Big Brother Africa: Who is IK Osakioduwa?

HE ain’t Big Brother, but he comes pretty close as the Big Brother Africa host. He is the new face at the helm of the Big Brother Africa Revolution series and gets to mingle with the housemates and is their only link to the outside world. Question is, who is IK really? The Namibian chatted to the man himself yesterday.

Who is IK?I am just another gentleman from Nigeria. I have a background in entertainment; I’ve done some radio work as well as television. I think of myself as an entertainer, I love to talk, to hang out and to make friends. That’s about me in a nutshell.How big are you in Nigeria?I think I may be the wrong person to ask because I’m the subject. I think Nigerians would be able to answer this question. I’m on the radio and also on TV sometimes and people who see or hear me on radio and television often come up to me and tell me they saw me on television. But I can’t really estimate how big I am.Are you available?No, I’m married. I got married in October last year and I have one child.How did you get the job?It was kind of similar to how the housemates were chosen actually. I went for auditions just like everyone else. We were quite a lot who auditioned.Were you a fan of the show before?I was and am still definitely a big fan. I’ve been a big fan of all the shows so far. There are times when you tell yourself that you’ll only watch for one hour and before you know it, you’ve been glued to your television screen for three hours, and later on you realise it’s been a whole day. You find yourself watching the housemates eat, sleep, talk, I mean it’s just addictive. How do you feel to be the host of such a big show?I feel great; I think it’s a huge compliment. The production could have picked anybody to host the show from Africa but instead they chose me, which is really a big compliment for me. I’m learning so much every day. It’s a great show to learn from.Did you ever apply to become a housemate?(Laughs) No, unfortunately I’m not that brave. The housemates are very brave people. If ever I had to be a housemate, I think at some point I would become shy just thinking of the viewers out there looking at me sleeping, taking a shower or even listening to me snore. I’m just not that brave.What other projects are you involved in at the moment other than Big Brother? Big Brother Africa Revolution is very, very time consuming. My job as a host doesn’t really give me enough time to concentrate on other things as there is also a lot that I’m involved in behind the scenes. There is just no time to concentrate on other things at all. What excites you the most about being the Big Brother host?There are a lot of things actually. I like the fact that I get to meet all the housemates first before they enter the house, the interaction, and I believe that by people seeing you on television enables you to reach a lot of people on that level. What do you think is the attribute of your personality that makes you a good host?I think I’m a bit flexible. Everyone comes into a production with a certain mindset and I came in with the mindset to learn and the production team makes my job a whole lot easier. It’s because of their efforts that I’m doing great because they make me look good. I’m really learning a lot.What do you think about the housemates?I really like all the housemates and I’m not just saying that. The truth is that all of them have great characters and all have the elements that make for good TV. The producers really did a great job in picking them and I’m sure the viewers will be glued to their TV screens.Are you aware that your coat, the one you wore on Sunday during the launch, is getting a lot of comment in the blogosphere?Yes, I’m quite aware of that. Well, I trust the wardrobe people a lot, and as with all things, there will be some people who will like what I will wear and there will be those who won’t like it. But I don’t have to think about the wardrobe. Whatever the wardrobe people give me is what I like to wear.Have you used your fame to ‘benefit’?(Laughs.) I’ve never thought of myself as having fame, but I have never used my fame deliberately to ‘benefit’ in any way. Sometimes you find people giving you special treatment because of who you are but you can’t really help it. But I’ve never manipulated people based on who I am.No shower hour. What is your comment on this?It’s a revolution and things change with a revolution. It could have been anything, it could have been the nature of the tasks, or them sharing one bed, or anything else. The shower hour was just one thing that changed in the revolution. It wasn’t based on the context but just on giving the show a different look.How do you like the idea of the twins?It’s a brilliant idea, it’s very interesting. I’m enjoying it and I hope everyone else is enjoying it too. I definitely think it was a great addition to the show this year.Are the girls coming in any good?I haven’t met any of them yet and will only meet them the day they enter the house. The producers are doing a lot to make sure that their identities are kept a secret. I am sure that they will be good because the same people who picked the guys are the same people who picked them, and as we’ve seen with the guys, they are good thus far.What other surprises are in store?That’s a very difficult question and I think if I tell you I’ll ruin it for the people who will be watching the show. But there are a lot of surprises in store and I think the viewers will be surprised by what awaits them.* You can watch Big Brother Africa 24 hours a day on DStv channel 198. The daily show, live nominations and eviction shows will be broadcast on M-Net Africa (DStv channel 102). Africa Magic (DStv channel 107) will broadcast all repeats.