The sixth edition of the popular TV reality show Big Brother Africa kicked off on Sunday, May 1, 2011. The show which is viewed by a large audience across the continent has adopted the new name Big Brother Amplified and will run for 91 days, thereafter a winner will emerge and be awarded a cash prize of $200,000. (Two Hundred Thousand USD).
The show is anchored for the third consecutive time by Nigerian on-air-personality I.K. Osakioduwa.
Here is the list of the 26 contestants. View their individual profiles and choose who you will be rooting for!
Name: Bhoke
Age: 26
Hometown: Dar es Salaam
Occupation: TV Broadcaster
Biography: Bhoke says having being selected to be part of Big Brother Amplified is her greatest achievement so far. She says viewers should keep an eye on her because she is unpredictable, fun, will keep them guessing and she's a great person to be around
Name: Confidence
Age: 37
Hometown: Accra, Ghana
Occupation: CEO of MultiMedia Company / Aphrodisiac Nightclub
Biography: This adventurous daredevil loves Angelina Jolie, soup or stew, and throwing parties at her house. Confidence would love to turn out like her role model aunt who, she believes, is 'sexy, strong and principled'. Whilst in the game, she will miss her son, and two dogs the most.
Name: Hanni
Age: 22
Hometown: Addis Ababa, Ethopia
Occupation: Singer and Student
Biography: Hanni is a 5th year Law student with a passion for Reggae. She says she entered Big Brother Amplified because she feels she is at a point in her life where she feels she wants to learn more about herself. She says audiences should watch her on Big Brother because she is 'honest, funny and interesting'.
Name: Danny
Age: 34
Hometown: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Occupation: Self Employed
Biography: Describing himself as cool, adventurous and funny, Danny believes that 'when life flips you upside down, stand still' – good advice given to him by a friend. Although surprised to have been chosen to participate in Big Brother, Danny says if he wins, he will use the money to start his dream business. When he goes into the Big Brother house Danny admits the thing he will miss most is his freedom and friends.
Name: Jossy
Age: 28
Hometown: Windoek, Namibia
Occupation: Record artist/marketing, sales and ad manager
Biography: The multi-lingual Jossy concedes his worst habit is cleaning and keeping everything in order. Though he entered Big Brother by accident, he will continue to surprise. The best advice he has ever received is: 'Never envy those that are living a good life and rather learn from them to get there as well'.
Name: Lomwe
Age: 27
Hometown: Blantyre, Malawi
Occupation: Radio and Club DJ
Biography: Lomwe, reckons he is handsome and lives like according to the following mantra: 'ride till the wheels fall off'. He hopes his charisma and great sense of humour will help him win the USD200 000, so he can open his own radio station at home in Malawi.
Name: Luclay
Age: 28
Hometown: Cape Town, South Africa
Occupation: Acting/ Acting Coach
Biography: Luclay is an actor and acting coach born in Cape Town, his favourite place in South Africa. He says he is 'inspired by people who live within their means and are happy with their inheritance on this planet'. He says his mom and cousin are his role models, because 'they have dedicated their lives to helping everyone around them'
Name: Millicent
Age: 28
Hometown: Nairobi, Kenya
Occupation: Actress
Biography: Talkative and passionate, Millicent loves spending time with open-minded people. She can hold a conversation in French, English and Swahili and describes herself as having a great sense of humour. The young Nollywood actress is all about empowering girls and loves watching cartoons and Soapies.
Name: Mumba
Age: 24
Hometown: Lusaka, Zambia
Occupation: Radio DJ
Biography: Mumba is a radio DJ and 'happily single'. She is most proud of getting her Diploma in Journalism and says the hardest thing she ever had to do was to 'let go of the past'. Mumba entered Big Brother Amplified for one reason: 'I really, really want the money!' She says if she wins she'll splash out on a new luxury German sedan coupe, a house and 'so much more'.
Name: Vimbai
Age: 24
Hometown: Harare, Zimbabwe
Occupation: Model
Biography: With a Social Sciences degree and fluency in French and Basic Serbian, Vimbai is a force to be reckoned with. She entered Big Brother to re-launch her modeling and entertainment career on an African platform. If she wins the show, she'll invest her winnings in her country and donate some to charity
Name: Vina
Age: 26
Hometown: Lagos, Nigeria
Occupation: Radio presenter
Biography: Vina, describes her personality as 'amplified' and dislikes people who are lazy, unfriendly and think they are better than others. She's confident of her chances on the show and promises she will be outrageous.
Name: Weza
Age: 26
Hometown: Luanda, Angola
Occupation: TV presenter, model
Biography: She is super social and likes spending time with happy, fun, straight forward people, although she admits her bad habit is that she talks too much. She is currently single, and says she will miss her family when she goes into the House. Her favourite place in Angola is Luanda.
Name: Zeus
Age: 24
Hometown: Gaborone, Botswana
Occupation: Entrepreneur, Artist, Marketer
Biography: She is super social and likes spending time with happy, fun, straight forward people, although she admits her bad habit is that she talks too much. She is currently single, and says she will miss her family when she goes into the House. Her favourite place in Angola is Luanda.
Name: Sharon O
Age: 25
Hometown: Kampala, Uganda
Occupation:
Biography: Sharon O is a free spirited, ambitious hard worker, who is friendly and reserved at the same time. Her personal motto is “work hard to achieve a comfortable life”. She loves looking at the calming Nile when in Jinja (Uganda) and would love to go to Vegas one day.
Name: Wendall
Age: 23
Hometown: Harare, Zimbabwe
Occupation: Pilot
Biography: Wendall is a pilot and his motto is “you win some, you lose some”. While he jokes that he doesn't have any specific special talents, he also says “you never know what might come out on a crazy night in the house!”
Name: Peo
Age: 24
Hometown: Gaborone, Botswana
Occupation: Freelance, Communications
Biography: Miss P is passionate about charity work and the fight against AIDS in Botswana. When she was in high school, she helped start clubs to raise awareness for both causes. Her special talent is “being a warm person – I've always been able to make people feel at home and safe with me,” she says.
Name: Nkuli
Age: 23
Hometown: Johannesburg, South Africa
Occupation: Student
Biography: Romance novel lover, Nkuli, doesn't have a role model, because she explains: “believing in being the best me I can be, and not trying to be like someone else is the best thing I can do for myself”. Once inside the house she says: “I believe I will think of the outside world – but miss it? Not much, because the house is where my mind will be.”
Name: Nic
Age: 26
Hometown: Nairobi, Kenya
Occupation: Television producer
Biography: The happily single Nic calls himself “cheeky, spontaneous, funny, intelligent and a good listener”. He also admits to being bit of a flirt, and reckons this will definitely get the viewers' attention when they tune in to watch the “crazy” guy from Kenya.
Name: Michael
Age: 32
Hometown: Maputo, Mozambique
Occupation: Hairdresser
Biography: Michael, who counts his father and Denzel Washington as his role models, entered Big Brother Amplified because he wanted to have fun and experience different cultures. He enjoys spending time with quiet people and good listeners and encourages viewers to watch him because he has a lot to share with the audience. His pet peeves: Gossipers and aggressive people
Name: Lotus
Age: 24
Hometown: Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Occupation: TV presenter
Biography: Lotus's happiest memory is falling in love for the first time. She likes spending time with fun people who like to enjoy life and dislikes “people who are in their heads”. Lotus, who is also a dancer and choreographer, regards herself as quite a trend-setter. Her worst habit: “using too much toilet paper!”
Name: Alex
Age: 31
Hometown: Accra, Ghana
Occupation: unemployed
Biography: Alex once worked in the fashion district in New York and believes in empowerment of the individual. He says that he wanted to be in Big Brother Africa because he believes he “can bring it home for Ghana”. He is confident that Africa will like him, and his recreational activities include video gaming and designing.
Name: Karen
Age: 27
Hometown: Jos, Nigeria
Occupation: Unemployed
Biography:
Name: Kim
Age:25
Hometown: Livingstone, Zambia
Occupation: Beautifician
Biography: Kim confesses she adores “cute boys” like Chris Brown and “fab ladies” like Beyonce. She wants viewers to watch her on the show because she is “real, fresh and fab”. If she wins, she will help in the fight against Cancer in Zambia, help her sisters with their education and boost her media and Cosmetology career.
Name: Ernest
Age: 25
Hometown: Kampala, Uganda
Occupation: Public Relations Consultant
Biography: Ernest looks up to his role model, Diddy because, he explains: “it's easy to see how a man who can't really dance or sing has made himself into a world-class brand that is bankable and desirable”. He admits that he can be “a little annoying” when he chooses to push people's buttons.
Name: Bernadina
Age: 21
Hometown: Keetmanshoop, Namibia
Occupation: Construction
Biography: Her favourite place in Namibia is Rehoboth because “it's a nice party place”. Bernadina says that if she wins the game, she'll give a share of the money to a lady who is establishing an organization that helps children improve their reading skills.
Name: Felicia
Age: 24
Hometown: Lilongwe, Malawi
Occupation: Purchaser
Biography: Felicia is in a relationship and has a four year old child. Given the opportunity, Felicia would like to visit Japan right now to feel the impact of the Tsunami and offer support to victims of the recent natural disaster. She entered Big Brother Amplified to represent her country, to do her part in making her country proud and to change her life and the lives of many others.