The double launch weekend started with a big bang! Millions of viewers have been anticipating meeting the new Housemates, and 24 of them have been unveiled.
Different people, different personalities, but the same mission; be the last man or woman standing. Housemates made their way into the House one by one, entering what will become their new home. Some Housemates received warmer welcomes than others.
The first housemate to enter the house was, Groovy, who led the introductions with a description of who he is and what his likes and dislikes are. He was followed by the other housemates; Phyna, Amaka, Kess, Bryann, Ilebaye, Khalid, Daniella, Cyph, Beauty, Pharmsavi and Christy O.
Some introductions were longer than others, with other housemates requesting more opportunities to add more information about themselves.
Wigs and shirts came off, and the conversation never ceased as housemates got ready for bed. The excitement to be in Biggie’s house was clear; there was no sleep in sight. Cyph shared that auditioning for Big Brother Naija was the ultimate act of “shooting your shot.” housemates reflected on how proud they are to have made it into the house.
After Big Brother officially welcomed the first set of Housemates, they got down to the business of picking their closet spaces and beds. This was of course preceded by a quick tour through Biggie’s house with the ladies taking in the decor.
Day 2: Lit mornings and high energy in the House – BBNaija
While some people started their mornings in solitude, Big Brother Naija Level Up housemates started theirs with loud music and dance moves. The Level 2 Housemates chilled around their Lounge enjoying their morning coffee while jamming to some tunes.
Level 1 housemates weren’t any different, huddling to the Arena after Biggie required their immediate presence there. After all, when Biggie says “jump”, you need not ask any follow-up questions.
Eloswag led a portion of the morning’s workout with an interesting and easy-to-follow dance routine. Eloswag, however, did not join the rest of the group workout. He decided to focus on his dance routines. Was he prepping for tomorrow’s workout, maybe?
One at a time, Level 1 housemates led the group, adding some cardio moves and squats.
Bella turned into a dumbbell as Doyin placed her on his shoulders to squat. Bella seemed to enjoy the ride, sharing occasional giggles as Doyin squats.
Dance routines also took off on Level 2 with Kess, Christy O and Groovy getting their moves on in the mirror. Christy O eventually invited Groovy to a conversation who honoured it and said “I’ve been admired for a minute.” She asked him about his music, writing process and passion, and his responses were consistent: “Music is me. Groovy is music.”
Groovy seems to be quite a hit in the house. Beauty has feelings for him but says she does not want to cause trouble for him because she realises that other ladies are interested. On the other hand, Kess admitted to liking Beauty and wanted to talk to her about her drinking which he feels contributed to her erratic behaviour last night.
Beauty spent a portion of her morning cuddling with Khalid, who she soon family zoned. “You give me big bro vibes,” she said to him.
On Level 1, the housemates bonded on the couch, sharing conversations and encouragement. Hermes, Eloswag and Allysyn were encouraging Diana to venture into the beauty business. She was getting compliments about how beautiful her skin and hands are from her fellow housemates.
This was not too far off from last night’s conversations.
Eloswag complemented Diana a lot during their chat yesterday. He asked about her business if she preferred Nigeria or France and what talents she has.
Another hit in the house is Sheggz. The London-born ex-football player turned actor had women crushing last night. He sat next to Bella as the Level 1 housemates got to know each other. Their physical closeness led to an intimate conversation. Bella described what her ideal marriage proposal would look like, stating every detail to the T.
Chichi vs Bella
One thing about the Big Brother Level Up house, the violence is starting early – and it’s not in the Level 2 House, as many of you had predicted on social media, fam.
After getting their Task Brief, some of the Level 1 Housemates headed to the garden to catch some air and laze around on the daybeds before getting to work in their different groups. Things were going swimmingly until a heated argument over the Task and how it should be executed erupted between Chichi and Bella, two Housemates who both pride themselves in speaking their minds and not holding back.
The fight started after Chichi voiced her dissatisfaction with the Task pairings. Bella countered by telling her she should have said this earlier, instead of raising her concerns so late. Voices were raised, and the ladies had a go at each other, while everyone watched (and laughed at a point). When the fight reached boiling point, Chichi yelled “Don’t shout at me like a market woman. Before you try me, try crack.” Bella’s response? “That one no enter”. Whew, ladies!
Day 3: Early mornings are for flirting – BBNaija
Eloswag has been under the radar of eager shippers since his first night in Biggie’s House. He is one of the Housemates who has shown particular interest in the relationship status of some of the ladies of the Level 1 House. On the night he came into the House, he had a chat with Diana about her relationship status, what she looks out for in a man, as well as giving his own relationship takes.
On day 3, he decided to indulge in his favourite pastime by playfully flirted with Allysyn and asked her about her take on relationships.
While in the dining area, Eloswag started making a lot of jokes and this prompted Allysyn to call him out on being flirty. Dotun who was nearby playfully told Allysyn to accept the energy. Eloswag went on further to ask if she was down for some intimacy. She responded that she wasn’t but was open to spooning. This didn’t fly over Eloswag’s head who was quick to say there was actually no difference and argued why he made such a point.
Allysyn continued to tell him off but Dotun came into the conversation again telling him to persist that she may just be catching feelings. Whatever the case may be, Eloswag has made it clear he may not back down anytime soon as jokingly said he was going to frustrate her.
Prompted by questions from Eloswag, Allysyn went on to speak about her attitude towards relationships and how she keeps herself grounded by looking for a characteristic that makes her dislike anyone she might be crushing on. Will, this strategy work with Eloswag?
We also wonder if Eloswag is serious about Allysyn or just catching cruise.
Day 4: Bryann plans a Level 2 takeover – BBNaija
The #BBNaija Level 2 Housemates have had a lot to say about their counterparts in Level 1. Much of this stemmed from their meeting with them at the HoH Games which saw them lose the HoH title to a Housemate in Level 1.
This much was deduced also in the Diary Sessions where many of the Housemates in Level 2 felt the Level 1 Housemates were more united than they were.
Bryan however was not down with this narrative and spoke vehemently against it. In a conversation with Amaka, Christy O and Cyph, Bryann kicked against the idea that the Level 1 Housemates were more united than they were.
He said they only seemed that way because a Level 1 Housemate won the HoH Games and said the other House would have felt the same way about them if they had won. Furthermore, he pushed that the Level 2 Housemates had to oppress the Level 1 Housemates during the Task presentation on Friday. He goes on further to say they had to be dressed for the occasion and look serious enough to put the Level 1 Housemates on the edge.
To push home their point Bryann insisted they had to have at least 2 straight wins against the Level 1 Housemates and to also throw discontent in their midst via little conversations he may have with them.
Christy O rounded up their conversation saying the Level 2 Housemates were better and higher than their Level 1 counterparts.
Do y’all think the Level 2 Housemates can pull off this feat? We can’t wait to see how their plans unfold during future Tasks.
Day 5: First Level Up Pool Party
Never mind that the Pool Party was in the thick of night, the Level 1 Housemates rocked the shades, and the bikinis and they got everyone talking.
The Level 1 Housemates came guns blazing for their Pool Party, having earned it through bagging the first Head of House of the Season. Everyone brought the heat and some even wore sunshades to prove it, never mind that it was in the thick of night. One thing that Africa was served in abundance is provocative dance moves and obviously, the twerk stays winning. It was a true battle while the gents couldn’t resist the urge to get closer to the ladies because who wouldn’t?
Self-confessed ladies man, Hermes and his high-waist short shorts were the first to take on the Level’s exotic dancer Chichi as he gyrated with all his might, matching her seasoned moves. Sheggz and Bella acted as though no one else exists – literally. Bella was the first in the Pool in her sexy bikini and she showed off a few strokes just before Sheggz joined her and that was the end of that show. Meanwhile, Diana opted for a more chilled kind of vibe, staring at herself in the mirror as she danced swiftly in her white high-heel mules and she stayed far from the Pool as she could.
Chomzy was quite the free spirit in her bright peach bikini as she waltzed from Giddyfia to Hermes to anyone else who was ready for a good time. At some point, the guys had somewhat of a gyrating contest led by Adekunle, featuring Giddyfia, Hermes, Dotun and HoH Eloswag. We checked out some quotable quotes from #BBNaija fans and we were in stitches:
Shall we name the queen and the king of the first Pool Party already?
After a week of preparation, Level 1 Housemates came out with the least amount of points for the Task Presentation. With three groups showcasing what they thought to be their best, Biggie thought Level 2 Housemates did better. Their performances were judged based on creativity, originality and organisation.
Day 6: Level 2 Housemates win the first Weekly Wager – BBNaija
After getting five seconds to leave the Arena, the Housemates went to their House, sat on the couch and started expressing how they felt about losing the Wager. They all agreed that they did not bring the energy required to win the Weekly Wager. Head of House Eloswag sat on his chair and kept quiet as they spoke, making notes.
Adekunle tried comforting everyone, telling them that they all did their best, and Hermes echoed those sentiments.
Things took a different direction when Eloswag started talking about his impression of their performances, urging everyone to share their anger. He was very disappointed about the loss, adding that he felt like the Housemates did not take the Task Presentation seriously. “Stop guessing and start playing,” Eloswag said. He added that they need to put in the work and focus and that they are lovers, while Level 2 Housemates are fighters.
Another factor that came in was the lack of effective communication among the Housemates. This was raised by Dotun who maintained his calm while expressing himself.
Bella was extremely disappointed, adding that the House lost because all they are focused on is love and ships. Chomzy on the other hand did not want to sugarcoat the truth. For her, the bottom line was important; they lost. She wanted her fellow Housemates to feel angry and channel that anger towards making sure that they win the next Task.
This disappointment was compounded by their last Task loss when they had to give Level 2 their cupcakes. Hermes walked away from the group conversation when Chomzy was talking. At this point, they were comparing themselves with the other Housemates. When he came back, he was shouting at the Housemates about how stupid it is to compare themselves to other people.
He was still on his streak of encouragement, emphasising that everyone did their best, and that is enough. Hermes eventually apologised to Chomzy, and they hugged. Chomzy wants the group to focus on the game and not on being nice to each other and making friends. “This is a game,” she kept reiterating to her fellow Housemates.
Will the housemates change their focus after losing the Wager?
See photos from their wager task:
Credit:MelodyInter
