‘It feels good to be back’

Malawi’s last man standing in the Big Brother Hotshots show, Sipe, received a lukewarm reception at Kamuzu International Airport on Wednesday afternoon but that did little to dampen her mood.

Only a handful of relatives were present to welcome her.

Sipe fell at the last hurdle on the final day of the show last Sunday when she was pipped to the $300 000 (about K152 million) prize money by Tanzania’s Idris.

But Sipe seems to have put all this behind her as she sounded bubbly upon her returnon Wednesday.

“It feels good to be back home, you people have no idea. A million thanks to all those who took the time to vote for me, I didn’t know I have this much impact,” she said with a toothy smile.

Sipe says she is content with what she has achieved, her only regret being when she nominated her best friend, Botswana housemate Goitse.

“The fact that I reached the finals means a lot to me and it is more than good enough. I did my best and there is only one thing I can perhaps change and it is nominating my buddy Goitse. My nominations were based on what had happened in the house that week. I felt offended when she left our bed for Feza during the week we had the ex-housemates.

“It might sound petty and childish, but I got pissed off because she left me. But after the finale party we spoke about it and we are cool with each other. I like how she handled the whole issue. Trust me, she will be visiting Malawi soon,” she said.

Sipe is fun, sweet, grumpy, spontaneous and flirtatious. And in the nerve-wrecking finale on Sunday night, she was the last woman standing in the house following the eviction of Zimbabwe’s Butterphly and M’am Bea from Ghana.

It was an eventful 63 days for the 24-year-old hairdresser. From her romance with Macky2, to her aspirations of going into music among her many plans.

Moving on, Sipe is planning to launch her acting career and focus on a farming venture, having been inspired by one of the tasks in the house.

While these are more of future plans for Sipe, she is immediately going back into what has buttered her bread over the past few years—hairdressing.

Sipe also took the time to answer to rumuors that have been going round on social media especially Facebook that she is Zambian.

“I am from Ntcheu, but my father was from Zambia. I never grew up with him, but even in the absence of that, I would still be a Malawian. Mother comes from Ntcheu. Simply put, ndine m’Malawi ndithu,” she said.

Her story is incomplete without mentioning the fighting spirit she has as for the past three years, she had been auditioning for Big Brother to represent Malawi. The stars finally smiled on her fourth attempt.

“I don’t give up, if I want something, I never give up. I keep on doing it,” she affirmed.

But is she not disappointed to finally make it to Big Bother and come back without the money?

“Not at all, for it was just a game.”