Every year, thousands of Nigerians apply for a chance to walk through those famous Big Brother Naija doors and into what could be the most chaotic, life-changing 90 days of their lives. Some come for the money. Some come for the fame. Most come with one big dream: to be seen — and maybe become unforgettable.
In this As Told To, I spoke to Ireti*, who went through the 2025 audition process, prepared for it, survived the sea of hopefuls, gave it everything and still didn’t make the cut. No camera time. No Diary Room. Just a silent rejection.
This is Ireti’s* story as told to Marv.
I have been watching the Big Brother Naija reality TV show since my university days in the “See Gobbe” season in 2017. It is a social experiment that fascinates me: unknown people from different backgrounds are put together and cut off from the world with absolutely zero idea of what’s happening. Some emerged from the house as celebrities. Nothing could have been more fascinating to me.
By the time I got to final year, I was already thinking of being a housemate.
I graduated from university at 19, and I thought if I made it to the show, I’d be the youngest housemate. But over time, the dream of being the youngest person in BBNaija vanished as more seasons happened and younger people joined. And I wasn’t getting any younger.
By the time I went for NYSC in 2018, I had become fully engrossed with the show. I talked about the show and my dream of being in it everywhere I went. But I didn’t want to just be on the show just for the sake of it. I wanted something to my name, a brand to promote on the show.
So, all my primary focus shifted to getting a job like other adults.
I got a job at a media company. This gave me proximity to the entertainment industry.
Working in entertainment brought me face-to-face with numerous Big Brother Naija stars. This experience reinforced my belief that I, too, could be a housemate.
In 2021, I began to audition for BBNaija. It was an online audition, and I had to send a video.
I wanted to participate, meet different people, find myself, and most importantly, leave my comfort zone and see other things I can do and excel at. Also, Big Brother looked like easy and fast money. I wanted to build my own brand and fanbase quickly. So, why not give it a try?
The application process was the same in 2022. I sent a tape but didn’t hear back from them. In 2023, old housemates were invited back for a special edition, so auditions were not open to the public. In 2024, I took a break. This year, I auditioned again.
This time, the audition was different. I sent in my application a day before the portal closed, and I immediately received a feedback email that provided my screening date and location. But that was all—no additional detail. I refreshed my email throughout the day, but there was nothing. The following day, I moved on and faced my usual business.
When I checked my email in the afternoon, it was sitting in my inbox. Biggie had responded to me. He gave me instructions on how to log in and pick my preferred date and location. I logged in to do that, but my preferred location wasn’t available.
Over the years, I have tried my best to work on myself and improve professionally and financially. This time, I felt prepared and believed I had a real shot at getting into the Big Brother Naija show, but there was no location. I was pained and thought it was likely God’s way of saying it wasn’t time.
Then God said it was time. Some days later, I received another email instructing me to pick where I wanted to audition in Lagos. I was very excited because it was my first time making it to the call-ups stage. I chose a location and began to prepare for the big audition.
I spoke to close folks, including my best friend, about it. She encouraged me all the way. She hardly let me finish any sentence. She said yes, yes to everything I said. She lives in the U.S, and she’d move back in case I got in. She was ready to be my cheerleader, my manager, my handler, and all. She motivated me to apply. Another person I spoke to gave the same energy and even advised on the angles I want to take there and how I should present myself. I wanted to look vibrant, so I carefully picked a dress that fitted my intention.
READ NEXT: Big Brother Naija Fans Share Their First Impressions of the Season 10 Housemates
A day before the audition, I told my parents about it. My dad was surprised and asked why. He asked if I knew who I was and even reminded me of how far I had come in my career, telling me that I didn’t need Big Brother Naija. He said it was beneath me. I was, like, “beneath me bawo? How?” The call with my dad ended. But he called me back after a few minutes, and he was calmer and asked why again. I guess he had spoken to someone and was compelled to hear me out. Eventually, he gave me his permission and blessings and asked about the details.
I had to work on the day of the audition, but I still went since I work remotely. It was one of those days when I had less work to do. I got to the audition venue on Lagos Island around 7 in the morning. About ten applicants were already seated, and more people came in over time. Following the rules set for us, I turned off my phone and smartwatch. Even people with glasses weren’t allowed in to avoid the secret recording of the event and the process. Disobeying that meant straight disqualification.
By 10, Multichoice workers were available and had started registration. I got my registration number and was ushered into a hall.
They divided us into groups that consisted of eight people each. Each group had one masked judge who asked me questions like: What’s my name, age, where I’m from, what I do, interesting things about me, and why I want to be in the Big Brother house. I told them I was looking for love. I answered everything. So did the other seven applicants in the room with me. In that process, we introduced ourselves, talked, made banters, sang and danced. Everyone basically showed character and charisma. The judge found my group interesting.
When it was time to decide who made it to the next stage, the judge said that anyone he pointed out wasn’t qualified to proceed. I made it to the next stage with three others—two babes and two guys.
Then, the next interview started. I was asked about a specific situation or time that I felt like, “God, if you rescue me from this, I’d never do it again.” I had to make sure that my story aligned with the character I was trying to sell. Then again, I heard, “Congratulations, you have moved to the next stage.” Two of us made it. They collected numbers and tags and sent me to another floor with the other candidate.
When I got there, there was another judge and a cameraman. The judge asked questions that were similar to my name and place of origin, with the addition of my family dynamics. It felt like a job interview, but I tried to stay composed and answered the questions to the best of my ability. After I said all I wanted to say, the judge told me, “Thank you for coming, and I hope you get to the next stage.”
When I exited the room, I saw many unhappy faces. They were gutted that they didn’t go so far in the audition. I, on the other hand, felt relieved because the judges saw something good enough in me to move me to the next stage. There, I thought even if I didn’t make it to the next round, that felt good enough for me. It was already noon when I turned my phone back on. My dad called to check in and ask how it went. He was happy and told me that whatever the outcome, I had his support.
In my head, I had started planning who would be my wardrobe manager, makeup artist, social media handler, and be this and that.
I waited for the follow-up email about rejection or making it to the next stage, but nothing came through. When the rollout for this season started, I knew they had picked their candidates already. I wasn’t devastated a bit. Not sad. Not happy. I just moved on with my life.
On the opening night of this season, I was very impressed by how good the selected candidates looked and thought that could have been me—people following my social media accounts and talking about me. I’m not sure if I’d match the energy that most of them give, though.
But if another opportunity to audition comes and I’m not married by then, I will take it. In fact, I’d tell the judges that I had been there before and tell them the stage I got to, just to convince them.
To me, Big Brother Naija is a platform to showcase myself in the best way possible. I have heard several stories of people from poor backgrounds, looking to stand out in their family and go on the show and become rich. That’s valid. But that’s not my story. For me, it’s not really about family sometimes. It’s about myself and what I want to do, because the show is about selling yourself and showing what you can do. Though I can’t speak for the judges regarding the specific things or qualities they are looking for, I tried to have the best fun at my audition. It didn’t matter to me whether it was the second or third stage that disqualified me. I’m just grateful I got to that stage.
