Laycon has emerged winner of season five Big Brother Naija reality TV show.

He polled 60 percent of the votes cast to defeat other housemates in the grand finale hosted Ebuka Obi-Uchendu.

Dorathy scored 21.86 percent; Nengi: 15.03 percent; Neo: 1.94 percent; while Vee came last at 1.18 percent.

Laycon, real name: Olamilekan Agbeleshe, goes home with a grand prize of N85 million, amongst other potential winnings.

The grand prize is a combination of N30 million cash, a car, a duplex, home appliances and other gift items.

The Show

Big Brother Naija is a TV reality show where housemates are kept in a place for a specific period of time. The housemates are made to execute different tasks during their stay.

Evictions are usually held on Sundays where one or more housemates are usually evicted until a winner is determined at the grand finale. The winner walks home with a grand Prize at the end of the allocated time.

Season five edition which began on July 19, 2020 had 20 individuals. Housemates were nominated weekly for possible eviction and those with the least votes were evicted.

The Controversies

The show has a history of controversies among viewers. While some believe the show promotes indecency, others argue that it provides a platform for young Nigerians to showcase their talents.

Last month, Ooni of Ife, Adeyeye Ogunwusi, a foremost traditional ruler suggested that the show be cancelled as it corrupts the morals of youths. There had also been calls from some religious watchers that the show should be banned because of it’s explicit content. Protagonists however say the show is rated 18 and strictly pay-to-view.

The Effect

Housemates on the show often draw large following with fans pitching  against one another as the actions and feelings of their favourites influence them. 

A public affairs commentator, Taiwo Adedayo, claims the show unifies the country as mostly all the major tribes are usually represented. Mr. Taiwo mentioned that the show has improved with new seasons featuring tasks that tend to educate and entertain viewers .

It is left to be seen whether government regulators will find a way to keep the show within the confines of Nigerian culture.

The Big Brother concept has also been hosted in Europe, Brazil and Africa as a whole. The show was first hosted in the Netherlands in 1999.

Big Brother Naija is hosted by Multichoice and aired on DSTV and GOTV with partnerships and sponsorships from different brands.