Former Big Brother Naija (BBNaija) winner, Phyna, has raised concerns over the current state of the popular reality television show, arguing that many housemates no longer possess the drive and influence needed to build sustainable careers after leaving the house.
The reality star made the remarks during a recent livestream, where she observed that most contestants now rely on the same shrinking fanbase, making long-term relevance increasingly difficult.
According to Phyna, the BBNaija audience is no longer growing but merely shifting loyalty from one housemate to another, without attracting fresh followers.
“The steeze housemates used to have on the show is no longer there,” she said. “It’s the same fan base moving from one person to another. No new people, nothing new. It’s just the same people.”
She further noted that the show has lost much of the credibility and prestige it once commanded, adding that being an ex-BBNaija housemate no longer carries the same recognition or respect as it did in earlier seasons.
“When you tell someone now that you came out of BBNaija, they won’t rate you like they did before,” she added.
Phyna, whose real name is Ijeoma Josephina Otabor, emerged winner of the seventh edition of the show, tagged ‘Level Up’, on October 2, 2022. She walked away with a grand prize of ₦100 million, defeating fellow finalist Bryann with 40.74 per cent of the total votes.
She remains the second female winner in the history of the reality show, following Mercy Eke’s historic victory in 2019.