Exclusive Interview With Vina- "My boyfriend and I have put what I did with Lomwe behind us"

Malvina (Vina) Longpet was one of the two Nigerian in the recently concluded Big Brother Amplified reality TV show. Although she lost to a fellow countrywoman, Karen Igho and Wendell Parson of Zimbabwe, she told Senior Correspondent, Kemi Yesufu, that she is satisfied with her modest achievement. The Jos-born lady also explained some her actions during the show, life after BBA and how her boyfriend reacted to her friendship with Malawian Lomwe.

How has life been outside the Big Brother House?

It’s been hectic and overwhelming. I’ve seen people I don’t know all wanting to say hi to me. Being outside the house is just crazy. The best thing for me do is to stop and take pictures, because at the end of the day, the people who stop to say hello are the ones that made me who I am today.

Do the things happening around you now tally with what you imagined post Big Brother life would be like?

I did expect that people would walk up and say hi but I didn’t expect that people would stop the car I am in just to take a photo of me or to say hello. The other day, a member of the National Assembly stopped my car just to give me his card. I never thought that somebody that high up would go out of his way to say hello. I feel blessed by the show of love.

Going by the reputation of Abuja lawmakers, some of whom are known for their love for women, don’t you think the man who gave you the card did so because he felt that you are pretty?

I really don’t know about that. It feels good for a man to think I am pretty. But I think his giving me a card is more of a gesture not that he is interested in me. People who stop to say hello recognise me as a BBA housemate and all they want to do is take pictures.

Aside from fans wanting to meet you have you had calls from people with business proposals?

My management team is in Lagos; I am here in Abuja to see friends and family. I can’t tell you anything right now until I speak with those who manage my career. But whatever I do I will still be doing stuff to help the youth.

BBA is not liked in some quarters and some even the criticised the minister of youth development for hosting you and Karen. Have you had negative reactions coming your way?

No, I haven’t had any negative treatment. If there were negative comments about the minister hosting us, I think it’s coming from people who don’t understand. Karen and I as young people did our part in changing perceptions about Nigerians during the show. We went to the Big Brother Africa house to correct the image created about Nigerians by the foreign media. Karen and I showed that Nigerians could go the distance. People saying that the minister hosting us was not a good idea must have their own reasons for saying something like that. But for me, going to BBA house was just to raise awareness about Nigeria as a country with great potentials.

For most viewers, you and Karen were so different. It’s hard to believe that you guys could have worked together in promoting the country. Do you think you did a good job of selling Nigeria?

Yes, we are different. But we also have something in common. We are strong personalities. And when two strong personalities meet, there are bound to be disagreements. But even here in Nigeria we don’t all behave the same way. There are people who are calm like me while there are loud ones like Karen. So I guess we ended up showing both sides of Nigerians.

Why didn’t you and Karen get along during the show?

I did try to get along with her and she also tried to get along with me. Karen is outgoing while I am reserved and she just says it as it is. For instance if we have an argument and we settle things, I don’t care if you are from my country or anywhere else, I want things to be over once we apologise to each other. But with Karen, she gets me upset, apologises and few days later the same thing would repeat itself. We didn’t understand each other and that explains why we had problems in the house.

Your colleagues at Kiss FM hosted you to a party which Karen was expected to attend but she didn’t and some people blamed this on your friends’ inability to pay her appearance fees. The other reason given for Karen’s absence was that she wasn’t feeling too well. What really happened?

She couldn’t travel because her leg was swollen from the injury she had in the BBA house. If I were in her shoes, I wouldn’t risk flying with a swollen leg. Our relationship is good. If we have to work together, we definitely will.

Karen promised to give housemates part of her prize money, have you gotten your share?

Just like Karen said she is in shock and still trying to let the reality sink in. And like she said, the money is cooling in the bank. If she was to offer me the money, I will take it. But I won’t keep it for myself; rather I will use it for the charity I talked about during the show. You know my plan was to help less privileged kids with 10 percent of the prize money if I had won.

Many viewers weren’t happy that you got close to Lomwe despite your advising Hanni your good friend against giving the Malawian a chance. Were the fans right to be displeased with you?

I heard people weren’t happy about what happened but those who watched the show 24 hours understand what went on between the three of us. Hanni had told me a number of times that though she liked Lomwe, she didn’t want to do anything that would cause her country embarrassment. So we agreed that whatever would happen between her and Lomwe will have to wait till the end of the show. I got friendly with Lomwe and that was it. I did tell Hanni that I was getting friendly with him. Our friendship is understandable because we both grew up in the United Kingdom and so we had a lot of things to talk about. Unfortunately, when we moved into the Tails house I heard a lot of stories about who wanted who, so I said to myself, okay, let’s play with people’s imaginations. But Kimberly too came in and she took the wrong end of the stick. I didn’t notice that Hanni and Lomwe weren’t talking on time and I also found that he nominated her when we got out. I told him it wasn’t right.

You have a relationship with Adamu Maikori the younger brother of Chocolate City boss. How did he react to you and Lomwe sleeping on the same bed?

Any guy in his shoes would have issues with what happened in the house but we have talked about it and decided that we have to move on. I know that the whole of the continent saw what happened on the show, but for me nothing great happened between Lomwe and I. I also think that my boyfriend and I have to learn how to handle things by ourselves so that if we get married, we will be able to trash out issues as a couple. Lomwe and I were just friend but I found out Africa did not see it that way. Some people even said I lost because of him.

Do you think it was a mistake getting close to the Malawian?

No. I have said it a couple of times that I know my boundaries with guys. I told myself that I had a relationship outside the house. I knew when to stop. I don’t regret becoming friends with him because I probably would have lost my mind. Most of the other housemates I thought were my friends stabbed me at the back.

If the roles were reversed would you have forgiven your boyfriend as easily as you have said he did?

I would understand with him because it’s not easy seeing the same people for three months and not get used to a few of them. It might hurt but I would let it go.

Did you feel disappointed not winning the prize money?

I was not disappointed at all. I always said to myself only one person would win the money. I would have been happy if I won, I would have been the second female and third Nigerian to win the game, but I psyched myself well enough to accept whoever emerged winner. I was happy that Karen, a Nigerian female was one of the winners.

Viewers were surprised about Wendall’s victory just as housemates wrongly predicted that Sharon O was the most likely female to win. Are you happy how the show ended?

I was shocked like the whole of Africa that Wendall won, but like I have been saying the two winners played the game right and that is why they won. Maybe Wendall’s strategy was to do and say very little and it worked for him.

Do you feel bad about other housemates nominating you frequently?

Initially, I felt that they were only playing the game. But with time I began to feel that these people really wanted me out. They saw me as a threat. But when I survived three nominations I told myself I must have been doing something right and I had to keep up with it to ensure that I get into the finals. Before I got into the house I read reports where people said the first thing to do for this season is to vote out Nigeria. It therefore didn’t come as a surprise that I was nominated a number of times.

Are you going to complete your NYSC programme?

I have begun the process to continue my service from where I stopped. To be honest, I never really planned on going away for three months; the BBA thing just happened. I know that I may have to face certain penalties but I must complete my service year because I want to live by example.