Karen Igho, co-winner of Big Brother Amplified in 2011, tells Ademola Olonilua about her life
How I feel about a new season of Big Brother Africa starting soon
To
be honest, the spotlight cannot be shifted from me because it is God
that put me there. I know where I am coming from. Do not forget there is
a BBA winner from South Africa already and I am still where I am. The
thing is, if people like you, they like you. If they want your star to
stop shining, it will. If you are humble, grateful and real with people,
you would still on top. If you are bitchy, you will not last long. I am
taking corrections from people who have been there like Derenle and
Uti. I am trying to learn from them. Whoever emerges as winner, I wish
them the best.
Rumours about my friends -Denrele and Uti
This interview is not about them. It is about me, Karen Igho. I am not here to discuss people’s Karen Igho, co-winner of Big Brother Amplified in 2011, tellsAdemola Olonilua about her life
How I feel about a new season of Big Brother Africastarting soon
To
be honest, the spotlight cannot be shifted from me because it is God
that put me there. I know where I am coming from. Do not forget there is
a BBA winner from South Africa already and I am still where I am. The
thing is, if people like you, they like you. If they want your star to
stop shining, it will. If you are humble, grateful and real with people,
you would still on top. If you are bitchy, you will not last long. I am
taking corrections from people who have been there like Derenle and
Uti. I am trying to learn from them. Whoever emerges as winner, I wish
them the best.
Rumours about my friends -Denrele and Uti
This
interview is not about them. It is about me, Karen Igho. I am not here
to discuss people’s sèxuality. It does not concern me.
About my boob job
People
need to understand that I did not do it to impress anybody. I did it
for me. When I did it, I was young and the reason I did it was because I
had lumps; they took out some tissues and in the process, my breasts
reduced. At that time and age, I was insecure that I had lumps that
could develop into cancer and my boobs were small, so I went to get
implants. They are not even that big; sometimes it is my bra that makes
them big and people would be talking about my breasts like they have
never seen breasts before. I did not do it for anybody. It was for me
and because of the way I felt. I really thank God because a lot of women
have cancer but mine did not get to that stage. Two of my sisters also
had lumps, it is hereditary. My aunt died because of blood cancer, my
granddad died because of brain cancer and my uncle died because of eye
cancer.
I am partnering NGOs
I
am involved with Non Governmental Organisations that are into any type
of cancer awareness programme. On my birthday, I went to Lagos State
University Teaching Hospital to see kids with cancer. I asked them what
they needed and some of them needed a transplant, some needed blood, and
I helped the little way I could. I do not limit it to cancer alone. The
campaign for HIV and AIDS is also something I am passionate about.
There is also the youth empowerment programme too. I see myself as a
stepping stone for other youths who are out there struggling; youths who
are asking themselves if they can make it because Nigeria is a tough
country to live in. Yes, you can make it if you put your mind to it and
work hard. Look at me, from nothing to something. I want people to learn
from me.
My early days
I
grew up in the village. I stayed with my grandmother and we lived in a
mud house. Whenever it rained, we would be soaked inside the house. The
food we ate then was straight from the bush. I had a lot of bush meat,
that is why I love Nigerian food. I call them vintage food. Although I
eat international dishes, I prefer Nigerian food. I also like to cook
because I learnt it from my mother and my grandmother. My father died
when I was 12 years old. Growing up for me was not easy. My dad is from a
wealthy family, he is Peter Igho’s brother. It was the situation and
circumstance at that point in time. I bet if he was alive he would have
seen things in a different way. I was abused as a child, not sèxually. I
was maltreated because I had to live with relatives. Nobody would treat
you like their own. My parents had me when they were young and they had
various things they wanted to do. I had to stay with different
relatives. I was beaten well.
The Big Brother House experience
I
won Big Brother and I am grateful to the people that voted for me. The
one I picked on the most was how easily people can be lied to. It is not
good. How tabloids fabricated lies and gave them to the public to read
and they bought them, without knowing how true those stories were. What I
have learnt from life is that it is not good to judge. It is not every
girl you see that is a bad girl; because these days, the good girls are
now the bad girls and the bad girls are now the good girls. I know that
God would always be with me. I could not defend myself but God defended
me because if I had got out of the Big Brother House and did not win, I
would have been the most hated housemate in Big Brother history. I thank
God for making me win and making people see me for who I am. The people
saw that there is more to me than meets the eye, I thank God for that.
They gave me 91 days to showcase the kind of person that I am and I did
and that was what Africa fell in love with.
Being an ex-stripper
Where
did you get your source from? Can you please give me evidence and
proof? Even the pictures are all ‘photoshop’. It is not fair because at
the end of the day, I will want to get married and do some other things.
I know when I was in the house, people were expecting me to be the one
to have sex, they were expecting me to be the one to shower naked first.
With the way I behaved in the house, people could have figured out that
I am different from what they have read about me. The only thing I have
is my pride and dignity. My privacy and my body are reserved for my
future husband. For 91 days, I refused to bath naked, I was using a
bikini and lingerie to have my bath. I took about 20 bikinis into the
house to have shower with and to protect my pride. Coming out and seeing
my own people trying to bring me down made me feel bad. Other African
countries were not laughing at me but the writers of the negative
stories because they watched me and analysed me based on the way I acted
in the house. They concluded that I could not have been the same girl.
My fans, the real Karenified, were really supportive and I am very
grateful.
How I was assaulted last year by a policeman
That
particular day, it was my friend, Denrele, that invited me to an event
and I had to honour his invitation. I had my tag and my invite. I even
took a friend, to tell you how many invites I had. I even took my own
bouncer. Before the incident happened, my bouncer had been discharged to
go home. If he was there, it would not have happened. People always
quote what happened that day wrongly. It was a MOPOL officer, not a
bouncer that hit me. A policeman in uniform did it to a citizen. The
reason I want to talk about it is because no man is allowed to hit a
woman just like that. I got to the event and parked, but the guy said he
was saving the space for someone and that if I was not going to give
him money, I should park somewhere else. I asked if he was for the party
and he said ‘yes’.I told him that I was also for the party, but he
insisted that I give him money. I told him to let me go to the event and
return. When I got back, I saw that my car had been blocked in such a
way that I could not move out. He allowed someone else park behind me on
purpose because I did not give him money. I told him that I wanted to
leave and he should help me look for the owner of the car. He told me he
wasn’t working for me. I told him that the event was organised by
Smirnoff Ice and they were the ones that hired him; he said ‘yes’. Then I
asked why he was angry. He said he would not do anything till I give
him money. I told him not to worry that if it was how he wanted it to be
done, I would need his name. I think the man did not really know who I
was. My friend was even with me, she just got back from the UK. She too
was shocked. I asked for his name but he said he would not give me and
if I talk anyhow, he would slap me. I asked him if it was because he was
holding a gun and putting on a uniform. Before I knew it, the guy gave
me a heavy slap. The slap sent me to the floor. My jaw shifted and my
face was swollen for a week. I had a concussion on my head. There were
witnesses. He threatened he was going to shoot if anyone helped me. When
he realised what he had done, and seeing that people were moving
towards the scene, he fled. I got his name and told the organisers what
happened and they sprang into action. I was traumatised and shocked, I
got scared. I told them I was going to sue for what they caused me, but
we later settled out of court.
My first heartbreak
I
am the kind of girl that when I am with a guy, I am with a guy. I do
not cheat or double date. I stick to one man. I am a faithful, loyal,
honest and God-fearing kind of person. When I do anything, I put myself
in the person’s shoes. I was about 22 years old when I had my first
heartbreak. The guy travelled to America, so we had to call it quits. He
was a nice person but I had to move on. A lot of things happened. I am
from a strict Christian home, so I did not start dating till I was about
19 years old. He was the first person I had sèx with. I did not lose my
virginity till I was quite old. Because I have a petite figure, people
don’t know how old I am. I was 20 years old when I lost my virginity.
A fan that proposed to me
I
went for a show in Warri, Facebook Unplugged. I turned him down because
then, I just won Big Brother. I did not know him and he just gave me a
ring. I said ‘no’ because I did not know him. He could be psychotic, who
knows? I think he was playing, though. It was nice of him. At that
time, I did not know if he loved me or my money. If he comes now, I will
probably consider him because it is about a year and a half now. I have
invested the money.
My current relationship
You
never know when it comes to relationships. I say so because you can be
seeing someone for about a year and it does not work out because it was
not meant to be. Maybe because of my busy schedule or my career. I might
be seeing someone now, but it does not mean that few months later, I
will not be single. At the moment, I am seeing somebody but I want to
see how it goes.sèxuality. It does not concern me.
About my boob job
People
need to understand that I did not do it to impress anybody. I did it
for me. When I did it, I was young and the reason I did it was because I
had lumps; they took out some tissues and in the process, my breasts
reduced. At that time and age, I was insecure that I had lumps that
could develop into cancer and my boobs were small, so I went to get
implants. They are not even that big; sometimes it is my bra that makes
them big and people would be talking about my breasts like they have
never seen breasts before. I did not do it for anybody. It was for me
and because of the way I felt. I really thank God because a lot of women
have cancer but mine did not get to that stage. Two of my sisters also
had lumps, it is hereditary. My aunt died because of blood cancer, my
granddad died because of brain cancer and my uncle died because of eye
cancer.
I am partnering NGOs
I
am involved with Non Governmental Organisations that are into any type
of cancer awareness programme. On my birthday, I went to Lagos State
University Teaching Hospital to see kids with cancer. I asked them what
they needed and some of them needed a transplant, some needed blood, and
I helped the little way I could. I do not limit it to cancer alone. The
campaign for HIV and AIDS is also something I am passionate about.
There is also the youth empowerment programme too. I see myself as a
stepping stone for other youths who are out there struggling; youths who
are asking themselves if they can make it because Nigeria is a tough
country to live in. Yes, you can make it if you put your mind to it and
work hard. Look at me, from nothing to something. I want people to learn
from me.
My early days
I
grew up in the village. I stayed with my grandmother and we lived in a
mud house. Whenever it rained, we would be soaked inside the house. The
food we ate then was straight from the bush. I had a lot of bush meat,
that is why I love Nigerian food. I call them vintage food. Although I
eat international dishes, I prefer Nigerian food. I also like to cook
because I learnt it from my mother and my grandmother. My father died
when I was 12 years old. Growing up for me was not easy. My dad is from a
wealthy family, he is Peter Igho’s brother. It was the situation and
circumstance at that point in time. I bet if he was alive he would have
seen things in a different way. I was abused as a child, not sèxually. I
was maltreated because I had to live with relatives. Nobody would treat
you like their own. My parents had me when they were young and they had
various things they wanted to do. I had to stay with different
relatives. I was beaten well.
The Big Brother House experience
I
won Big Brother and I am grateful to the people that voted for me. The
one I picked on the most was how easily people can be lied to. It is not
good. How tabloids fabricated lies and gave them to the public to read
and they bought them, without knowing how true those stories were. What I
have learnt from life is that it is not good to judge. It is not every
girl you see that is a bad girl; because these days, the good girls are
now the bad girls and the bad girls are now the good girls. I know that
God would always be with me. I could not defend myself but God defended
me because if I had got out of the Big Brother House and did not win, I
would have been the most hated housemate in Big Brother history. I thank
God for making me win and making people see me for who I am. The people
saw that there is more to me than meets the eye, I thank God for that.
They gave me 91 days to showcase the kind of person that I am and I did
and that was what Africa fell in love with.
Being an ex-stripper
Where
did you get your source from? Can you please give me evidence and
proof? Even the pictures are all ‘photoshop’. It is not fair because at
the end of the day, I will want to get married and do some other things.
I know when I was in the house, people were expecting me to be the one
to have sèx they were expecting me to be the one to shower naked first.
With the way I behaved in the house, people could have figured out that
I am different from what they have read about me. The only thing I have
is my pride and dignity. My privacy and my body are reserved for my
future husband. For 91 days, I refused to bath naked, I was using a
bikini and lingerie to have my bath. I took about 20 bikinis into the
house to have shower with and to protect my pride. Coming out and seeing
my own people trying to bring me down made me feel bad. Other African
countries were not laughing at me but the writers of the negative
stories because they watched me and analysed me based on the way I acted
in the house. They concluded that I could not have been the same girl.
My fans, the real Karenified, were really supportive and I am very
grateful.
How I was assaulted last year by a policeman
That
particular day, it was my friend, Denrele, that invited me to an event
and I had to honour his invitation. I had my tag and my invite. I even
took a friend, to tell you how many invites I had. I even took my own
bouncer. Before the incident happened, my bouncer had been discharged to
go home. If he was there, it would not have happened. People always
quote what happened that day wrongly. It was a MOPOL officer, not a
bouncer that hit me. A policeman in uniform did it to a citizen. The
reason I want to talk about it is because no man is allowed to hit a
woman just like that. I got to the event and parked, but the guy said he
was saving the space for someone and that if I was not going to give
him money, I should park somewhere else. I asked if he was for the party
and he said ‘yes’.I told him that I was also for the party, but he
insisted that I give him money. I told him to let me go to the event and
return. When I got back, I saw that my car had been blocked in such a
way that I could not move out. He allowed someone else park behind me on
purpose because I did not give him money. I told him that I wanted to
leave and he should help me look for the owner of the car. He told me he
wasn’t working for me. I told him that the event was organised by
Smirnoff Ice and they were the ones that hired him; he said ‘yes’. Then I
asked why he was angry. He said he would not do anything till I give
him money. I told him not to worry that if it was how he wanted it to be
done, I would need his name. I think the man did not really know who I
was. My friend was even with me, she just got back from the UK. She too
was shocked. I asked for his name but he said he would not give me and
if I talk anyhow, he would slap me. I asked him if it was because he was
holding a gun and putting on a uniform. Before I knew it, the guy gave
me a heavy slap. The slap sent me to the floor. My jaw shifted and my
face was swollen for a week. I had a concussion on my head. There were
witnesses. He threatened he was going to shoot if anyone helped me. When
he realised what he had done, and seeing that people were moving
towards the scene, he fled. I got his name and told the organisers what
happened and they sprang into action. I was traumatised and shocked, I
got scared. I told them I was going to sue for what they caused me, but
we later settled out of court.
My first heartbreak
I
am the kind of girl that when I am with a guy, I am with a guy. I do
not cheat or double date. I stick to one man. I am a faithful, loyal,
honest and God-fearing kind of person. When I do anything, I put myself
in the person’s shoes. I was about 22 years old when I had my first
heartbreak. The guy travelled to America, so we had to call it quits. He
was a nice person but I had to move on. A lot of things happened. I am
from a strict Christian home, so I did not start dating till I was about
19 years old. He was the first person I had sex with. I did not lose my
virginity till I was quite old. Because I have a petite figure, people
don’t know how old I am. I was 20 years old when I lost my virginity.
A fan that proposed to me
I
went for a show in Warri, Facebook Unplugged. I turned him down because
then, I just won Big Brother. I did not know him and he just gave me a
ring. I said ‘no’ because I did not know him. He could be psychotic, who
knows? I think he was playing, though. It was nice of him. At that
time, I did not know if he loved me or my money. If he comes now, I will
probably consider him because it is about a year and a half now. I have
invested the money.
My current relationship
You
never know when it comes to relationships. I say so because you can be
seeing someone for about a year and it does not work out because it was
not meant to be. Maybe because of my busy schedule or my career. I might
be seeing someone now, but it does not mean that few months later, I
will not be single. At the moment, I am seeing somebody but I want to
see how it goes.
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