BBNaija S9: Organisers slash prize money from N120 to N100 million as Ugbe explains rationale for screen time to housemates

By Daniel Anazia

Ahead of Sunday, July 28 premiere of hit reality TV show, Big Brother Naija (BBNaija), its promoters, MultiChoice Nigeria, have announced a reduction in the prize money for the anticipated Season 9. They made the announcement on Wednesday, July 17, via the official X handle.

According to announcement, the winner of the 2024 season will now receive a grand prize of N100 million and a brand new SUV, instead of the last season N120 million won by Ilebaye also known as the Gen-Z baddie.

Meanwhile, following the heavy backlash that have greeted the show, especially from previous housemates who have said they didn’t get enough screen time for the audience to know them better or have a nuanced opinion on their character, MultiChoice Nigeria Chief Executive Officer, John Ugbe, has explained the strategy that producers of the show uses to distribute screen time among the housemates, saying it’s not something that is possible in entertainment for the housemates to get equal screen time.

Ugbe said, “I don’t think that is something that is actually possible in entertainment. It’s like a movie and you want equal time for every actor in the movie. I think as much as possible the cameras tend to follow a lot of activity. So if you’re sleeping and some people are awake, we’re not just going to put the camera on somebody sleeping for one hour because we want to equalise.”

“Some housemates who have been authentically themselves have gone on to do very well. It is an entertaining show and I think as viewers at home, we want to see as much entertainment as possible.

“It links back to the question of what are the criteria for selecting housemates. This is a show about just being yourself, as naturally as possible, and we see a lot of people who have been themselves come out to do very well,” Ugbe added.

The CEO also confirmed that the new season would run from July 28 to October 6, adding that Ebuka Obi-Uchendu will return as the host, while Toke Makinwa will also return as the host of the weekly recap show on Showmax, Big Brother Naija Buzz.

BBNaija has consistently come under heavy criticism as fans of the show have criticised it for the matter, accusing the producers of picking favourites. From inception, it has attracted wide condemnation over acts of indecency and immorality among the housemates on the screen.