Former Big Brother Naija Season 11 housemate Abisola “Abi” Ayoola has opened up about the challenges she faced while living with other contestants, saying her marital status affected her interactions with some of the male housemates.
Gatekeepers News reports that Abi, who was evicted alongside Araga during the show’s Week 7 live eviction, spoke about her experience in an interview with TheCable Lifestyle. She said connecting with the male contestants was particularly difficult because some of them became hesitant to interact closely with her after learning she was married.
“I would say the hardest thing was like connecting with the guys, because at the end of the day, there are not just female housemates, there are male housemates. So if you want to have a calm, cohesive and organised stay in the house, you need to be cool with everyone,” Abi said.
She explained that her interactions with some of the male housemates were initially limited, noting that Araga and Aikou were among the first men she spoke with regularly.
“At the start of the show, Araga and maybe Aikou were the two guys I was talking to. I think not connecting with the guys, the fact that I was married that was one of the reasons. Because they were like ‘oh! She is married’ and they would just back off but later, I obviously figured it out and I tried to connect with them also.”
Abi said establishing good relationships with the other contestants was important because of the need to maintain a peaceful and organised environment inside the house.
The 25-year-old model and chef from Osun State and Lagos was one of the prominent contestants on the season, winning the Head of House title twice and emerging as the Most Influential Player after Week 4.
She was evicted on September 13 alongside Araga after they received the fewest public votes among the contestants exposed to the Week 7 eviction process. Their exit reduced the number of housemates competing for the ₦160 million grand prize.
In a separate interview reported by Vanguard, Abi also reflected on her relationships in the house, including her friendship with Barry. She said she initially had a different impression of him before getting to know him better.
“When I first saw Barry, I thought he was going to be a very shallow person. But when I got to speak to him, know him better and eventually became friends with him, I realised he was just a guy.”
Abi also discussed the emotional challenges of living with people whose personalities differed from hers, saying the experience of sharing a confined space with contestants who sometimes challenged her was difficult.
“Being with someone who is very emotional is one thing, but living in the same space with people who just want to tear you apart is another,” she said.
Season 11, tagged “Show Ya Sef,” premiered on July 26 with 24 contestants competing for a ₦160 million grand prize, the highest in the history of the Nigerian edition of the reality show. The finale is scheduled for October 4.
