Ghana’s Sammi and Uganda’s Hannington were evicted from M-Net’s Big Brother All Stars house during last night’s live eviction show (1 August at 19:00 CAT on DStv Channel 198), but instead of jetting off back home, they found themselves in The Barn! Big Brother, never short of surprises, sent them into an alternate ‘house’ where they will be able to watch the other housemates and spend the next few weeks convincing viewers why they should be allowed back into the All Stars house.
During this week’s nomination show, Head of House Tatiana saved herself from nomination and replaced herself with Hannington. As is traditional, IK took viewers into the house and asked Tatiana to reveal what she had done, to her housemates. Taking a deep breath and wincing as though in pain, Tatiana told the housemates that it was hard to be in her position, especially so early in the game. “It was really hard for me to, of course, replace myself, which is what I did with one of you. It was really difficult. I love you all,” she told them. “The person I chose to replace me is, sorry Hannington, you.”
While the housemates pondered this change in fortunes, Ghanaian stars Ruff & Smooth took to the stage to perform their hit “Swagger”, thereafter reacting enthusiastically when IK asked them if Sammi was going to be like the Black Stars at the 2010 FIFA World Cup – the last African standing.
Then it was time to get down to business and IK addressed the housemates about the serious matter at hand. Drawing out the tension, he dropped the bomb that Hannington was to be the first housemate evicted from Big Brother All Stars. The shell-shocked Ugandan picked himself up off the couch as a tearful Tatiana buried her head in her hands, with Meryl also distraught.
Hannington joined IK on stage, saying that it didn’t feel good to be the first person evicted from Big Brother All Stars. “I went through this last year so I know how to handle myself – I wanted to go further but Africa voted, so it’s all good,” he said. He had no idea why Africa hadn’t voted to keep him in the game, saying that he had been himself and perhaps the continent had had enough of him from last year. “Is there anything you would change?” asked IK. “Absolutely nothing,” replied the Ugandan. “I’ve always stood to be me and I’ll never change.”
Leaving Hannington to ponder his early eviction, IK took viewers back into the house to reveal that another housemate would be evicted tonight – shocking the already-stunned housemates. Teasing the continent again, IK revealed that Sammi would be the second housemate to leave Big Brother All Stars.
“Are you surprised?” asked IK when the Ghanaian joined him on stage. “It doesn’t surprise me,” he said. “I’m just taking it like the way it is, like it’s a game”. When asked if he thought Africa had made a mistake in not keeping him in the game, Sammi replied that he would never judge Africa. “I’m human, there might have been certain flaws that I did not see that Africa saw, well it makes me a better person to see those ones and make some good out of it,” he said philosophically.
He also told IK that he would miss the unity in the house and when IK asked him if he thought that the fact that sometimes he was a bit removed from the other housemates might have influenced Africa’s decision, Sammi said: “It’s been seven years since I was in the house, in those years a lot has changed, that youthfulness that a lot of people saw seven years ago is probably not there or shows in bits and pieces.”
Upbeat, Sammi told IK that he was looking forward to returning home to promote his album and record some more music videos. He wasn’t surprised to see who had nominated him, even forgiving fellow evictee Hannington for his vote – fair enough, as Sammi had himself nominated Hannington! “He was just doing what he had to do,” he said of Hannington’s nomination. “At the time we were nominating each other, maybe he probably didn’t know me well,” he told IK.
Next up, it was time for the evictees to ‘throw’ their Daggers back into the house, condemning a surviving housemate to a nasty task for the next week. Hannington was up first, and IK read out his Dagger: “One housemate may not drink any alcohol for one whole week, commencing from tomorrow”. Hannington’s response was almost immediate – if not slightly cryptic. “Sorry baby – Sheila!” he said with a smile. “I won’t give a reason on TV – I’ll tell you when you come out,” he told her, before adding: “Tatiana, no hard feelings”.
Sammi’s Dagger read: “One housemate must bake 3 large loaves of edible bread every day for one week, commencing tomorrow”. “Lerato!” bellowed Sammi, “this is for Bafana!” That’s the second week in a row the South African has been on the receiving end after Tatiana last week gave her the unenviable task of cleaning the bathroom and kitchen 3 times a day with earbuds and a toothbrush.
The evictees’ last task before departing the stage delivered the most emotional moment of the evening. Each evicted housemate must reveal their secret to those who remain in the game. Hannington’s clue – “all in the family” – related to “a thing” he had with a girlfriend’s mother. “Ex-girlfriend!” he added quickly, with Sheila’s feelings no doubt in mind.
Sammi struggled to reveal his, shedding a tear before stunning the housemates with the revelation that he had had an affair and had a baby, who had brain-damage.
“I feel very bad about it because maybe I could have done a lot for her while she lived. It hurts,” he said sadly.
With that, Sammi and Hannington left the stage – but while they thought they were being sent home, Big Brother had another twist for them! They soon found themselves in The Barn, which IK revealed to viewers last week. After IK let them contemplate sharing their less-than-glamorous new quarters with live animals, he told Africa that they will be able to observe the housemates in the main All Stars house, without the knowledge of those housemates, and have the chance to convince viewers over the next 9 weeks why they and the other housemates who join them, should be allowed back into the main All Stars house. Viewers will decide which Barn mates go back into the Big Brother All Stars house. IK went on to say that Big Brother will provide the housemates what they really need in The Barn but that “it’s not going to be a picnic”.
Meanwhile, just by voting each week, viewers stand the chance to win great prizes. This week’s winner of US$1 000 was Andiswa Fumba from South Africa, while Anne Mwali, from Zambia, picked up a DStv HD Decoder.
Big Brother All Stars is screened live 24/7 on DStv Channel 198, with edited highlights shows every day of the week on M-Net and later on AfricaMagic. Big Brother All Stars is also available on DStv Mobile in Ghana, Kenya, Namibia and Nigeria. Plus audiences will get twice as many viewing options this year. DStv channel 198 will provide a second viewing feed to audiences, allowing them a choice of which feed they want to watch. This is in addition to the exciting news and information about the show already available by pressing the OK button on the DStv decoder remote control.
Don’t forget about the website! Big Brother All Stars fans can catch all the latest news, video – and all-important voting information – at www.mnetafrica.com/bigbrother. The winner of Big Brother All Stars will be named after 91 days of magic – and the power to award to USD 200 000 prize rests in the hands of the viewers. Don’t miss a second of the continent’s biggest reality show, only on DStv, 24/7.