In a recent interview with Sabi Radio, former BBNaija All Stars housemate, Doyinsola David, known as Doyin, shared her insights into why her friend, Ilebaye Odiniya, emerged as the winner of the N120 million grand prize on the reality show.
Ilebaye Odiniya, a 22-year-old model hailing from Kogi State, secured victory over five other finalists during the Sunday night finale of the show.
Doyin speculated that Ilebaye’s win could be attributed to what she described as “Nigerians’ underdog mentality.”
This perspective suggests that Nigerians tend to rally behind and support individuals who they perceive as being oppressed or isolated by a group.
The host of the interview, Miracle OP, delved into the dynamics of reality shows and the common strategy of isolating contestants.
He noted that when one participant is isolated, especially early in the game, many Nigerians tend to view that person as a hero due to their underdog status.
He said;
“We’ve seen different types of strategies [in reality shows]. And I don’t know why people still do this where they isolate somebody. Once you isolate somebody, especially so early in the game, human beings, especially Nigerians have the mentality that if a group of people are oppressing one person, that one person is our hero. It’s the underdog mentality.”
Doyin concurred with this viewpoint, emphasizing that Ilebaye’s storyline on the show appeared to align with this narrative.
In Doyin’s words;
“True. I think her [Ilebaye’s] storyline was meant to play out the way it played out.”
She suggested that the way events played out in the house seemed to favor Ilebaye’s underdog image.
However, Doyin also revealed that she felt betrayed by Ilebaye when her friend went behind her back and reconciled with another housemate, Venita, following a confrontation they had during their time in the house.