What fans think of Big Brother Naija’s twists in the Shine Ya Eye season

Big Brother Naija introduces fresh concepts every year to give us a more enjoyable show. The Shine Ya Eye season particularly needed new ideas after the highs of The Lockdown season, and Big Brother stepped up to the challenge with fresh vibes and games and twists.

We have a bigger house with a wholly reimagined Head of House lounge, the most luxurious of any season. Housemates were introduced differently: the men came in on the first day, the women entered the next in the first-ever double-launch show. However, the best twists have been in the game itself.

The introduction of wildcard kept everyone, from housemates to fans, in suspense. We, on the outside, were just as curious as the housemates about who the “wildcard” housemates were. Then the secret tasks brought tension and drama. Maria’s put the housemate under pressure; Saga and Nini’s was entertainment galore. We reached out to fans to hear their thoughts on some of these twists.

On the wildcards

“It was a fantastic twist dulled by the revelation of who they were to the housemates. The search for the wildcards lit up an otherwise tepid week, it was made even better by the fans also trying to guess who they were.” – @afrovii, an OG BBnaija fan.

“I think the innovation around wildcards was interesting. It kept both players and the audience in a state of suspense. Social media conversation at the time revolved around who people guessed were the wildcards and what proof they had. Since the game is also structured on human psychology, the suspicions brought to the fore certain traits from the contestants: their unwillingness to look beyond the physical and the human propensity to project our own inadequacies.” – Boluwatife Afolabi, an academic and poet who follows the show.

“Big Brother is really a mind game. The twists will always put certain housemates at a disadvantage. Pere and Maria were never trusted by Housemates nor viewers alike because of the wildcard situation. But like I always say, they knew what they signed up for.” – Reminola, a Nollywood filmmaker.

New housemates mid-show

“I feel they should have gotten at least three weeks immunity; it is not easy to blend into a house people have been living in for more than two weeks. People mostly pick their favourites in the first week, so the new housemates have an impossible task to win fans.” – Allen Sam, a digital marketer.

“I don’t think it is fair because the majority of the viewers already selected their favourite. So that whole idea is a disadvantage to them, except if they were just added there for fame as fake housemates rather than contestants for the price.” – Olawunmi, an investment director who follows the show from New York.

The pranks

“I think Saga and Nini [prank] tops anything that’s happened this season – an emotional rollercoaster. People are claiming it’s a game, but I believe Saga genuinely likes Nini and she’s good for his mental health in the house.” – Emeka, a Nollywood actor

“The season would have been boring if not for the pranks; they bring some talking points and much-needed intrigue. It increases talkability and ensures we have something to talk about.” – Precious, a film journalist.

BBNaija6 Live Broadcast

Your 24/7 live view inside Biggie’s House. Don’t miss a second of the drama, Head of House challenges, weekly tasks, Friday night games and Saturday parties!

• If you’re in Southern Africa, click here to watch the BBNaija S6 live stream.
• If you’re in the rest of Africa, watch the BBNaija S6 livestream here.
• And if you’re in the UK, watch the BBNaija S6 livestream here.

Please note: BBNaija is only available to watch live in the territories above.

Toke Makinwa on BBN S6: The Buzz

Streaming on Showmax Tuesdays and Saturdays evenings, The Buzz sees the award-winning media personality share her no-holds-barred opinion on happenings in the BBNaija house. Check it out here.

Big Brother Naija is also available to watch on Africa Magic, DStv channel 198 and GOtv 29.