Former Big Brother Naija ‘Pepper Dem’ housemate Ike Onyema has opened up about his biggest regret from the 2019 edition of the reality show.
The reality star said he wishes he had approached the competition with more emotion, admitting he misunderstood what it took to emerge as the winner.
Speaking during an interview with Kaptain Jeff TV, Onyema explained that he initially believed excelling in tasks alone would be enough to secure the grand prize.
According to him, he later realised that connecting emotionally with viewers was just as important as performing well in the house.
“I regret not crying. If I knew what the show was, guy, I’d have been in that house doing emotional displays, crying up and down. But I thought if I went in there, won all my challenges and kept winning, I’d win the money,” he said.
The reality TV star disclosed that he earned less than ₦4m from his first appearance on the show despite winning several tasks.
“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 most of the rewards came in bits of “₦500,000 here, ₦300,000 there.”
Reflecting on his relationship in the house, Onyema said he had no regrets about dating a fellow contestant, insisting it was genuine rather than a strategy for the cameras.
“For me, it was a normal relationship. I even think I tried because, normally, like I said, I’m not really a relationship person. I’m focused on business. How can I make this? How can I do that?” he said.
Asked whether he regretted the relationship, Onyema 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.
“See, I would try different ways. I would win that money. But other than that, I wouldn’t change anything.”
The entrepreneur also explained why he chose to relocate to Nigeria despite being born in the United States, saying the country offered entrepreneurs greater freedom to establish businesses.
According to him, obtaining a liquor licence in Nigeria was significantly easier than in the US.
“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.
“When I was in the US, I tried to get a liquor licence to sell drinks. Do you know how many months and how many times I applied? They rejected me over and over. So the freedom here is sweet,” he said.
He, however, noted that making money in Nigeria required greater effort.
“But to make money the way you want, you have to think and work a lot harder here than you would over there.
“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 added.
Onyema also said he was inspired by the resilience and optimism of many Nigerians despite economic hardship.
“Another thing that shocked me was the spirit of the people. Everybody was so happy. You could even see a street boy who hadn’t eaten for two days, but he’d wake up that morning thanking God.
“He’s smiling. He’s joyful. Somehow, you give him ₦1,000 and he’s happier than ever,” he said.
Speaking on his financial journey, the reality TV star admitted making costly mistakes by spending excessively on image-related expenses and investing in businesses without 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 said.
Asked whether women had contributed to his financial mistakes, Onyema dismissed the suggestion.
“That’s why I thank God. The thing I want has been hard to get—money. But the thing I don’t want, women, is too easy,” he said.
(The Sun)