Big Brother Naija housemate, Tony Offiong, aka ThinTallTony is the latest evictee on the show. In this interview with VICTOR AKANDE, the professional dancer who became controversial for concealing his marital status and claiming is ‘family’ were dead, noted that his denials were all about the game. He also insisted that nothing erotic happened between him and female housemate, Bisola, under the duvet.
HOW do you feel, not winning the N25million prize money?
To be honest I went into the show without the inkling of winning the prize money. To have gotten this far in the game, I wish I had won it. Like I said earlier, I was just looking for an opportunity to show my craft.
What lessons have you learnt about life when you look back and reflect on all that transpired in the BBNaija house?
I would say one word; tolerance. Because of the kind of work that I do; I work with a lot of people, I should be able to manage them and understand where they are coming from. Mine is all about the work, it has to be good. So to tolerate people and know where they are coming from is very important; I learnt that.
What would you do differently, given another opportunity?
Nothing! If I go back into the house, I would play the game same way. I’m sure when I step into the house it would be more problems (Laughs).
Don’t you feel you over-rated yourself by thinking Efe would be evicted when, eventually, he scored the highest number of votes?
The whole truth is that we have no idea what the voting lines are like or how the rates are. We should also not forget that it’s a game and we are friends and we are also not friends, and we are allowed to nominate anybody and I choose to nominate Efe at that time.
Tell us one embarrassing thing that a family member or friend has said to you since you left the house
Since I left the house – to be honest – I have not spoken to anyone apart from my wife and she hasn’t said anything embarrassing yet.
What about one uplifting thing that a family member or friend has said to you since you left the house
One of the comments that I read was that they felt that I played the game the way I should have, and sticking to the whole thing of keeping my marriage private and not allowing anyone know.
How do you feel now, knowing that your strategy of philandering with Bisola and TBoss didn’t work for you?
To correct that, I didn’t play with anyone’s emotion. I tried as much as I can to know who these ladies were. For me, I was more into Bisola based on what I would be able to learn from her as an artiste like myself. I and Tboss had no connection whatsoever because even after the house, we won’t be able to work together; she is on a different level and Bisola is also on a different level that is also my own line. So, I connected only with Bisola.
You were a popular dancer and actor before going into the house, how come a relatively unknown person like Efe was able to beat you to the game?
I wasn’t in there to do any kind of competition with anybody. My major plan was to go out and remind people who I am and what I can offer. It has nothing to do with competing with anybody. I love my work and I love working hard. So, I had that opportunity to show people what I do and do it well. People voted based on likes but I went in there to show what I can do and that’s all that I did.
People say any man that gets close to TBoss ends up being evicted. Do you think this was the case with you?
I don’t believe that’s what happened in my case. I did talk about it, I said the same thing but maybe she has a strong fan base and more support than anyone that has left so far. The game is still being played and she is still up for nomination this week. So we’ll see what happens.
Do you think that you could have earned more favour from fans if you had told the truth about your marriage?
I respected myself and respected the orders from my wife not to disclose my marital status; to keep my family out of it. Also, while in the house, there’s no lie that I do like Bisola a lot and I could have taken it a step further but remembering what took me into the house in the first place; I could have led her on, could have also gotten to the part where maybe sex would have been involved. Also I tried as much as I can to protect her because I knew where I was coming from and that’s what I did. Let’s not forget that it is a game and we were all playing a game.
Are you having problems with your marriage in any ways?
No, I’m not. (Laughs) My marriage is safe. The only thing that I’m looking forward to is kissing my wife and holding my kids.
How much has Payporte improved your wardrobe?
Payporte is amazing. I got things that would take me months to even get. They have done more than enough. I don’t think I have the right words to appreciate them. But I would say they have done fantastic work for me and every other housemate.
What do you miss most in the house?
I miss the Friday games. I love the games because that’s the only time I tell myself that I’m not competing. I just play the game and also look forward to drinking every Friday evening. I also miss the task process that made us not just get up and do work but to build ideas as individuals or pairs and even as a group and mostly work as a unit; I miss that.
How was the kissing festival for you? Does it make you feel dirty now that you’re outside the house?
Everyone was involved in the kissing festival. At some point I felt people didn’t want to play and a lot of guys to some extent had to stop because we got advice from Biggie and we didn’t want it to look like we were forcing people to do want they didn’t want to do. It doesn’t make anyone feel dirty, we were all involved in it and we all decided that we should end it.
Bisola did give you a ‘head’ in the house, were you really going to lay her when you brought out those condoms on the night before your eviction?
(Laughs)I hear that the rumour is flying; maybe it would take me a long time to try and clear that. Bisola did not give me a head in the house. We were talking under the sheets; we always talk under the sheets. That’s the only time we have our moments together to just talk outside the cameras. That’s also where we talked about laying things straight because even when she had an opportunity to come out openly; if there was anything we would have told Ebuka, we didn’t.
But mostly, a lot of people did hear when she said Tony is a gentleman and Tony did not do things that you probably thought he did. I would wait for her to come out and if she has a different opinion which I do not believe that she will; I know what happened and I can only tell you. You are allowed to believe what you want to believe but nothing did happen.
How has your wife reacted since you left?
My wife has been very supportive and she just wants me to come home but right now, we are doing the interviews and the rest. I should be able to spend that much family quality time with her. We need to sit down and strategize on how to move forward with everything and also try to clear the air. I also don’t want it to look like I’m putting her on the spot but funny enough that’s what comes with new environment that we find ourselves, but she has been very supportive and I am very humble and thankful to have someone as supportive as my wife.
Apart from being a dancer, what are the new things you are inspired to do now to advance your career?
For one, I have always wanted to go into my own clothing line and I have always wanted to have my own production to be able to produce good quality work and also to have my own TV show. There are a whole lot of things that I’ve lined up for myself before I got into the house. Like I said, if I had won the money it would have been a good start. But it doesn’t take me to the part where I say I can’t move on. I am moving on and work has started for me. And yes, these are also the things I have discovered about myself. Also, I want to go back to Radio. I love radio and I would do that as well.
How was it like spending over a month without your phone and social media?
It was difficult for two months actually, without a phone because that’s the only means I use to promote the work that I do before I got into the house. So now, it’s still new to me and I can’t type like I used to. I can’t type fast anymore. I even forgot passwords at some point. It’s still coming; it’s a very slow process.
After losing the prize money, is there a way the game has made you a better person?
To rephrase, I didn’t go in there to win the money. I went in there for the platform, for the opportunity that it would give. If the money had come with it, it’s all well and good. Like I said I had no regrets. It has definitely made me a better person. I know how to co-ordinate myself and take opinions from other people. We were fourteen housemates and most of them were not artistes but every opinion and idea there counts; that means any one can be creative like myself and even much more. It has opened my eyes to see that I can’t be in my creative sector and think that’s the only way I can get ideas. So, yes, it has done a lot for me. It has opened my eyes to see more.
At some point, Big Brother offered you a million naira to walk out of the show. Do you regret not taking the offer?
I know there are no regrets for me refusing the money but the real truth is that I’ve been hustling for the opportunity to have a platform for about 12 years; but a million naira in 12 years? Well, I probably have made a million naira and I did not even know. So, giving me a million naira in one day with the amount of things that I wanted to do would not have worked for me. People would probably say that if I wanted to do something that I’ll kill myself to achieve it, that I’m a die-hard person and would advise that I stay there till the end. That offer would have backfired; that would not have made me a man of my word. It’ll amount to shooting myself in the foot. I didn’t take it, I know I’m not money conscious. I just want to create my own work and my own lane and make myself relevant and impact lives. That’s all I wanted to do. And now, I have the platform, that’s what I’m going to do.
How much of dancing job and acting have you missed so far?
Well, I used the house as a place for me to rest because before I got into the show I had a bad leg. So I used that process to heal and to get myself back to work more. There’s still a lot of work I need to do because I have a dance tour and I need to make that come up as soon as possible. Yes, it would take a lot of hard work to get to the level I was before I got into the house but I’m prepared for it.
How did you come about the name ThinTallTony?
First, I need to give a proper shout-out to Nissy George who was the one that came up with the name ThinTallTony. We were at an event and the M.C was running late and we were talking at the backstage with some friends. I was at the programme to perform as a dancer but we were cracking ourselves up and he said the audiences were waiting and asked if I can work on the stage for about five minutes and I said OK. He asked for my name and I said Tony. He responded that the name won’t sell but I should not worry, that we’ll look for something. I went on stage and I was introduced as an upcoming comedian and he said ”Ladies and gentlemen, please, give it up for ThinTallTony”, and that’s how the name stuck.
