BBA Countdown 6: Karen and Wendall, a tale of two opposites

The sixth season of the reality TV show, Big Brother Africa, tagged ‘Amplified’ is the only one till date that has produced two winners — Nigerian Karen Igho and Zimbabwean Wendall Parson.

It came as a shock to the remaining housemates when host Ikponmwosa Osakioduwa announced on stage that there were to be two winners. The viewers and audience at the show were expecting the spectacular reveal of a second winner but many did not have the idea of what was to come.

Karen was easy to hate but hard not to love! She was loud, an expert at playing pranks and would not hold her tongue whenever she felt her opinion needed to be heard, thereby getting on the nerves of many housemates. She would get in very heated arguments and an hour later, she would chase the begrudged housemate all over the house pleading for forgiveness. Yet, it never stopped her from getting on that person or another person’s nerves afterwards.

A modern day lady some would say, Karen was not one to be modest about her plastic surgery-enhanced body. She was particularly very proud of her £5,250 breast implants, which she never failed to flaunt in her low-cleavage clothes. She did not even feel the need to be shy with ‘Biggie’ either. Karen would go for her diary sessions with Big Brother in her underwear, chatting so comfortably.

Karen also baffled and amused her fellow housemates and viewers all over Africa with some expressions that earned her the bimbo tag. While speaking with her fellow housemates, Karen revealed that it would cost ₤700 to travel from London to Nigeria and when one of them asked her if that was a return ticket, she said, “No! It’s for going and coming”!

It was also obvious she had a problem with reading, whenever she had to read out their task for the day. Despite her shortcomings, Africa could not help but love the boisterous Karen, so it an open secret that she was a strong contender for the ultimate prize.

However, it was a bit of a shock that the very reserved Wendall edged out the livelier and entertaining Luclay from South Africa to be the recipient of the $200,000 prize money that went to each winner. It was later speculated that Zimbabwe’s Wendall, affectionately known as the ‘virgin’ in-house after he proclaimed he was one, was made co-winner to pacify Zimbabweans, who felt Zimbabwe’s Munyaradzi of the previous season was unjustly robbed of the big prize at the last minute.

Karen, an aspiring actress and model at the time, received six country votes despite the various controversies surrounding her pre-BBA-nude pictures online, while the not-so-entertaining Wendall, who most viewers described as dull, received four country votes.

Karen now co-hosts Naija Fm’s programme, Wetin dey with on-air-personality, Ifektive. She pulled a fast one on everyone by secretly getting married and later revealing it in May 2014, while Wendall was arrested and later acquitted of a $25,000 car insurance fraud in October 2013.