BBNaija / Entertainment / News

BBNaija ‘Shins Ya Eye’ records over 1 billion votes

The just concluded sixth season of fan-favourite reality TV show, Big Brother Naija recorded a cumulative vote of over one billion from fans.

The staggering figure confirmed by show host Ebuka Obi-Uchendu comes amid the numerous criticisms that trailed the season as well as the change in voting pattern.

Recall that the show organisers announced weeks before the season started that there would be no paid voting as was the norm in previous seasons. As opposed to paid voting, fans were encouraged to support their favourites by voting on the organizers’ online platforms with more votes allocated to subscribers of their cable TV decoders.

Meanwhile, the ‘Shine Ya Eye’ season rounded up with an intriguing finale show on Sunday, October 3, with guest performances from Made Kuti, Ajebo Hustlers, Lojay and BBNaija alumni Avala and Laycon.

Unlike previous seasons, the ‘Shine Ya Eye’ season spotted six finalists and the much anticipated physical audience for the finale show.

Season six winner Whitemoney made a landslide victory with 47 % of fan votes. Another fan-favourite Liquorose came second place with 22.99% of fan votes while Pere and Cross came in third and fourth place respectively.

Whitemoney takes home N90 million worth of prizes including N30 million cash, a house and a brand new car.

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BBNaija / Entertainment / News

BBNaija 2021 finale: Whitemoney wins the ‘Shine Ya Eye’ season

The long anticipated season finale is finally here after 10 weeks of an arguably entertaining show with finalists Whitemoney, Liquorose, Angel, Cross and Pere.

Made Kuti kicked off the finale show with a pack-punching performance from the fan park in Lekki. Interestingly, the center was filled with a physical audience, a first since the pandemic. Right after Kuti’s thrilling performance, Big Brother gave the finalists an emotional speech and it was straight on to business from there.

The first finalist to be evicted was surprisingly the veto power holder of the season and one part of the Emmarose ship, Emmanuel.

Angel’s eviction followed closely. The 21-year-old who won fans over for her free-spirited nature was the second finalist to exit the show.

After a thrilling performance from ex-BBN housemate Avala, Ebuka announced the eviction of another fan-favourite housemate Cross leaving the top three of the season- Whitemoney, Liquorose and Pere.

The second runner-up of the season predictably turned out to be the General himself and the king of the Patriots, Pere. The 36-year-old had an intriguing run on the show from joining as a wild card to his spot in the finals getting nearly lost to Angel.

And to the moment fans anticipated all night. With the strongest contenders finally toe-to-toe, the season finale was certainly unlike the previous season where the winner, Laycon was predictable weeks ahead.

Speaking of the previous season, Laycon’s performance preceded performances from Lojay, Ajebo Hustlers and the biggest announcement of the night confirming Whitemoney as the winner of the ‘Shine Ya Eye’ season.

Whitemoney won the season in a landslide victory scooping 47% of viewers votes. Liquorose came second place with 22.99% of votes.

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Entertainment / Music / News

Rotimi and Vanessa Mdee welcome baby boy

American music star Rotimi has welcomed a baby with his wife, Vanesaa Mdee.

The multi-talented actor and singer took to his Instagram page on Wednesday, September 29, 2021, where he announced the big news.

“Seven Adeoluwa Akinosho,” he captioned the photo of his baby and wife’s fingers.

The couple first announced that they were expecting their first child together some weeks ago.

Rotimi proposed to Mdee back in December 2020 at a very colorful ceremony.

They made their relationship public back in 2019.

The ‘Power’ actor hinted to everyone about their relationship after he posted a photo of himself and Mdee all loved up.

Interestingly, after the photo went viral, Mdee confirmed their relationship during an interview.

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BBNaija / Entertainment / News

BBNaija 2021: Pere reveals how he intends to spend N90 million prize

‘Shine Ya Eye’ housemate, Pere has disclosed how he intends to utilize the prize money should he emerge winner of the season.

Pere, in a chat with Biggie on Tuesday, revealed that he hopes to invest heavily in giving back to the society and is currently considering setting up a charity organization.

“I’ll find ways and avenues to give back to society; give back to the people who made it possible and just all around, be a blessing to humanity. I’m thinking about NGOs and different things in my head as well, to help me achieve that goal.” the housemate said.

In the heart to heart session with Big Brother, the 36-year-old former US soldier revealed that he hopes to help raise awareness for Asthma in children as he battled the ailment as a child until he turned 22.

“I was six months old when I started suffering from asthma and I had it up until I was 22. So as someone that suffered from asthma for 22 years, I’ll set something up to help people who are suffering from that as well. Sounds like a lot but I’m sure I can do it. Yeah, that’s what I’ll do,” he said.

Meanwhile, Pere won himself a brand new car on Tuesday from one of the final sponsored games. Recall the housemate almost missed a shot at the finals after Big Brother introduced a game twist that saw him compete alongside Angel for a spot even though he won over 20% of fan votes.

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BBNaija / Entertainment / News

BBNaija 2021: Angel reveals how her grandmother kept her a virgin

‘Shine Ya Eye’ finalist, Angel has opened up about some of the crude methods her grandmother adopted to ensure she didn’t get pregnant as a teenager.

Angel, who revealed earlier on in the show that she was born out of wedlock, recently revealed to Cross how her grandmother tried bizarre methods to avoid a repeat of history.

“There was pressure on me to not get pregnant. So she was scared. I remember she would tell me to lie down in bed to check if I’m a virgin. And that’s stupid because not every woman has a hymen.

“Some women are virgins and they don’t have hymen. I remember one time she made me swear that I was a virgin. I think I was still 16. There was a lot of fear, lot of anxiety, and a lot of everything.”

The housemate also talked about how distant she felt from her biological parents while growing up with her grandmother.

“When I was in high school, I went years without seeing my mum. The funny thing is I didn’t know my mum was my mum until I was a certain age. I thought my granny was my mum.” She said.

When Cross asked Angel how old she was when she first met her mother, she replied, “I think I found out she was my mum when I was probably like seven.”

Recall Angel had shared that her mother had her at age 16 and had to deal with the stigmatization of teenage pregnancy.

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Entertainment / Movies / News

Nollywood veteran Joke Silva celebrates 40 years in the film industry

Nigerian film industry veteran Ajoke Silva is celebrating four decades in the industry alongside her 60th birthday.

The screen and stage actress recently released stunning photos on Instagram to mark the milestone. She wrote:

“Numbers are very important to me, so this year as I turn 60, I also mark 40 years in the industry I love.”

The multiple award-winning actress has featured in over 100 productions since her career kicked off from stage. Joke landed her breakout role starring alongside Colin Firth and Nia Long in the British-Canadian film ‘The Secret Laughter of Women.’

In 2006 and 2008, the actress won the Best Actress in a Leading role and Best Actress in a Supporting role at the Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA). She has also received multiple recognitions for her contribution to arts and culture.

Silva is also one of the few veterans who made a successful transition to what has been described as the ‘new Nollywood’ era.

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Entertainment / News

‘I got into trouble with the government because of #Endsars’ – Davido tells Trevor Noah in new interview

Nigerian music star Davido has revealed how he got into trouble with the Nigerian government during the #EndSars protest in 2020. The singer made this known during his guest appearance at Trevor Noah‘s ‘The Daily Show.’

Noah asked the music star how his song ‘Fem‘ became the anthem for the movement even though the song wasn’t recorded for the protest.

“I did not record that song thinking that was going to happen. Honestly, it is amazing how I saw my voice be an instrument for the people. It was amazing…I got into a lot of trouble, I got into a lot of trouble. I had to actually leave the country it was that bad because I got into a lot of trouble,” he said. “It was amazing to see people come out like that. I’ll tell you this, they listened, they heard us. They might have changed nothing but they were shocked.”

Davido was one of the celebrities who led the #Endsars protest in 2020.

He didn’t just protest as he helped secure the release of some of the protesters who had been arrested by the police authority.

The music star joined the list of celebrities who came out to lead or join the #EndSars protests across the country and abroad.

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BBNaija / Entertainment / News

BBNaija 2021: Queen, Nini & Saga have been evicted

The semi-final lap of the ‘Shine Ya Eye’ season kicked off with yet another major prank, this time with viewers none the wiser at least for a few minutes.

Show host, Ebuka Obi-Uchendu left fans of Pere stunned after announcing the housemate’s eviction. Minutes later, Ebuka confirmed that Pere was evicted from the house and not the game.

The first real eviction of the show was later confirmed to be Queen. Having had an impressive run, the now ex-housemate revealed she will be going head-on into governance.

Shortly after Queen’s eviction announcement, Ebuka confirmed Nini as the second housemate to be officially evicted from the show. For her eviction chat, the ex-housemate spoke about her triangle relationship with Saga and her much talked about boyfriend.

The third housemate to officially exit the show turned out to be Saga which may not come as a surprise for followers of the show. In a second and final twist, Ebuka announced the eviction of housemate Angel.

A look at how fans voted:

Both Angel and Pere will be moved to a separate location in the house for another major ‘Shine Ya Eye’ move. The housemates were moved to the White room and issued what Big Brother described as the most intense games of their lives. The game of trucks and screws will afford one housemate an opportunity to join the house as the fifth finalist.

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Entertainment / Music / News

Jason Derulo and girlfriend Jena Frumes break up 4 months after birth of their son

American singer Jason Derulo and his girlfriend Jena Frumes have ended their relationship four months after giving birth to their son.

The music star announced their split via his Twitter page on Thursday, September 23, 2021.

“Jena and I have decided to part ways. She is an amazing mother but we feel being apart at this time will allow us to be the best versions of ourselves and the best parents we could be,” he tweeted.

“Pls respect our privacy in this time.”

The pair of exes welcomed son Jason King on May 8, with Derulo calling it, “The happiest day of my life.”

Derulo and Frumes meet in 2020 just before the pandemic, he told People in a recent interview.

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BBNaija / Entertainment / News

BBNaija 2021: Saga shares reason he is displeased at Nini’s return

‘Shine Ya Eye’ housemate, Saga has maintained his displeasure at his love interest Nini’s return following Big Brother’s exit prank.

The housemate made the revelation on Thursday in a chat with co-housemate Pere. He revealed that the prank forced him to display strong emotions on live television.

“I’m happy to see her but I’m still angry. I’m not happy because I even felt genuine emotions, I can’t lie. I’m not happy that I had to just display such emotions on TV like that, for nothing. That’s why I just shut up my mouth. I didn’t want to talk too much,” Saga said

In response, Pere detailed how he felt about the prank. “At some point, I knew it was a prank not until Whitemoney started talking about fake housemates, I bought it.

“If Nini was a fake housemate, I would have enrolled in a psychiatric hospital. Somebody I’ve been talking to 24/7 and for 8 weeks, I won’t know that person is fake? I didn’t even buy that one for one second.”

“So she has been playing me from the very beginning? Because I’m now a fool, I don’t have sense?” Saga responded.

Since Nini’s return from from her prank exile, Saga has expressed mixed emotions. Recall that the housemate was an emotional wreck following Nini’s exit. Several attempts to pacify him turned futile

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Entertainment / Music / News

Korede Bello’s ‘Like That’ gets certified Gold in the US

On Wednesday, September 23, 2021, Nigerian singer, Korede Bello‘s 2017 single, ‘Do Like That’ has been certified Gold in the US.

By so doing, the MAVIN Records product becomes the sixth Nigerian record to be certified Gold this decade, after records by Burna Boy, Davido and Wizkid.

Currently, the song has 120 million streams on YouTube. This comes after news that Wizkid’s ‘Essence’ has been certified platinum in the US. ‘Do Like That’ has also become MAVIN’s first gold record in the US.

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Entertainment / Foreign / Music / News

The Fugees are set to visit Nigeria

On September 21, 2021, Grammy-winning Hip-Hop/R&B supergroup, The Fugees announced an international reunion tour to celebrate the 25th anniversary of their landmark 1996 album The Score.

This will bring the group, consisting of Ms. Lauryn Hill, Wyclef Jean and Pras Michel together for the first time in 15 years. Despite only releasing two albums together, their legacy is filled with classic records, which have become a staple for sampling in Hip-Hop.

Their tour, which will be produced by Live Nation will visit 12 locations, including Lagos, Nigeria – on an unannounced date – and Ghana, on December 18, 2021.

As part of the tour, then will make stops in New York, California, Georgia, London, Paris and more.

After the group went on their first hiatus, Ms. Lauryn Hill went on an incredible early solo run, which produced the classic album, Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, which won five Grammy awards in one 1999 night.

Wyclef Jean has also become a cultural staple, with several platinum records, and strong affiliations to Nigeria.

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Entertainment / News

Davido’s official photographer, Fortune is reportedly dead

There are reports that Davido’s official photographer, Fortunate Umurname Peter is dead.

According to several posts on social media, the celebrity photographer passed away on Tuesday, September 21, 2021.

“Davido’s photographer Fortune is dead. Jesus Christ. F**k I’m heartbroken, he’s my friend. I’m so heartbroken. It shouldn’t have been fortune God, he’s hardworking, very ambitious, he worked so hard to gain the spot he achieved like wtf,” one of the tweets read.

He was the brain behind most of Davido’s photos on Instagram and a member of his crew.

Fortune was born and raised in Bariga, Lagos but hails from Owerri in Imo state.

He was 24 years old.

Until his death, the celebrity photographer worked with several celebrities including Davido, Pogba, Popcaan, Lil baby, Cassanova, Mayorkun, Wizkid, Jidenna, Tiwa Savage, Burna Boy, Patoranking, Akon, DMW and many more.

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Entertainment / Music / News

Tems talks about Drake, new album, her mom and more as her ‘Interference’ perfomance goes viral on social media

On Monday, September 20, 2021, Nigerian singer, Tems appeared on Hot 97‘s Ebro In The Morning, to discuss with Laura Stylez and Ebro Darden – who also works for Apple Music.

After some humorous reluctance during the chat, she admits that her rise has been meteoric. She also spoke about her mom’s reaction to her current success.

When she was asked about ‘Fountains‘ featuring Drake, she says, “Drake played me a beat and he was like, “Would you hop on this?”

“I was like, “Yeah, of course.” And that was basically how it went. That song was recorded [virtually]. I recorded my part in Nigeria.”

When she appeared on Africa Now Radio with Lootlove, she says that, “Honestly, it’s unbelievable, literally. When I said I wanted to work with Drake, I just said it. I wasn’t thinking about it. I used to listen to Drake all the time when I was in high school and growing up and it was just the first thing that came to my mind.

“And for me to actually meet him, work with him, it’s just crazy. It’s crazy and that’s a full testament to God’s blessings, honestly. I can’t quantify how grateful I am, because it’s not anything I did, I’m just making music. And it just seems like I’m attracting all these people and I’m just so grateful honestly.”

She also spoke about her EP, IF ORANGE WAS A PLACE and how it would be different from her album.

She says, “The album is going to be a different thing, definitely. I don’t do the same… I’m someone who likes to do new things all the time.. I have so many experiences that I need to release through my songs. Definitely all new…”

On the EP title

When Tems spoke with Lootlove, she says that, “First of all, orange is my favourite fruit. And if you find a very sweet orange and you really dig into it, it’s just busting with brightness and like

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Entertainment / Music / News

Hennessy Artistry 2021 Cyphers – Meet the artists

Nicholas Ihua-Maduenyi, popularly known as PsychoYP is a Nigerian trap/hip-hop artiste who has garnered a large underground hip-hop fan base of new age music lovers in Nigeria.

Born and raised in Abuja, his rap career started in 2016 with the release of his “Lost in The Sauce” EP.

The multi-faceted artist has a diverse sound that cuts across trap, rap, grime, R&B and hip-hop.

As one of Nigeria’s fastest-rising rappers, he featured on over 34 released songs in 2020, making him the most featured artist in Nigeria of 2020.

His sophomore mixtape “YPSZN2”, which he released in 2019 was nominated for “Best Rap Album” at the 14th Headies Awards.

His music catalog has achieved over 15 million streams across all digital platforms independently and his biggest singles include “OGA (remix)” featuring YCEE, Dremo & Blaqbonez, and “National Anthem”.

Aptly crowned the Fresh Prince of Nigerian Rap, PsychoYP is charting his way to the top in the new wave of urban music, breaking barriers in Nigeria and beyond.

We can’t wait to hear him on the Hennessy Artistry Cypher 2021!

Ebuka Alex Ojini-Ntamere who goes by the stage name Alpha Ojini, is a Nigerian musical artiste who wears the many hats of a rapper, producer. and sound engineer.

He released his first studio project “No Silence”, a self-produced 10-track project in 2010.

This was followed in 2011 by another 10-track project “The Road to R.U.S.H”, consisting only of covers of popular songs; he recorded this entire project in a 4-hour session, which is mind-blowing. In 2014.

Alpha released his third body of work, a 6-track self-produced EP titled “My Own Horns: The JazzRap Project”.

In 2019, he released his highly anticipated rap album, “Chvmeleon”, which has gone on to have over 2 million streams on major music platforms across the world.

He has worked with major acts such as MI, Blaqbonez, Hotyce, Oxlade, Ycee, and PsychoYP.

His mentor in the industry is MI and he has close affiliations with rapper, Hotyce and singer, Oxlade. Alpha promises

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BBNaija / Entertainment / News

BBNaija’s Alex advises men and women to work on themselves before finding partners

Alex, a former housemate of Nigeria’s most popular reality TV show, Big Brother Naija, has advised people seeking partners to work on themselves first.

The reality TV star made known via her Instagram page on Monday, September 20, 2021, while referring to one of Tiwa Savage’s songs.

“If you like, sit at home and be singing “somebody’s son go find me one day”. Don’t improve and add value to the “you” that wants to be found. Even Tiwa Savage that recorded the song doesn’t sit at home doing nothing,” she wrote.

“This applies to the guys too 😒. Don’t go looking for somebody’s daughter without adding value and working on yourself 😒. I come in peace ✌🏾.” 

Alex was one of the popular housemates from the third season of Big Brother Naija.

The multi-talented media personality came third in that season.

She has since gone on to dabble in different things including modelling, acting and content creation.

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Crime / Entertainment / Music / News

Rapper Vector speaks against cult clashes

Nigerian rapper Olanrewaju Ogunmefun popularly known as Vector has slammed the incessant cases of cult clashes in the country.

The music star made his frustrations known via his Instagram page on Monday, September 20, 2021.

“If them kill you, you go like am? Let’s make it clear that the killings of the youth by the youth is a horrible idea. If you belong to a gang and you are reading this, know that killing each other doesn’t make you harder or rugged,” he wrote.

“If anything it makes you a destroyer of life and purpose. You too will open your mouth and say “Nigeria don spoil finish”… Wetin make you different from the people wey Dey spoil am because na Nigerians be Nigeria.”

“If you are truly a free man, we will know by how many men you influence out of the mental slavery around. If you have an argument that the people I’m taking to are not here, you can share where you know they are. #Gangwarisnotfreedom.”

Vector is a Nigerian rapper and songwriter.

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Crime / Entertainment / News

Davido lifts suspension of his aide Israel DMW

Nigerian singer Davido has lifted the suspension on his aide and trusted ally, Israel DMW.

The music star and Israel were spotted in a video together for the first time in months, putting to rest the speculations about his suspension.

In the video, Israel couldn’t hold back his excitement as he reunited with his boss and friend.

Israel fell out with the music star in August after he openly declared support for embattled Deputy Commissioner of Police, Abba Kyari.

The senior police officer has been accused of collecting bribes from Internet fraudster, Ramon Abbas also known as Hushpuppi.

After the FBI released documents implicating the celebrated officer, as one of Huspuppi’s co-conspirators, Israel took to Instagram to say that he stands with the Deputy Commissioner of Police no matter what.

His comments were said to have led to his alleged dismissal from DMW.

He later took to social media where he appealed to well-meaning Nigerians to help save his job.

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BBNaija / Entertainment / News

BBNaija 2021: Yousef and Saskay have been evicted

The week’s eviction show got off to a quick start with a recap of what happened during the week.

As usual, the host Ebuka Obi-Uchendu first got into chit-chat with the housemates.

To the business of the evening, Yousef was the first housemate to be evicted on Sunday night.

After another round of chit-chatting with housemates, Ebuka announced the name of the next evicted housemate.

Unfortunately, the second housemate that exited the game was Saskay. Ebuka got to speak with the evicted housemates about their future plans. For Yousef, he hopes to explore the movie industry while Saskay would be concentrating on two personal projects including a health facility.

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Entertainment / Foreign / News

Chris Rock tests positive for Covid-19

American comedian Chris Rock has tested positive for COVID-19 and is urging his followers to get vaccinated.

The comedian took to his Twitter page on Sunday, September 19, 2021, where he revealed his symptoms.

“Hey guys I just found out I have COVID, trust me you don’t want this. Get vaccinated,” he tweeted.

Rock, 56, has been vocal in the fight against COVID throughout the pandemic—and even surprised New Yorkers by appearing at one of former Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s press conferences to urge mask-wearing.

Rock joins the list of celebrities who have been infected with the virus globally.

From Tom Hanks and his wife to comedian, Kevin Hart, the list of high-profile people who have been infected with the dreaded virus appears to be rising.

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