Big Brother Amplified – It’s Game Over for Jossy!

Selma Shipanga

17 May 2011

After just two weeks of Big Brother Africa Amplified, it’s unfortunately game over for Namibia’s Jossy Joss! On Sunday night, Jossy became the first housemate to be evicted.

It’s the first time in the history of the show that a Namibian’s been the first to walk. Nevertheless, Jossy says he has no regrets and enjoyed his time in the house. The ‘Oshike tashipameke omatako (what is tightening the booty)’ hitmaker said if given another chance to do it all again, he’d change nothing. Speaking to The Namibian by telephone from Johannesburg yesterday, Jossy spoke about his experience.

Two weeks in the house. How do you feel and would you have loved to stay longer?

I feel great. Yes, I would have loved to stay longer, but that’s something under the bridge now. I have no regrets about anything done or said. So yes, I feel great.

What are your perceptions about the house and the whole BBA concept in general?

(Laughs) Yo, the house is a tricky one. You would think it’s a bit bigger from the outside but … it’s really very small. I find the whole concept very interesting. And more so now that I’ve had a chance to experience it. I understand it better and what it stands for. I mean having lived the experience in a tiny place with different people from different backgrounds … where privacy is minimal, it teaches you to understand people. (It) was a good eye-opener for me as someone who’s never lived in a hostel before as it gave me a great perception and understanding of the whole hostel set-up.

How did you feel when you found out you were chosen for the show?

I was shocked and really nervous. I mean as you know I have a solid position with Radio Energy as the Marketing and Sales Manager and I was kind of questioning how I’d deal with the whole situation once I came back from BBA. I was feeling like, once I get back, how will I be able to sit with clients in the boardroom and address them, knowing that perhaps I might have said or done something stupid in the house. All these little things were going through my head. Eventually I came to the realisation that I was in this thing and decided to just go for it. Thank God my girlfriend also encouraged me.

Why did you enter?

A friend of mine basically asked me to try out for the auditions. I was like ‘ why me’? And he said I’d be able to pull it off, so I went for it.

During the first week, you were quite vocal and then during the last week, you just became quiet. Did you choke or what happened?

Well, I think the whole division after the first week was a surprise to everybody and as much as we had a great debaters club in the house during the first week, the division … kind of left a deficit in how we ended up interacting. During the first week there were 26 of us and basically there was someone in your face to talk to every moment of the day, but that was not the case when we were divided because now all of a sudden, there were only 15 of us. During the second week, I was kind of trying to cope and assess everyone and figure out who was who, hence I was a little quiet. I guess I was trying to establish that connection and just get acquainted with everyone.

Where you attracted to anyone in the house?

Uhmm … well look, there were a lot of beautiful women in the house and yes, I’m a man, and as a man you get attracted to women but that doesn’t necessarily mean you want to take it to the next level. There was one specific person I was attracted to and I thought she was a really nice person and that was Sharon O from Uganda.

Who was your least favourite housemate?

I don’t have a least favourite housemate.

How did you and Bernadina (the other Namibian housemate) get along?

We got along very well, although I think she is a little bit scared of the whole experience. I mean she’s really young and I get the feeling she doesn’t know what is going to happen and thus is being very careful about what she does and says because she knows people are watching and she doesn’t know what is going to happen to her. However, in the end, we bonded and we got on really well. We even prepared a potjie together.

Here in Namibia, there has been a lot of debate about your age. Some people are saying they attended your 30th birthday ages ago. How old are you really?

(Laughs) I was born on July 18 1982. That makes me 28 and in July I will be 29.

Many Namibians seem to think you didn’t have game in the house, that a lot of the time you were on the sidelines and not really involved. What’s your response?

Well, that is their opinion and, as it is, everyone is entitled to their own opinion … it’s your right.

You said at the end of last week that you were ready to go as you now had exposure and it would open up marketing opportunities for you. Do you think this might have stopped some people voting for you?

Not really, everybody in the house had their opinion as to what would happen when their stay in the house eventually came to an end. The truth of the matter is, I don’t think what I said would have stopped anybody from voting at all.

You said on a few occasions you weren’t in the game for the money, but to overcome a personal obstacle? What was that obstacle? And did you overcome it?

My obstacle was being able to cope with so many people in my home environment and yes, I have overcome that. I mean during the first week I lived with 26 people and then with 14 people during the second week. Living with so many people in a closed environment was what scared me but I can confidently say I overcame that fear. Overall, the money is not something bad but if you entirely look at it as the ultimate goal and you happen to walk away without it, you will be disappointed and feel like you have failed yourself in the end. When you don’t look at the money, you concentrate on just having a good time.

There was talk last week that you asked for a psychologist. Is this so, and did you have trouble to adapting to living with a lot of people?

(Laughs) I was actually tricking Biggy with the whole psychologist thing. I just wanted to hear what Biggy would say. The whole thing was sparked by a conversation I had with Vina.

You and Lucille Naobes, also a former BBA housemate, were seen at the Cheers Lounge on New Year’s Eve in a very cosy set-up. Is she the girlfriend you referred to at the launch of BBA Amplified or were you talking about someone else?

My girl is not Lucille. She’s (Lucille) a good friend … she’s been away in SA studying and on that day, she was bored and I invited her to the Energy studio. After that, together with colleagues, we decided to go to Cheers and chill. Trust me, Lucille and I have no relationship of that nature. We’re just friends.

And we hear that your girlfriend is pregnant. Are you ready for fatherhood and can we expect wedding bells soon?

(Laughs) When I get married, I’ll make an announcement. I mean I have fans in Namibia and if I decide to finally get married, for the sake of my fans, I’ll make an announcement. And just to make it clear, I’m not getting married in November as per the “True or False’ quiz we did in Big Brother. That was just a quiz and there is no truth to it.

So, is your girlfriend pregnant or not?

Do you want the truth or a statement?

I want the truth.

In reality that’s something I still have to confirm.

Confirm? So in other words you are not sure whether your girlfriend is pregnant or not?

Like I said, it’s still something that I have to confirm Trust me Selma, you’ll be the first to know once I know for sure I’m becoming a father. I mean news of becoming a father is wonderful news. Should I decide to become a father … I think I’m old enough and stable and capable of handling all the responsibilities that come with that. If I were to become a father, this would be my first child and once that news is confirmed, it is something I’d love to share with the rest of – and you will be the first to know.

What’s next for Jossy Joss?

I plan on getting back to the office. I’m managing a Marketing and Sales department at Radio Energy and I’ll get right back in the swing of things by getting those numbers/sales up. I have also, for the past four years, been working on a few tracks and I will release my album as soon as I think it’s ready. Through my BBA experience I’ve established links with international people, such as Sharon O and Zeus and also some guys in Johannesburg who I’ll be working with. I’ll reveal everything in due time.

– You can catch all the action – 24/7 – on DStv channel 198.

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