M-Net's Big Brother back in September

MAUREEN ODUBENG
Staff Writer | Wednesday June 3, 2009 00:00

 

Following three successful seasons of BBA, M-Net this time around promises a bigger and better show, Big Brother Africa: The Revolution. For starters, the winner of this season show will walk away with a whoping USD 200, 000, double the prize from the previous BBAs. Viewers will see a number of changes, as this time around the old rules banning conspiracy in the house have been lifted and contestants will be free to forge alliances, discuss strategy openly, and play the game in an entirely different way.

M-Net has revised the voting as in the new season audiences will be asked to vote for the housemates they want to remain in the series rather than the housemate they want to leave the house.

'The team has been working for months already, fine-tuning the latest edition, focusing on delivering the ultimate Big Brother Africa. We've got quite a few secrets this time around, so you will have to wait and see what happens. We are not going to give away all the surprises, but it's definitely a new series and we mean new,' M-Net Africa director, Biola Adekanbi said. She further explained that after three seasons, it was time for a fresh spin, and bright ideas.

'This series is for the fans, to say thank you for supporting Big Brother since it began. So we are giving the best gift we can - a show to beat all others,' she said.

For those who are wondering, Botswana is once again one of the participating countries. Tawana Lebani, the Botswana participant in the third season of BBA, raised eyebrows, for her sexual acts in the house and many condemned the show as her behaviour reflected badly on the country. Responding to an enquiry from a viewer who sought to find out why M-Net extended invitations to their country to enter and watch the show that they (the viewer) regard as immoral, M-Net simply answered that the choice to enter the show and the choice to view is an individual one.

Other participating countries are Angola, Ethiopia, Ghana, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, Uganda, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. M-Net this time around has added two more countries, to make the number of housemates 14. This season of the reality show, will for the first time have open casting sessions in the 14 participating countries, and casting will be done on a first come first served basis. Those interested in entering the show should be over 21 years old, be fluent in English, have a valid passport and be a citizen of any of the 14 participating countries. Botswana auditions will be held in Gaborone at the Grand Palm Hotel on June 9 from 8 hours to 1900 hours, and in Francistown at the Cresta Marang Hotel from 0930 hours to 1900 hours on June 10.

Batswana who participated in previous BB shows are Warona Setshwaelo, who was in the first season of BBA, followed by Justice Motlhabani, who was in the second season.