Who goes to big brother?

Who represents Malawi in the double up Big Brother StarGame? That is the question in the mind of followers of the reality TV show at the moment.

And, apparently, the two Malawi housemates can only be known Sunday at 8 pm when 28 representatives from 14 African countries enter the house to face 53 cameras and 120 microphones in the revamped hideaway.
At stake is the winner-takes-it-all US$300 000 (K50.4 million) grand prize.

The tongues, however, are wagging. Some say a club DJ, who also spins the vibes at one radio station, will pair up with someone else to represent Africa’s Warm Heart in the house.

But when asked in a Blantyre night spot last Friday if he was heading into the house, the DJ said: “A lot of people have been asking me about that. I am not going.”

Others have been speculating that one socialite and entrepreneur would represent Malawi.

But she too brushed that aside: “Why not waste your time asking me about something else?”

So, it remains that the Malawi representatives will only be known Sunday, as the pair joins other representatives from Angola, Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Namibia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

The expectation from some Malawian followers of the show is high, that after Zein Dudha, Code Sangala (two times), Hazel Warren, Mzamose Chibambo, Felicia Ngoma and DJ Lomwe did not win the grand prize, a Malawian will eventually cart the money home.

Caroline Chimwaza, an avid Big Brother follower, said she was hopeful Malawi stands a chance.
“We have been close to winning several times. I only hope we will send people of the Mzamose calibre. She was so real, she never pretended like other representatives,” said Chimwaza.

Another follower from Nancholi, Humphrey Kazembe, said he wanted someone to take a leaf from Code.

“I feel it is not good for a Malawian to spend their time in the house talking about John Cena or celebrity gossip. People can get it elsewhere. I would bet a Malawian who tells the reality of Malawi will carry the day.

“When housemates are talking about sex, they can tell them about gondolosi, when they are discussing beauty, they can show Africa the beauty in Lake Malawi and Mulanje,” said Kazembe.

Blantyre-Kabula parliamentarian Felix Njawala, who used to run the E-Wallet contest, agreed that Malawi would make the country’s representatives distinct.

“I expect the Malawian representatives to really understand our culture. She has to understand our beliefs, so that she makes more sense,” said Njawala.

When she went into the house, Hazel was fondly called Mama Hazel.

She made it to the final and made history when she tied, in the first vote, with Angolan Ricco. A tie breaker later showed Ricco as that year’s winner.

Today, she offers advice to the pair representing Malawi.“They should stick together,” she says, then adds: “Once they show that they have differences, the other housemates will take advantage and that will be their end. On the other hand, they should not fail to interact with the other housemates.”
For the two times he was in the house, Sangala was evicted on the 77th day of the 90-day show. His advice is on being truly Malawian.

“The Malawian representatives can be wild, have fun, but one thing they should not forget is that they are Malawians. They have to remember their roots. There is a factor that distinguishes a Malawian from other Africans.

The representatives should find that and bring it out,” said Sangala, who came back home to a tumultuous welcome as King Code.

Run by MNet and Endemol, the StarGame will be hosted by Nigerian IK Osakioduwa, who is making his fourth appearance in the show.
According to a release from MultiChoice Malawi, the StarGame is set to provide more of the entertainment, romance, action, suspense and drama that the series is famous for!