Big Brother Naija housemate Tacha expelled after physical fight.

M-Net’s Big Brother reality-TV franchise in Africa continues to be mired in unsafe house conditions with another housemate who got expelled abruptly on Friday after she got involved in a physical fight with another contestant named Mercy in Big Brother Naija.

Despite multiple statements by MultiChoice and M-Net during previous seasons of Big Brother Africa and Big Brother Naija to do more to safeguard the safety of contestants in the camera house, in the latest incident of the 4th season of Big Brother Naija, Anita Natacha Akide, known as Tacha, was disqualified and booted from the Lagos-based camera-house in Nigeria.

It happened after she started arguing with Mercy – an incident that turned physical with Tacha going as far as pulling Mercy by the hair.

The ugly altercation – the latest in a string of shocking behaviour that has plagued previous seasons of the M-Net version of the show done across Africa – started when a scroll sent into the house was taken by Mercy who took her time to read it, which lead to Tascha calling her “a stupid girl”. 

The verbal fighting kept escalating and turned physical, while other housemates pretended not to see Tacha’s physical assault on Mercy.

A producer announced to the contestants in the Diary Room that “The Big Brother Naija rulebook clearly states in Article 18 sub-section 1 that, other types of violence, including provocation, goading, bullying, and victimisation may be punished by Big Brother in any way Big Brother chooses” after which Tacha was expelled. 

It leaves 8 housemates in the show done according to the Endemol Shine sold format, and Mercy with two warnings for provocation.

In a statement MultiChoice once again said that “MultiChoice and the show producers are committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of all housemates in the Big Brother house at all times. We view incidents such as occurred with Tacha and Mercy in a very serious light and will continue to take necessary action against housemates who break the strict rules of Big Brother.”

The Big Brother Naija finale will take place on 9 October and is shown on MultiChoice’s DStv satellite pay-TV service in Nigeria as well as across sub-Saharan Africa, including South Africa.

It’s the first time in 13 years since 2006 that a season of Big Brother Naija is produced from inside Nigeria, having used South African production facilities previously.

Planning to introduce a 'TV nudity ban' bill and furious over the sex-filled series, Nigeria's government lies and says its taking MultiChoice and M-Net's Big Brother Naija to rival StarTimes - although it doesn't have the format rights.

Saying it plans to introduce a "TV nudity ban" bill and furious over the crude, lewd and lascivious latest season of Big Brother in Nigeria beamed across sub-Sahara Africa on DStv, the Nigerian government lied over the weekend saying that it is in negotiations with the MultiChoice pay-TV rival, China's StarTimes, to take Big Brother Naija to StarTimes for a version that "that will reflect the true Nigerian culture".

Neither the Nigerian government nor China's StarTimes has or owns the format for Big Brother that belongs to the EndemolShine Group.

The format licensing rights to do a customised Big Brother Naija was acquired and is being held by M-Net, M-Net West Africa and the MultiChoice Group, which means that no African government like Nigeria nor StarTimes can do another Big Brother Naija version or something resembling it even if they wanted to.

Both the Nigerian government and Nigeria's National Council of Women Societies (NCWS) have condemned the nudity and sexual content in the latest 4th season of Big Brother Nigeria that produced from a studio in Lagos for the first time since 2006 and shown by MultiChoice Nigeria in that country, but also across the rest of Africa on DStv.

Segun Runsewe, director-general of the National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC), and Gloria Shoda, president of Nigeria's National Council of Women Societies (NCWS) have laid complaints about Big Brother Naija at Nigeria's notorious censorship board, the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC).

Segun Runsewe is also pushing for a "TV nudity ban" bill for Nigerian television that previously failed, to ban and punish so-called "sex acts" broadcast on television, saying "We are going to represent that bill".

"I will take up the issue of Big Brother Naija. I have spoken with officials of the National Broadcasting Commission because what is going on now, is terrible. Having love affairs on the screen is not part of our own culture at all."

"Let me tell Nigerians that a new Big Brother Naija is on its way and we are working with StarTimes. We are doing a Big Brother Naija that will reflect the true Nigerian culture. We are already working on it. All that will be eaten there will be Nigerian food. The dresses will be Nigerian dresses."

In 2008 Nigeria had a so-called Nudity Bill entitled "A Bill for an Act to punish and prohibit nudity, sexual intimidation and other-related offences in Nigeria" which went nowhere.

Gloria Shoda who apparently watched the Big Brother Naija "sex content, called it "disgusting" and said that "Having live sex on stage is the thing affecting my sensibility and it is impacting negatively on the young children coming up".

"Does it mean that they [contestants] can't abstain from sex for three months? I'm condemning the sex content on Big Brother Niaja," said Gloria Shoda over the weekend.

On Monday morning MultiChoice Africa was asked for comment about the Nigerian government interfering with a private pay-TV company's television production, and for the Nigerian government lying about doing a Big Brother Niaja version with rival StarTimes to which neither has any format licensing rights.


MultiChoice Africa: 'Not aware of any filed complaint or alternative show'
TVwithThinus asked MultiChoice Africa for comment on both the Nigerian government allegedly filing a complaint with the NBC, and the Nigerian government's claim of starting a Big Brother Naija version with China's StarTimes Nigeria.

"We have not received any notification of an official enquiry into Big Brother Naija so we are not aware of any filed complaint," said MultiChoice Africa.

"For the second question, we are also not aware of any plans the government might have with regards to the production of an alternative reality show."

"We remain committed to being Africa’s number one storyteller for our customers. We’re proud of our investment in the Big Brother Naija show that not only delivers exciting, quality local video entertainment content that resonates with viewers across Africa but also ensures that local talent is showcased on a platform that positively contributes towards igniting Africa’s creative industries."