Tayo Faniran, an ex-Big Brother Africa runner-up, launched a scathing attack on the show’s producers in a lengthy Instagram post a few days ago.
Big Brother Africa Season 9, which aired in 2014, was the final season of the show, with Tanzanian actor Idris Sultan winning and Faniran ending as the runner-up.
Speaking about his ordeal to Saturday Beats, Faniran insisted that he was speaking out because he still had scars about the “injustice” done to him by the organisers who had shut him up seven years ago.
Faniran said, “The reason I am speaking up now is because I was shut up then. But what happened to me at the finale did not go away. Every day I meet fans of mine that I have never met before and when they see me, they complain to me. MultiChoice ought to have made me know at that time why I failed. Show me the votes and let me know I did not win because I did not get enough votes. But there was no proof of that nature. The pain hasn’t left me. I spoke to free myself, not because I wanted to fight. Not because I want to be against the brand, MultiChoice. I don’t feel good about the treatment I got at that time.”
The actor, who has also got knocks after his lengthy tirade on IG, said he prays that those criticising him for speaking up do not experience what he went through. He added, “They are not in my shoes, I know they don’t feel my pain so I am not hurt. My prayer for them is that they will not experience what I experienced. If some of them are adamant and they want to remain wicked and bitter for nothing without being strategic with their thinking, then they will also experience it. In fact, if they don’t experience it, maybe one day, someone will rob their children of what they rightfully deserve and they will feel the pain. Some of them have said things like he should move forward, I never stopped. For two years I was in a psychological coma, real pain. During the two years, I was PayPorte brand ambassador, I was doing things. After the show, I was still making money. I got a house in Lekki, got a Range Rover. So I was never stuck.