‘I Regret Not Crying to Win BBNaija’ – Ike Onyema Reveals Biggest Mistake on Reality Show

• Former BBNaija star Ike Onyema says he regrets not using emotional tactics during the 2019 reality show, admitting he would have cried to improve his chances of winning the grand prize.

Former Big Brother Naija “Pepper Dem” housemate, Ike Onyema, has revealed that his biggest regret from the 2019 reality show was not playing a more emotional game, admitting he would have done “anything” to win the grand prize.

Speaking during an interview with Kaptain Jeff TV, Onyema said he entered the competition believing that winning tasks and challenges would be enough to emerge victorious, only to later realise that emotions also played a major role in winning viewers’ support.

“If I knew what the show was, I’d have been in that house doing emotional displays, crying up and down,” he said.

“I thought if I went in there, won all my challenges and kept winning, I’d win the money.”

The reality TV star disclosed that despite winning several tasks during the competition, he earned less than ₦4 million from his first appearance on the show.

“The first time, I can’t remember, but it shouldn’t be more than four million. It should be three point something million,” he said, explaining that the rewards came in smaller amounts, including prizes of ₦500,000 and ₦300,000.

Reflecting on his relationship with a fellow housemate during the show, Onyema insisted he had no regrets, stressing that it was genuine and not a strategy to gain public attention.

“For me, it was a normal relationship. I even think I tried because, normally, I’m not really a relationship person. I’m focused on business,” he explained.

Asked whether he regretted the relationship, he replied:

“How am I going to regret it? I enjoyed it for the time it lasted. The only thing I would change is I would try to win that money.”

He added that if given another opportunity, he would adopt a completely different strategy to secure the prize.

“I would try different ways. I would win that money. But other than that, I wouldn’t change anything.”

Onyema also spoke about relocating to Nigeria despite being born in the United States, saying he found it easier to establish businesses in Nigeria than in America.

Using his liquor business as an example, he explained that obtaining a liquor licence in Nigeria was much faster than the lengthy approval process he experienced in the United States.

“I sell drinks here. To get my liquor licence, I just had to talk to a few people, make some good contacts at the government office and do one or two things. I got my liquor licence and my store quickly,” he said.

“When I was in the US, I tried to get a liquor licence to sell drinks. They rejected me over and over. So the freedom here is sweet.”

However, he acknowledged that making money in Nigeria requires significantly more effort and resilience.

“It was when I came to Nigeria that I realised I thought I used to struggle. I didn’t know. It’s here I learned how to struggle,” he said.

The entrepreneur also praised the resilience of Nigerians, saying he was inspired by the optimism and happiness many people display despite economic hardship.

“Everybody was so happy. You could even see a street boy who hadn’t eaten for two days, but he’d wake up thanking God. You give him ₦1,000 and he’s happier than ever,” he said.

On his financial journey, Onyema admitted making several costly mistakes, including spending excessively on maintaining his public image and investing in businesses without conducting proper due diligence.

“Some of the financial mistakes I made were spending too much on photo shoots and stylists, and investing in businesses because people came with proposals and they were my friends. I didn’t properly examine the businesses,” he revealed.

When asked whether women had contributed to his financial mistakes, the former BBNaija housemate dismissed the suggestion with a light-hearted response.

“The thing I want has been hard to get—money. But the thing I don’t want, women, is too easy,” he said.