I’ve no regrets being in Big Brother – Kemen

Ekemini Ekerete more popularly known as Kemen was one of the housemates at the last edition of Big Brother Naija. He spoke to Daily Trust on Saturday about his experiences being on the show and moving beyond the controversies.    Weekend Magazine: Why did you decide to go for the Big Brother Naija competition? Kemen:  […]

Ekemini Ekerete more popularly known as Kemen was one of the housemates at the last edition of Big Brother Naija. He spoke to Daily Trust on Saturday about his experiences being on the show and moving beyond the controversies. 

 

Weekend Magazine: Why did you decide to go for the Big Brother Naija competition?

Kemen:  As far as Africa is concern the Big Brother show is the biggest entertainment platform you can ever want to be part of. As a creative young man based in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, who has always wanted to take his craft and creativity to a bigger space, there was no better platform to try out than Big Brother. 

WM: How was the experience?

Kemen: Life changing. I can never say I am the same person I was be before the house. It has given me more visibility, more goodwill as well as the hate. It is easy now to access certain places than before. I now meet people I had dreamt of meeting, I do business with them and relate with them. I met wonderful people in the house. This is what I wanted. I met wonderful people. Every housemate was unique in their own different ways and this helped me to know and understand how to cope with different people’s ideologies.

WM: You were evicted because of the fracas with TBoss. How have you dealt with it?

Kemen: At this point in my life, at this time of the day, just like Tboss and I, the whole world is tired of hearing that. I think the most important question is, have you learnt your lesson? Yes. What lesson have you learnt? Consciousness; being conscious of my environment and the people around me. Sometimes you avoid certain things, because you understand that you might not have the opportunity to explain yourself in a way that people would understand. I remember a lot of people who did not even watch the program for a day, heard of the incident and formed their own opinion. Am I ready to change the narratives? Yes, I am. Not just because I am a better person myself, but to help young people carry on with their lives to avoid being victims of similar circumstances. Although I was able to come out of it with my head up high, a lot of people may not be able to.

WM: What was your most shocking comment that was a misrepresentation of you?

Kemen: They called me a rapist and there was nothing like that. People called me all sorts of names. The truth is people judge you from their level of understanding and their personality. If you let it hit you, it means you’re losing your personality to them. I know who I am and who I was before the house. All I needed to do was hold on to that, until my personality saved me. I just met a woman who said, “I hated you in the house but I think you’re really a cool guy.” That’s what it is all about. It is not about what happened to me but what I made out of it. 

WM: How difficult was it to be yourself in the house?

Kemen: It was difficult. We could only try to be ourselves. Whatever has rules can never let you be your totals self. Even when you go for a job interview and an interviewer tells you to be yourself it’s difficult. One of the criteria of even being attended to is to dress probably in a suit or a tie. What if that were not being me, in the first place? Anything that has rules, doesn’t allow you be yourself. 

WM: What was the fun part?

Kemen: The Saturday parties was just a way of reducing the plenty tension in the house, the tasks, challenges, competition, the little arguments, the confusions. It was just like a day out of life to just breathe. It was memorable for me.

WM: Who were you closest to in the house? 

Kemen:  Marvis was my day one friend. We met at the auditions in Port Harcourt. We both never knew we made it to the house but while we were going through the process, we knew we had to represent the south. She saw me like a brother, I saw her like a sister too. We had each other’s backs. She never disappointed me for one day and till now, we are very cool friends.

WM: You have gone on to Nollywood now. What have you done so far?

Kemen:  I have been a part of three productions. One is ‘5th Floor’ on iROKOtv. It was a nervous performance. There’s also ‘Heiress’ which is going to be the first epic series in Nollywood. But fitness is my first love. There’s a lot to do with fitness in Nigeria and I’ve always had big plans for fitness. I’m building my brand.

WM: Before Big Brother you don’t have any plans of acting?

Kemen: I was a big critic of the Nigerian film industry, before the era of Emem Isong, Kunle Afolayan and the rest. I didn’t want to go in from where I was then knowing how difficult would be for me to move because of my location. I have a stage play background. I knew that if I had the opportunity I would not be too bad. Big Brother gave me the platform to enter the industry as I wanted; not too low but at the level where you’re seen and if you’re good enough, appreciated.   

WM: How would you advise new entrants in the house?

Kemen: Well, just the same advice people gave me to be myself. But I’m going to add the part not usually said ‘it will be very difficult to be yourself and in trying to be yourself try not to be that side of you that you will have a problem with.’ We all have our dark sides. So when they say be yourself trust me the society doesn’t want to see that self of yours that’s your bad self. They always went to see the good side. People always say be yourself we are all humans but when they see that part they are like you good and hold back the bad part of you until you can totally handle it and be a guy that will be good to yourself and society.

*WM: While in the house, were you worried about comments from viewers?

Kemen: Well, not like I regret it totally, but I would I had the worst outing. It was not just the write ups on the screen but what was happening on the social media. I came out and I went straight to social media against warnings that I shouldn’t. The things happening there can kill you. I saw everything in the heat of it. I won’t lie that I didn’t have my down moments. I almost wanted to have regrets, but I said to myself, “Stay up. You had your plans before going to the house. They might be delayed but not stopped.” I read through a comment were I have 99 negatives and one positive. I held on to that one positive and would close my phone on that, for the day.  That kept my day going, until my social media page went from 100% hate to now 0% hate.

WM: If you’re to do things differently what would it be?

Kemen: I would do nothing differently, but I would do everything moderately.