Big Brother Naija house, evicted housemate Bassey Ekpeyong, in this interview with JOE AGBRO JR, explains why he refrained from romantic liaisons in the house and why he’ll continue working with fellow housemate Debie-Rise. Excerpts
WHEN you were evicted, you left the Big Brother House so swiftly. Did you know you were going to be evicted?
Of course not, I wasn’t expecting to leave the house but I had planned for the worst while hoping for the best. I wasn’t expecting the best. Okay, if I leave the house, what am I going to do, how am I going to react? So, I had all those things in thought. I had my though process wrapped around the reality.
And you were smiling all through. Internally, were you really happy or was the smile just a front?
Well, sincerely, the kind of person I am, I’m a very positive person and I always try to see the good in every situation. At that point in time, I was very confident in myself that ‘okay, I have come here and I have achieved all that I wanted to achieve, show myself to Africa, show myself to Nigeria as someone who can do things as many as possible. So to me, that was me winning. So, I may not have won the N25 million but I won my own competition and that was why I was smiling because I had already let everything I had out. So, I was smiling because I was satisfied that I had achieved that.
You were without internet and your phone throughout your stay in the house. Who was the first person you called when you left the house?
The first person I called was my elder brother and I told him, “yes oo, I don carry my phone now. Oya, let’s start talking.”
You’ve been outside the house and you’ve been running things. so far, Nigeria has seen you, Africa has seen you. What have you gained? Any endorsements?
Well, a few companies have approached me for endorsements and my management team has been working hand in hand with these companies to draft out a good agreement. So yes, there are some endorsements in view. I really appreciate Nigerians for even appreciating the little I had to offer.
Would you like to name some of the companies?
Well, Pay Porte actually has something for me and it is in view. And hopefully before the end of June, we should see something coming from that angle. And the other companies do not want to be mentioned until the deal is done.
In your interview immediately after you left the house, you talked about having a girlfriend. How did your girlfriend take all your acts in the house?
Well, you know how it is. She was slightly jealous that I did one or two things in the house but nothing a few pieces of pizza and ice cream couldn’t solve (laughs).
Up till last Sunday, Debie-Rise sang you a birthday song and you confessed that you really liked her. If you weren’t already committed with a girlfriend outside, would you have had a relationship with her?
Well, never say never. But the reality is I have a girlfriend outside so I wouldn’t want to do anything that negates the commitment I have. However, Debie-Rise and I have grown to become very close and this is a friendship I believe will stand the test of time as we have plans of making money together, visiting places together. So, Debie-Rise is very very great friend and I appreciate her for that.
But she doesn’t know you have a girlfriend outside, does she?
Oh, she knows. I laid my cards out on the table. Everybody in the house, everybody in Nigeria knows.
You also said in the interview that some of the ladies were trying to get to you but you held back. Now Nigerians watched what happened in the Jacuzzi, kissing sessions and some Nigerians even criticised BBN as being immoral. What were really happening in the house?
Well, nothing over the tops happened. The few times those things happened was when we had the ‘Kissing Festival’ and then we would task each other to kiss each other. And that was about the only thing that happened. So, I’m sure Nigerians understand.
T-Boss became the most nominated housemate for eviction, yet some of the males crushed on her. Did you?
Yeah, I particularly find T-Boss attractive and I said that right from the first day I stepped into the house. And that hasn’t changed. I may not have physically interpreted my likeness for her but I I found her attractive and over time, we became close enough and friends. And then, I related to her on a purely friendship basis. Yeah, I find her attractive but nothing erotic could come out of that.
It’s curious but with ladies wanting you, why didn’t you yield for any of them?
Because the reality is that we don’t have that kind of time to build on anything concrete. And then, you cannot be pressured by the attention of other people to fall into something you do not intend to further, which is why I decided to be friends with basically everybody.
And then, you don’t know who is leaving the next Sunday. So, you don’t want to start something now and then end up losing the next Sunday or even stay till the end and end up coming outside and become another break-up story. So, for me, friendship is a hard currency. And I decided to build on the fact that I could make friends who would last long enough for me. And that was what I was doing exactly in the Big Brother house.
Now that you’re outside the house, what did you realise you missed the most?
Men, I missed my phone and I missed my family.
The show is ending on Sunday, who are you tipping to win?
Well, I would like Debie-Rise to win, quite sincerely.
