BIG BROTHER AMPLIFIED: KAREN AND WENDALL WIN USD200 000 EACH!

After outlasting 24 other Housemates over 91 days, the duo of Karen and Wendall scooped the two USD200 000 prizes on M-Net’s Big Brother Amplified last night (31 July) in a spectacular show screened on DStv Channel 198. They were given the big news by presenter IK at the end of a glittering 2-hour Finale worthy of the Amplified name.

In a show which saw drama, tears, laughter and joy – along with rocking performances from Nigerian stars Wizkid and Mo’Cheddah, Tanzania’s CPWAA, South Africans Speedy & Professor and Fally Ipupa (DRC) – it was the Nigerian and the Zimbabwean who prevailed to pick up the spoils on the continent’s biggest reality show.

IK and Big Brother drew the tension out until the last possible second of the two-hour Finale, leaving Karen and Wendall delighted at the Amplified outcome. Earlier in the show, Vina and Hanni had been evicted before IK took viewers back into the House and asked the remaining 5 Housemates – Sharon O, Wendall, Karen, Luclay and Lomwe to join him on stage. One-by-one he sent Sharon O, Lomwe and Luclay to join the ranks of the evicted Housemates before dropping the explosive Amplified twist on the remaining duo.

IK had surprised the Housemates at the start of the Finale by joining them in the House for a quick Q&A to set the tone for the evening, before taking viewers on a journey through the 91-day rollercoaster that was Big Brother Amplified. Love-ins, fights, Heads, Tails, ups and downs – it was truly an epic season. Vimbai, Kim and Millicent had a chance to have their say after being evicted last week, within touching distance of the two mammoth cash prizes.  Vimbai said she had become more open-minded and less inclined to judge people, after her time in the House. Kim said she hadn’t changed – just improved, having left the House a stronger, more confident and more certain person. Millicent said she had discovered that she was a giving person: “No matter how much the pressure, I never stopped giving,” she said.

Vina was the first to leave the House this week and collapsed in a heap on the stage when she saw her family waiting to greet her in the audience. Before the Housemates had a chance to draw breath, IK returned with more eviction news, sending Hanni through the Big Brother doors for the final time. He then returned to the House for a third time, asking the remaining 5 Housemates to stand and leave the House en masse.

Once they had joined IK on stage and the pandemonium in the studio had settled down, he got to talk to each of them briefly before getting back to business. One by one, he broke the news to Sharon O, Lomwe and then Luclay that they had been evicted, leaving Wendall and Karen locked in an embrace – not knowing that both of them had won the Amplified game.

IK then summoned them to the edge of the stage. “In the past, it’s always boiled down to one Housemate, one moment – this is that moment,” he told them gravely. “Karen… Wendall… both of you have won USD200 000 each! Both of you are winners!” he told them, before leaving them to celebrate with friends and family.

The winners of the final set of viewer prizes were Dumisani Ndlovu (South Africa) and Eko Samson (Uganda) who won a Samsung Camera each, Anita Okafor (Nigeria) won a Samsung Camcorder, Albertina Spanyoni (South Africa) won a Samsung Laptop and Humphrey Serong (South Africa) won a Samsung Galaxy S.

HOW AFRICA VOTED:
The Housemates who received the least country votes were Evicted. The Housemates who received the most country votes were named the two Big Brother Amplified winners.
Vina received zero country votes and was evicted first.
Hanni, Lomwe and Sharon O received one country vote each and were also evicted, as was Luclay who received 2 country votes.Karen, with six country votes and Wendall with four country votes have won the Amplified season

Karen: 6 country votes - Nigeria, Angola, Rest of Africa, Ghana, Mozambique, Tanzania
Wendall: 4 country votes - Zambia, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Kenya
Luclay: 2 country votes - South Africa, Botswana
Lomwe: 1 country vote – Malawi
Sharon O: 1 country vote – Uganda
Hanni: 1 country vote – Ethiopia
Vina: 0 Country Votes.


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BIG BROTHER SET TO AMPLIFY THE FINALE.

This year's Big Brother Amplified has been jam-packed with entertainment, drama and non-stop action from the moment the 26 housemates met on Sunday 1 May.

Triumphs and tantrums, romance and rivalry, friendships and feuds, the housemates have laughed, cried, bonded, argued and danced their way through a 91 day reality TV adventure, screened live continent-wide on DStv channel 198!

Now M-Net has revealed the star-studded line-up for the show’s dramatic two-hour finale during which two winners, chosen by the public, will each walk away USD 200 000 richer.

In addition to the finale including the biggest prize in the history of the show, it will also welcome the talents of six of Africa’s hottest performers - the incredible Fally Ipupa from the DRC, Nigeria’s sensational WizKid and Mo’Cheddah, South Africa’s Professor and Speedy, plus Tanzania’s Cpwaa. Joining them on stage will be all the previously evicted Big Brother Amplified housemates and the Big Brother Amplified dance crew, whose fast routines and smooth dance moves have won the hearts of fans continent-wide.

“We’re going all out to amplify the finale!” says M-Net Africa Managing Director Biola Alabi. “In addition to these great performers, there’s going to be one really magic moment when it becomes clear to the final housemates that this year, there are two prizes. We know, our audiences know but the housemates competing for the big prize don’t know this as yet – and I can only imagine their shock and delight when they find out that there are TWO prizes of USD 200 000!”

Meanwhile, the current season of Big Brother Amplified has already set new records for voting. Last week, over 1.4 million votes were logged, the highest of any Big Brother Africa voting period. In addition, this current season has already achieved the highest cumulative total of any Big Brother edition, a total of 6.3 million votes. With voting for the final now well underway, total vote numbers look set for a new record.

So with just a few short days to go, audiences are encouraged to vote for their favourite housemates. Only you can decide which two winners go home with the big prizes! Competing for this year’s big prizes are – Hanni (Ethiopia), Karen (Nigeria), Lomwe (Malawi), Luclay (South Africa), Sharon O (Uganda), Vina (Nigeria) and Wendall (Zimbabwe).

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BIG BROTHER AMPLIFIED:- AND THEN THEY WERE SEVEN

After 12 intense weeks of explosive drama and tears, the men were definitely separated from the boys! Africa...Meet your Top Seven!

Lomwe - The smooth and laid back Malawian has stayed cool throughout the game - buddying up with the boys and also working the girls into a frenzy. He has been the subject of near-catfights over his affections in the House and it is safe to say he is a bit of a charmer or playboy. Lomwe took a liking to Hanni and made his intentions known in the early stages of the game, but their romance fizzled out before it started. Subsequently Vina, Sharon O and Kim set tongues wagging with what they term 'close friendships' with Lomwe. Is Lomwe the lady-killer a BB Amplified champion? We'll find out soon enough!

Luclay - Infamous for his massive blow up's, his dizzying crying spells, his running around naked and his threats of exposing people, Luclay has kept people talking both in the House and outside. Known for going through aliases faster than you can say Otono, Luclay has not been afraid to dig deep and give Africa what they want. Are people impressed with him enough to give him USD 200 000 though? Well, we'll have to wait and see?

Hanni - Known for her constant smile and close friendship with Vina, Hanni has gone through the Season relatively drama free. The only time the Ethiopian lass had a disagreement with anyone in the House was when Millicent decapitated her avatar by mistake. Hanni has managed to trump many former Housemates that were perceived to be 'strong' by maintaining her cool at all times. Does Africa love the squeaky clean image Hanni has presented to us over the past three months?

Vina - Vina has won more Head of House challenges than any of the other housemates. Known for her competitive streak, her controversial 'friendship' with Lomwe as well as her 'Siesta Sista' escapades with Bff Hanni, Vina has been a strong character from Day 1. Is she strong enough to walk away with USD 200 000 though?

Wendall - The Zim pilot proved to be more popular than country mate and potential squeeze Vimbai, as per this week’s voting statistics. Wendall has quietly made his way into the Top 7 and like Hanni, has not had any fights with anyone in the House. Will we see Nibbles walking away with USD 200 000.

Karen- Karen has fought and made up with most of her Housemates and infamously stopped talking to Luclay for close to two weeks following a massive fight the two had. The Nigerian is best known for her loud personality, dancing in her undies and ballsy attitude. Does Africa like Karen enough to give her USD 200 000?

Sharon O - The pretty Miss 'Jangu Jangu' has always maintained BB Amplified is not about brains but rather about entertainment and feels she has dished it out to the best of her ability. Her many fans seem to think she deserves a spot at the top of the pile. Do you think so?

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M-Net’s BIG BROTHER AMPLIFIED: A MASSIVE SURPRISE ANNOUNCEMENT!

It was a definitely a night to remember when Big Brother Amplified turned up the volume last night (Sunday June 12 at 6pm on DStv Channel 198) with the biggest announcement in the show’s history!

To huge applause from the studio audience, and in news that is sure to cause great excitement, series presenter IK revealed during the live eviction show, that this season there will be not one, but TWO winners - and each will take home a whopping USD200 000 cash prize. With the series almost at the halfway point, the surprise announcement is the latest twist in the highly popular reality series which is set to end with a spectacular two hour finale on July 31. It’s the first time ever that Big Brother Africa series will award two winners, bringing the total prize money to an incredible USD 400 000 though the housemates themselves will only find out about the double prize during the final show!

With Malawian stars Tigris and Maskal lifting the roof off of the Big Brother Amplified studio with amazing musical performances, the night also saw two housemates leave the Heads house…

With 7 Housemates nominated for eviction, there was a lot of tension in the Heads House this week. When IK asked Head of House Lomwe to reveal and explain his ‘save and replace’ decision to the Housemates, he told them it was “nothing personal”. “The person I decided to save represents the same cause as I do, that’s obviously Felicia,” he said. “The person I decided to replace her with – again nothing personal – has a strong background and foundations. If they leave the House, they will have a bright future. At the same time, that person is strong and I believe they won’t be evicted – sorry, Vimbai,” he revealed.

IK then took viewers into the House and told the Housemates that when he called out their names, they should stand. He named Millicent, Weza and Zeus. After a dramatic pause, he told Millicent and Zeus that they had been saved, calling Weza to the stage. Once she emerged, he asked her about her favourite memory in the House. As she started to answer, Big Brother delivered a message to IK – that Weza was to leave the stage immediately. The bewildered Angolan made her way off stage and before long, found herself entering the Tails House and being mobbed by a new set of excited Housemates.

It wasn’t over for the Heads Housemates – IK took viewers back into the House and asked Vina and Confidence to stand. “Vina, you’re safe,” said IK.

“Yay!” exclaimed Confidence. “I’m walking out! I’m free – I’m free of you people!” said the Ghanaian. Unfortunately for Confidence, she will miss out the cash prizes as she was evicted after gaining the fewest votes from Africa during the week.

As Confidence joined IK on stage, he confirmed that she had been evicted. “What was your favourite moment?” he asked her. “Well every moment was my favourite, I’m so grateful I’ve been brought to this place and taught the lessons of life and I’m going to go home a changed person,” she said.

When IK asked about her least favourite person in the house, Confidence said “Put it this way - they’re behind me. I’m moving forward!” IK quizzed her about what she’d be taking away from the experience. “Big Brother!” she said jokingly, before saying: “I have so much in my life and feel I’m so blessed to be here, of all the Ghanaians, I’m the girl who’s been picked to be here. I feel honoured and privileged and for me this is fun. Come on Africa - thank you so much!” Her parting shot came when IK asked her for a quick prediction on who would win Big Brother Amplified. “None of those people in that House [Heads]. There are nicer people in the other house. Those people are pretenders, please!”

As Confidence left the stage to head back home, IK still had time to scare Hanni and Vimbai when he crossed back into the House – but revealed that they had been saved.

Earlier in the show, viewers got a chance to see how Ernest and Bhoke had been coping after their eviction last week. Ernest explained his ‘intelligent attack’ on Luclay and talked about Bhoke’s ‘beautiful energy’. He looked forward to visiting Botswana to meet up with Zeus and Miss P and also hanging out at Confidence’s club in Ghana. He said he felt he had represented his country and its diversity well.

Bhoke said that being part of Big Brother Amplified was an “awesome experience” that she would carry with her for the rest of her life. She saw Confidence as a big sister in the other House, and had bonded with Kim in the Tails House as they both recognized something of themselves, in each other. She revealed that her high point was the first task win – having previously lost two tasks. Speaking about tension in the House, she felt that there had been many disagreements because nobody wanted to be seen as a weak person. “It’s been a learning experience,” she said. “I learned a lot about myself and I’m strong and confident in my own skin”.

Four viewers picked up fantastic prizes for voting and interacting with Big Brother during the past week: Ijeoma Sophia Nwogbo (Nigeria) won a DStv HD PVR, Ntsikiseng Motaung (South Africa) picked up a Samsung Laptop, Susan Kotobridge (Ghana) won a Samsung Smartphone and Jacob Asante (Ghana) won a Samsung Galaxy S.

Big Brother Amplified is headline sponsored by Coca-Cola. Fans can catch all the latest news, video – and all-important voting information – at www.mnetafrica.com/bigbrother. Tweet Big Brother @BigBroAfrica, send SMS messages to the on-screen strap, visit the Big Brother Africa Facebook Group to get the low-down on the continent’s favourite reality show and get updated news and two video streams – and houses - by pressing the “OK” button on your DStv remote when on DStv Channel 198.

Meet the 26 Big Brother Amplified Housemates vying for the $200,000 Prize

Check out the profiles of the Big Brother Amplified housemates below.
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Alex
Age: 31
Hometown: Accra, Ghana
Occupation: Unemployed / Designer
Biography: Alex once worked in the fashion district in New York and believes in empowerment of the individual. He says that he wanted to be in Big Brother Africa because he believes he “can bring it home for Ghana”. He is confident that Africa will like him, and his recreational activities include video gaming and designing.
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Bernadina
Age: 21
Hometown: Keetmanshoop, Namibia
Occupation: Construction
Biography: Her favourite place in Namibia is Rehoboth because “it’s a nice party place”. Bernadina says that if she wins the game, she’ll give a share of the money to a lady who is establishing an organization that helps children improve their reading skills.
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Bhoke
Age: 26
Hometown: Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Occupation: TV Broadcaster
Biography: Bhoke says having being selected to be part of Big Brother Amplified is her greatest achievement so far. She says viewers should keep an eye on her because she is unpredictable, fun, will keep them guessing and she’s a great person to be around.
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Confidence
Age: 37
Hometown: Accra
Occupation: CEO of MultiMedia Company / Owner Aphrodisiac Nightclub
Biography: This adventurous daredevil loves Angelina Jolie, soup or stew, and throwing parties at her house. Confidence would love to turn out like her role model aunt who, she believes, is “sexy, strong and principled”. Whilst in the game, she will miss her son, and two dogs the most.
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Danny
Age: 34
Hometown: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Occupation: Self Employed
Biography: Describing himself as cool, adventurous and funny, Danny believes that “when life flips you upside down, stand still” – good advice given to him by a friend. Although surprised to have been chosen to participate in Big Brother, Danny says if he wins, he will use the money to start his dream business. When he goes into the Big Brother house Danny admits the thing he will miss most is his freedom and friends.
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Ernest
Age: 28
Hometown: Kampala, Uganda
Occupation: Public Relations Consultant
Biography: Ernest looks up to his role model, Diddy because, he explains: “it’s easy to see how a man who can’t really dance or sing has made himself into a world-class brand that is bankable and desirable”. He admits that he can be “a little annoying” when he chooses to push people’s buttons.
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Felicia
Age: 24
Hometown: Lilongwe, Malawi
Occupation: Purchaser
Biography: Felicia is in a relationship and has a four year old child. Given the opportunity, Felicia would like to visit Japan right now to feel the impact of the Tsunami and offer support to victims of the recent natural disaster. She entered Big Brother Amplified to represent her country, to do her part in making her country proud and to change her life and the lives of many others.
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Hanni
Age: 22
Hometown: Addis Ababa
Occupation: Singer and Student
Biography: Hanni is a 5th year Law student with a passion for Reggae. She says she entered Big Brother Amplified because she feels she is at a point in her life where she feels she wants to learn more about herself. She says audiences should watch her on Big Brother because she is “honest, funny and interesting”.
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Jossy
Age: 28
Hometown: Windhoek, Namibia
Occupation: Recording Artist / Marketing, Sales and Ad Manager
Biography: The multi-lingual Jossy concedes his worst habit is cleaning and keeping everything in order. Though he entered Big Brother by accident, he will continue to surprise. The best advice he has ever received is: “Never envy those that are living a good life and rather learn from them to get there as well.”
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Karen
Age: 27
Hometown: Jos, Nigeria
Occupation: Unemployed
Biography: Born in Jos, Karen lists her mother as her role model. She likes people who are similar to her: fun and happy, and dislikes people who are boring, fake and dishonest. Karen relaxes by “chilling with friends” and would love to visit Spain because “it is sunny, beautiful and exotic”.
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Kim
Age: 25
Hometown: Livingstone, Zambia
Occupation: Beautician
Biography: Kim confesses she adores “cute boys” like Chris Brown and “fab ladies” like Beyonce. She wants viewers to watch her on the show because she is “real, fresh and fab”. If she wins, she will help in the fight against Cancer in Zambia, help her sisters with their education and boost her media and Cosmetology career.
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Lomwe
Age: 27
Hometown: Blantyre, Malawi
Occupation: Radio and Club DJ
Biography: Lomwe, reckons he is handsome and lives like according to the following mantra: “ride till the wheels fall off”. He hopes his charisma and great sense of humour will help him win the USD200 000, so he can open his own radio station at home in Malawi.
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Lotus
Age: 24
Hometown: Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Occupation: TV Presenter
Biography: Lotus’s happiest memory is falling in love for the first time. She likes spending time with fun people who like to enjoy life and dislikes “people who are in their heads”. Lotus, who is also a dancer and choreographer, regards herself as quite a trend-setter. Her worst habit: “using too much toilet paper!”
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Luclay
Age: 28
Hometown: Cape Town
Occupation: Actor / Acting Coach
Biography: Luclay is an actor and acting coach born in Cape Town, his favourite place in South Africa. He says he is “inspired by people who live within their means and are happy with their inheritance on this planet”. He says his mom and cousin are his role models, because “they have dedicated their lives to helping everyone around them”.
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Michael
Age: 32
Hometown: Maputo, Mozambique
Occupation: Hairdresser
Biography: Michael, who counts his father and Denzel Washington as his role models, entered Big Brother Amplified because he wanted to have fun and experience different cultures. He enjoys spending time with quiet people and good listeners and encourages viewers to watch him because he has a lot to share with the audience. His pet peeves: Gossipers and aggressive people.
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Millicent
Age: 28
Hometown: Nairobi, Kenya
Occupation: Actress
Biography: Talkative and passionate, Millicent loves spending time with open-minded people. She can hold a conversation in French, English and Swahili and describes herself as having a great sense of humour. The young Nollywood actress is all about empowering girls and loves watching cartoons and Soapies.
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Mumba
Age: 24
Hometown: Lusaka
Occupation: Radio DJ
Biography: Mumba is a radio DJ and “happily single”. She is most proud of getting her Diploma in Journalism and says the hardest thing she ever had to do was to “let go of the past”. Mumba entered Big Brother Amplified for one reason: “I really, really want the money!” She says if she wins she’ll splash out on a new luxury German sedan coupe, a house and “so much more”.
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Nic
Age: 26
Hometown: Nairobi
Occupation: Television Producer
Biography: The happily single Nic calls himself “cheeky, spontaneous, funny, intelligent and a good listener”. He also admits to being bit of a flirt, and reckons this will definitely get the viewers’ attention when they tune in to watch the “crazy” guy from Kenya.
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Nkuli
Age: 23
Hometown: Student
Occupation: Johannesburg
Biography: Romance novel lover, Nkuli, doesn’t have a role model, because she explains: “believing in being the best me I can be, and not trying to be like someone else is the best thing I can do for myself”. Once inside the house she says: “I believe I will think of the outside world – but miss it? Not much, because the house is where my mind will be.”
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“Miss P” – Peo
Age: 24
Hometown: Gaborone, Botswana
Occupation: Freelance, Communications
Biography: Miss P is passionate about charity work and the fight against AIDS in Botswana. When she was in high school, she helped start clubs to raise awareness for both causes. Her special talent is “being a warm person – I’ve always been able to make people feel at home and safe with me,” she says.
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Sharon O
Age: 25
Hometown: Kampala, Uganda
Occupation: Artist / Musician
Biography: Sharon O is a free spirited, ambitious hard worker, who is friendly and reserved at the same time. Her personal motto is “work hard to achieve a comfortable life”. She loves looking at the calming Nile when in Jinja (Uganda) and would love to go to Vegas one day.
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Vimbai
Age: 24
Hometown: Harare, Zimbabwe
Occupation: Model
Biography: With a Social Sciences degree and fluency in French and Basic Serbian, Vimbai is a force to be reckoned with. She entered Big Brother to re-launch her modeling and entertainment career on an African platform. If she wins the show, she’ll invest her winnings in her country and donate some to charity.
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Vina
Age: 26
Hometown: Lagos, Nigeria
Occupation: Radio Presenter
Biography: Vina, describes her personality as “amplified” and dislikes people who are lazy, unfriendly and think they are better than others. She’s confident of her chances on the show and promises she will be outrageous.
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Wendall
Age: 23
Hometown: Harare
Occupation: Pilot
Biography: Wendall is a pilot and his motto is “you win some, you lose some”. While he jokes that he doesn’t have any specific special talents, he also says “you never know what might come out on a crazy night in the house!”
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Weza
Age: 26
Hometown: Luanda, Angola
Occupation: TV Presenter, Model
Biography: She is super social and likes spending time with happy, fun, straight forward people, although she admits her bad habit is that she talks too much. She is currently single, and says she will miss her family when she goes into the House. Her favourite place in Angola is Luanda.
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Zeus
Age: 24
Hometown: Gaborone, Botswana
Occupation: Entrepreneur, Artist, Marketer
Biography: This Hip-Hop star has been in a relationship for two years, but he’s determined to use the time in the House to polish his social skills and establish a deeper connection with himself.
Although music is his first love, he has a Bachelor of Business and Commerce degree.