanted to be judged on his own merit.
Speaking on The Nigeria Meter Podcast, the grandson of late Nigerian nationalist and statesman, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, said he never intended for his fellow housemates to know he was an Awolowo.
According to Seyi, his plan fell apart the moment the show's host, Ebuka Obi-Uchendu, announced his full name during his introduction 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 explained that he had hoped to compete simply as "Seyi" without the expectations and assumptions that came with his surname.
“My own plan was just to be there as Seyi, but immediately he mentioned it, my whole plan went away.”
Seyi also dismissed claims that his family name gave him an advantage during the selection process, insisting that he went through the same audition 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.”
Recalling the audition, he said he attended with a friend, while one of his stepbrothers also came 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 Awolowo was one of the contestants in the 2019 edition of Big Brother Naija, where he became one of the season's most talked-about housemates.
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