Seyi Awolowo Says He Tried to Hide Famous Family Name Before Entering BBNaija

Reality TV personality Seyi Awolowo has disclosed that he never intended to reveal his family identity while competing on the 2019 edition of Big Brother Naija, saying he wanted to earn recognition on his own merit rather than because of his surname.

Speaking during an appearance on The Nigeria Meter Podcast, Seyi, the grandson of late Nigerian nationalist Chief Obafemi Awolowo, said his strategy was to keep his family background private from fellow contestants.

However, he said those plans changed when show host Ebuka Obi-Uchendu introduced him by his full name during the live launch.

“I didn’t want anybody to know I was an Awolowo in the house. I didn’t want the housemates in particular to know that’s who I was, but when I got to the stage and Ebuka called ‘Seyi Awolowo,’ that’s when everyone knew,” he said.

Seyi explained that he had hoped to participate in the competition simply as “Seyi,” free from the assumptions that could come with his family name.

“My own plan was just to be there as Seyi, but immediately he mentioned it, my whole plan went away,” he added.

Addressing speculation that his background may have influenced his selection for the show, Seyi insisted he secured his place through the regular audition process.

“I did the audition proper, I stood in line. I didn’t get my golden ticket until about 3 a.m. on the third of February that year,” he said.

He also revealed that he attended the audition alongside a friend, while one of his stepbrothers missed the opportunity after arriving late.

“Me and my guy went for the audition. One of my stepbrothers also came for the audition but he got there late,” Seyi said.

Seyi featured in the 2019 season of Big Brother Naija, where he emerged as one of the programme’s most prominent and widely discussed housemates.

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