“How far?”
That’s how Ebuka Obi-Uchendu kicked off Big Brother Naija Season 10’s very first Live Show, and honestly, it couldn’t be more fitting. After a week of kitchen chaos (including Koyin’s first teary meltdown), back-to-back breakdowns (Mensan’s now-iconic crash-out turned joy session?), power tussles (Jason Jae vs. Rooboy scream-fest), and a pool party that served more steam than splash, this season is already clocking a certified 10/10 on the mayhem scale.
Coming in live from Lagos, Nigeria, the show opened with big energy and even bigger shade. Ebuka, draped in a burgundy velvet agbada vest, embroidered with gold emblems and dripping in coral beads, gave the 29 housemates their flowers for delivering a blockbuster first week. No zero, no minus! After all, it hasn’t even been a full week since these housemates swore on big vibes and ‘max vawulense’ during last weekend’s double launch spectacle.
But true to his table-shaking form, he didn’t stop at hype. “Denari, happy birthday man,” he smiled warmly, before turning to Mide with a teasing jab: “She looked bored at the pool party.”
That’s vintage Ebuka: mix the roses with a few thorns and watch tension bloom. Denari smiled from ear-to ear as the host added flair to an already festive day, following a round of housemate-led birthday cheer. Unfortunately, the goodwill didn’t buy him immunity. The nominations held steady. And for Mide, and the 10/10 house at large, the spicy swipe about disappearing acts might give her something to ponder on in the coming week.
The Live Show looked at the week that set the tone for a 10/10 experience, and this is what arose from the scorching blaze:
Heavy is the crown
One week in, and the race for dominance has already begun. The housemates wasted no time diving into the first Head of House challenge, where Jason Jae snapped up the interim crown. As Ebuka quipped, “So quick, they named him twice.” But with BBNaija, nothing stays settled for long.
Jason was forced to defend his title just a day later during the Head of House Challenger. He held on, with a little sweat, a lot of nerves, and traces of competitive energy. Not everyone’s keen on that seat of power, though. When Ebuka asked Kuture why he seemed hesitant to pursue HoH, the answer went viral: “It is easier to control animals than humans.” Yikes.
Tracy chimed in with a more measured take: “It’s a lot of responsibility”, and she’s not wrong. In this house, leadership paints a target on your back. Even Rooboy wasn’t having it earlier in the week. Following his explosive confrontation with Jason Jae, he told Big Brother in the Diary Room that the reigning Head of House needed to step up and run a secure government. “A leader should lead,” he said, making it clear Jason Jae was on his own, before the two reconciled.
From Wagers to woes
And the first Wager Task Presentation? A full-blown flop. After a chaotic week of kitchen bans (it took Kaybobo days to live down his plate embargo), side-eyes, and emotional whirlwinds, the housemates failed to deliver anything resembling teamwork. Ebuka didn’t miss a beat: Did their 10/10 drama minus one – focus on working together? Ouch.
The season’s first run of Diary Room sessions, meanwhile, offered everything we expected and more. We got some nerves, name drops, and wild theories. Ebuka rolled the tape and then returned with an even spicier question: Is there a fake housemate in the house? Imisi, clearly stunned by this bomb, stuttered her way around and eventually guessed that, if there were ever an industry plant in the house, it would be Doris. Sounds like a fresh wave of paranoia is officially on the air.
‘Clash of the Tens’
Then came the look back at the first pool party, where bodies, beats, and beefs set a heated tone above the blue waters.
And, while some housemates went full throttle during the first week, others quietly vanished into the background. Bright Morgan brushed it off with, “I’m always on standby,” while Joanna insisted it was just a vibe thing, not intimidation, that would cause some housemates to slip under the radar.
But on this show, absence is an act. Ebuka took the hint and threw in a classic twist. One by one, he called all housemates to stand – lights pulsing, music building, the room on edge. Nominations? Fake. Evictions? Not yet. But the tension? All too real.
The show closed with Ebuka’s final reminder: “This week was fun, but next week, the real game begins”. That is, the next nominations will be real, and so will the evictions. And, he continued, votes are the only way to keep one’s favourite housemate in the house.
If this first week was a taste of what’s coming, Season 10 might just go down as BBNaija’s most iconic chapter yet. There is one crown, one mysterious red telephone, and one house where the bag refuses to sit still. The game is on!
Watch BBNaija season 10 unfold live 24/7, on DStv Channel 198, GOtv Channel 49, and on Showmax. Follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok for all the gist. BBNaija season 10 is proudly brought to you by our Gold sponsor, Guinness Nigeria.