I’m Hurt That Some Housemates Didn’t Congratulate Me — Ilebaye

In an interview on Chude Jideonwo’s #WithChude, Ilebaye Odiniya, winner of Big Brother Naija All Stars, shares her feelings of hurt due to the lack of congratulations from certain housemates when she was declared the victor of the reality TV show.

She revealed that the absence of congratulations from her fellow housemates served as a painful reminder of her past.

She discussed how a past betrayal at a young age had left her cautious about forming friendships, the loneliness she endured in the Big Brother house, and the battle with depression following her initial appearance on the show.

“I am still hurt that I didn’t get congratulations from some of the housemates because I know that if I were in their shoes, I would be happy for them", she stated. 

In the bathroom scene with Ike, she said, "I felt sad and lonely, I was like what did I do to deserve this? Even if I have done something to hurt you, you should have just come to me to talk about it, not throwing my clothes. I just felt like ‘God open the ground let it swallow me’. My energy just went low."

In discussing her approach to returning for the All-Stars season, she highlighted that her primary aim was to have fun.

She said that her main strategy was to pray and believe she would reach the finals.

She clarified that her victory was not achieved by gaining public sympathy through claims of bullying, stating, “I think that is false because my win is by grace. This is my year, what is meant for you is going to be for you.

“I feel like I was prepared for the journey because my going in and coming out in the third week the first time was a taste of it the first time. I also think that people genuinely loved me for who I am not because of pity.”

Ilebaye discussed her feelings of being misunderstood and treated unfairly by fellow housemates.

“I was misunderstood a lot, I went through a lot, people did stuff to hurt me. I wouldn’t say I was bullied but rather I was treated unfairly.”

Regarding her relationships with male housemates, she explained her interactions with Prince and Cross.

She stated that her interest in Prince was founded on their shared conversations and intelligence, while her connection with Cross was more about companionship.