Big Brother Naija All-Stars; Week One Review 

By Emmanuel Chidera Amoke

As expected, the 8th Edition of Big Brother Naija Reality Show has been intriguing. I mean, with the gathering of the most controversial individuals in the history of the show, there is no doubt that there will be lots of drama and entertainment. 

The “All-Star” edition which premiered on the 23 of July, 2023 unveiled 20 ex-Big Brother housemates who accepted Big Brother’s invitations to take one more run on the show. These contestants from across the 7 previous editions are: CeeC, Mercy, Kiddwaya, Frodd, Pere, Angel, Neo, Alex, Tolanibaj, Cross, Seyi, Whitemoney, Uriel, Doyin, Princess, Soma, Ike, Ilebaye, Venita, Adekunle 

The first week has so far been eventful, with plenty of jaw-dropping moments. On Monday, Big Brother introduced the thrilling black envelope game in-between the HOH challenge. This brand-new game has the potential to grant at least one housemate immunity for the week’s nominations. The rule is to find the black envelope hidden in the house. The first lucky winner was Mercy, who secured her safety with a fake nomination, while Adekunle won the HOH task. 

The nominations for possible eviction followed suit after the HOH announcement. Each housemate could only nominate one person. Adekunle, who also won a nomination edge, was given a secret to hear, after assigning Princess. He was told that they had just gone through a fake nomination process, and was instructed by Big Brother to keep it a secret. 

Venita and Princess received the most nominations, with four each. Ilebaye followed with three nominations, while Seyi and Doyin received two each. 

Whitemoney, Tolanibaj, Pere, Soma, and Ike were each nominated once by the housemates. Adekunle was granted immunity for himself and his chosen BFFs as part of the twists introduced by Big Brother. This means that the other housemates, excluding Adekunle, Seyi, Frodd, Cross, Soma, and Mercy, believe that they are potential nominees for eviction. 

Again, Thursday brought us another exciting challenge sponsored by Monie Point. Housemates were divided into teams of four, two men and two women. Each pair had to debate whether men or women make better savers or business owners. The ‘Guardians of the Coins’ emerged victorious in the savings debate, while the Maverick team claimed victory in the business owners’ category. 

Then, on Friday, the housemates successfully completed their wager task by presenting their favourite moments from their respective seasons. It was a nostalgic and heartwarming tribute to their journey in the Big Brother house. 

But that’s not all! The week also saw some intense drama. First was the hit between CeeC and Alex, who reignited their beef from the explosive 2018 Double Wahala season; then, Tolanibaj who chased Ilebaye out of Neo’s bed on Thursday night, describing her as a “wh*re”, a desperate b*tch who jumps from man to man.” 

The BBN All-Stars are truly delivering the entertainment we crave, and it’s only the beginning. Stay tuned for more shocking twists, heated discussions, and unforgettable moments. This season is shaping up to be one for the books.