WINDHOEK– Big Brother Mzansi is back with 56 days, 44 cameras, Live 24/7. Big Brother Mzansi: Double Trouble stormed into action on Sunday and from the go, the show’s host, Lungile Radu, kept the show moving as highlight followed highlight.
First up was a look at the brand new house and this year Biggie spared no expense in creating a luxurious, spacious home for the housemates. With a large lounge, garden, deck, jacuzzi, three bedrooms, kitchen, bathroom, store room and of course, a cosy diary room, the Big Brother house this year also includes two new spaces – a large walk-in closet (a fashionista’s dream!) and a mysterious glass booth, whose reason for existing has yet to be revealed. Without doubt though, whatever Biggie has planned, both spaces seem destined to become highly watched areas this season.
Then, after DJ Merlon performed his hit song, Koze Kuze, with Mondli, it was time for the Lungile to introduce two of Biggie’s new friends Dineo Ranaka and Kuli Roberts as they settled in to what they affectionately termed, ‘the gossip corner’! The duo, looking gorgeous as ever, were ready and primed to give their witty, sometimes ‘tongue in cheek’ comments on the housemates as they made their way into the house.
And while they settled into their own dedicated skybox, high above the stage, Lungile took audiences for a quick trip down memory lane as Biggie paid tribute to the first season of Big Brother Mzansi with a series of clips that had no doubt brought back nostalgic memories for fans of the show. Those fans would have also been delighted to see last year’s winner Mandla and his girlfriend Lexi in the studio audience, a sign that their romance which began in the house last year is still going strong.
Then it was time for the big reveal and Lungile wasted no time in introducing Khali and Bongi, a brand new couple who are putting their recently found love to the test in the house. Rocking a short red dress with lace detail, Khali put their actions into words saying, “I think every couple, when they hit 3 months, should join a reality show!” Bongi was in full agreement and believes that, “if we survive Big Brother, then we’re in it for the long run.” Back in the skybox, Kuli didn’t hesitate to predict the future of Khali and Bongi’s relationship. Her words in a nutshell… “they won’t stay together, not at all!” Is she right? Only time will tell so keep watching to see if this couple will still be together in a month.
The first pair to enter the house, Khali and Bongi, clearly loved the look of the space and shared a quick kiss as they tried to familiarize themselves with their surroundings.
Back on stage, Lungile introduced close cousins Bexx and Soxx. In a hot pink ensemble, Bexx revealed that her ‘show name’ is a nickname she’s earned because she is a huge fan of soccer superstar David Beckham. Meanwhile Soxx, clad in red shirt and brown pants, made it very clear to all watching – the cousins, who say they are as close as brother and sister, are just going to be themselves in the game. Back in the skybox, armed with her iPad, Dineo reminded fans to keep engaged with the show on Twitter and read out a few tweets from audiences watching at home. Meanwhile Kuli explained that Soxx, who has burns on his face, got these from a falling geyser when he was much younger.
As Bexx and Soxx headed off-stage, a new couple made their entrance. Ex-lovers Adams and Tembi dated for two years, and have been broken up for 5. But despite the fact that they couldn’t quite define their relationship during their taped insert, on stage Adams (looking sharp in a black suit) assured Lungile that they were just friends and are entering the house just as friends. Dressed in a flowing, full-length, strapless evening gown, Tembi said that the pair’s strategy was to win as many challenges as possible. Commenting on Adams and Tembi, Dineo revealed that Tembi is currently in the process of going through a divorce while Kuli told the story of how Tembi and Adams ran into each other at Big Brother auditions and then decided to audition together!
Having confirmed to audiences at the start of the show that there was a brother/sister pair going into the house, Lungile then called Cape Town’s Gino and Tiffini into the spotlight. With Tiffini clearly the more talkative of the two, she revealed that the siblings fight a lot and are hoping that the show might bring them closer together. Gino was more definitive saying, “What happens, we ARE going to be closer.” Ironically Gino is Tiffini’s older brother meaning that there is now a big brother in Big Brother! With viewers now expecting the inside story from Kuli and Dineo, they didn’t disappoint and Kuli revealed that Gino and Tiffini’s complicated relationship stems from the fact that Tiffini felt Gino wasn’t focussed enough in life and got him kicked out of their mom’s home. That’s some family drama for sure!
Last up on stage were housemates Ace and Ntombi, a Jozi couple who have been together for years and have a child together. In awe of the fact that they were on stage with Lungile, the star struck couple were super high-energy and just could not contain their joy. Luckily enough, the insert screened just before their appearance gave viewers some insight into their relationship with Ntombi saying that she and Ace were going to show people that real love does exist. As they made their way off stage as excitedly as they had entered it, Kuli mischievously observed that she wasn’t quite sure why they were so happy given that after five years they had still not gotten married!
With ten Housemates in the house, it was Biggie’s turn to prove why he’s the master of the game. After welcoming the housemates into the show he revealed that they had just 30 minutes before they would have to start nominating each other for eviction. Judging by the shock on some of the housemates faces they certainly did not see that coming. So make sure you follow Big Brother Mzansi: Double Trouble exclusive to Mzansi Magic (DStv channel 161) weekly. The show is being screened live 24/7 on DStv channels 197 and 198. The prize money this year is two million.