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She is your classic, combustible character \u2013 controversial, spontaneous, weird and unpredictable. Nigeria\u2019s Karen Igho, co-winner of this year\u2019s Big Brother Africa tagged Amplified, became larger than life in many homes across the continent because of her unique personality in the House for 91 days. The Delta State-born but Jos, Plateau State-bred star spoke with our team comprising Sunday Adedeji, photo editor, Arukaino Umukoro and Folashade Adebayo, both staff writers. Excerpts:<\/p>\n
Karen, nice to have you!<\/p>\n
Yes, it\u2019s a pleasure to have you too, (general laughter)<\/p>\n
I\u2019m from Warri, Urhobo.<\/p>\n
Correct, Warri no dey carry last now.<\/p>\n
I carry first now.<\/p>\n
How does it feel to win $200,000?<\/p>\n
It feels good to know that people actually love you, talking about the audience, Nigeria and the people of Africa. I feel honoured and great.<\/p>\n
Did you ever think you would win it?<\/p>\n
No. I was just thinking of minding my business and they called my name. I was so surprised and shocked. It still feels like a dream to me. Maybe by the time I wake up from this dream, it would be like five years later.<\/p>\n
So, do you know what you would you do with the money now?<\/p>\n
I don\u2019t know. I wasn\u2019t even thinking I want this money or that it would fall on my laps. And it fell. So, I\u2019m still in shock. But, I\u2019m still saying that whatever I\u2019m going to do with it is going to be positive. I need to relax, think properly, to know what I want.<\/p>\n
Your mother seems to be your number one role model?<\/p>\n
Yes.<\/p>\n
Tell us about her.<\/p>\n
My mum is my role model because she\u2019s been through a lot in her life. She had me when she was 16. She has eight kids, I\u2019m the first. She left my dad when I was two years old. She\u2019s been through a lot and she got married to my step-dad.<\/p>\n
Where is she now?<\/p>\n
(Pause)\u2026 Don\u2019t worry; she\u2019s still alive.<\/p>\n
During one of your chat room sessions, you talked about never meeting your dad. How does it feel like never knowing your dad and how did it mould you into who you are today?<\/p>\n
It made me strong, brave and courageous. God has a purpose for me. Something has to happen for another thing to happen, isn\u2019t it? So knowing my dad wasn\u2019t the end of the world. It means I have a story to tell, which was telling my story in the chat room for Africa to hear. And at the end of the day, I just knew my dad like in the few last days before he died, when I went to live with him. A week after, he died. So you see where the bad luck is coming from. It really is nothing at the end of the day because I feel God already has and still has a plan for me.<\/p>\n
How old were you when you went to live with him?<\/p>\n
I was 14.<\/p>\n
So you knew your dad for just a week?<\/p>\n
I knew I had a dad. But I don\u2019t know the first or last thing about him. All I knew is that this is my dad and whenever I see him, I\u2019m happy. I didn\u2019t know anything, not even his birthday as I\u2019m sitting here. I didn\u2019t know his likes or dislikes.<\/p>\n
Your mum did not tell you anything about him?<\/p>\n
You must remember my mum got married to somebody. And I didn\u2019t grow up with my mum, but my grandmother in the village, where there is no electricity, and tap water. I walked around with no slippers, only pants. You know how we do it back home? Yeah, that\u2019s how I grew up.<\/p>\n
You moved to the United Kingdom in 2004\u2026?<\/p>\n
Who said that?<\/p>\n
I\u2019m asking.<\/p>\n
I don\u2019t know. But, at the end of the day, I moved to the UK because I was dating this guy at that time, we were dating and before you know, we travelled to the UK and I said I wanted to stay here and work and school as well. I studied Business Administration from Southwark College and did some jobs in the UK. I worked in a restaurant; also in a charity organisation called Outroot – they help deaf and dumb kids – where we go out to different parts of London to convince people why they should donate money to the kids to get them hearing aids and sign language stuff. I just found jobs here and there, you know how London is, nothing is permanent. And I was schooling at the same time (full-time). I tried to do my own business twice because that was what I studied, like selling things I bought from the UK.<\/p>\n
There is this other part of Karen people have talked about?<\/p>\n
Yeah, I let it out the way it is, regardless of who you are. I went to that show with no strategy. I went there to be myself; me being myself, meaning, you\u2019re going to fight, quarrel\u2026 and when you do that, that\u2019s life, you do that with family, friends and loved ones, and when you do that, you settle. I also don\u2019t know how to pretend, I\u2019m not a hypocrite. If I\u2019m upset, I let you know that I\u2019m upset. And if you want to come at me, I give (it back to you). You know, I went through that house because I was misunderstood. At the end, they understood me. Africa understood me, saw me, as a star girl who has been through a lot in life and all she needed was love. They saw that and related with me. I\u2019m not all that bad. Africa proved that by giving me this money, because they felt I had a good heart.<\/p>\n
And Zeus\u2026?<\/p>\n
What happened to Zeus now? (Laughter)<\/p>\n
Tell us about Zeus, was that a strategy or you really felt something for him?<\/p>\n
You know me. I\u2019m a kind of person that doesn\u2019t pretend. When I like a guy I like a guy. And if I want to keep you as a friend, I keep you as a friend. For me, Zeus is a very smart, intelligent young man. And you know, I had this side of me people didn\u2019t see; the part of me that is smart. Because I don\u2019t go about saying I\u2019m smart, I don\u2019t do that. So when Zeus came, I was Head of House (HoH) that week and he brought my smart side out, which I am very grateful for. I actually mellowed down and saw things differently. There are many sides to Karen. There is the loud, quiet, soft, sweet Karen, so many. So he brought that side of me out. He was the one guy I connected with among all the guys. But we couldn\u2019t go further because he had a girlfriend. We just ended up being friends.<\/p>\n
If the situation were different, would you have loved to go out with him?<\/p>\n
Yeah.<\/p>\n
Would anything have happened between you two if you had stayed longer in the House?<\/p>\n
I doubt. Forget that you see me I\u2019m all loud, but I still have my morals. I was in that house for 91 days and never had shower naked.<\/p>\n
You met Denrele in 2007 at his birthday party and he encouraged you to enter for BBA show\u2026?<\/p>\n
Yeah, he got me the BBA form, filled it for me because my handwriting was ugly. And he told me to go for the audition, I asked him what should I wear and he said, \u2018wear six inch heel and miniskirts\u2019, I said God forbid, for where? He said, \u2018so you stand out\u2019. I said no o. You know that day I was wearing tracksuit and I went there, all through the stages, then travelled back to the UK. There, they called me back to come to South Africa, that I had made it to Big Brother. I went to the last audition and they told me to pack my bags and come. Ninety-one days later, I\u2019m sitting here with the money. Thanks to whom? The Almighty God, Africa and Nigeria. Denrele is my close friend and like a brother.<\/p>\n
How did you guys meet, the first meeting how was it like?<\/p>\n
You know, it\u2019s either you have this wow factor or you don\u2019t. And he said I had this wow factor.<\/p>\n
BBA said you were unemployed before entering the house?<\/p>\n
Yeah, because I left my job and had no job to go back to, so I was unemployed.<\/p>\n
So, are we going to see you probably in Nollywood, music\u2026 what are you going to be doing after Big Brother?<\/p>\n
To be honest, the sky is my limit. Whatever will come my way, I am willing and open with all my heart; whatever it is, be it acting, modelling, deejay, or appearances, billboards\u2026 whatever will come my way, it
\n\u2019s fine. With me, it\u2019s like I want to try everything, whatever I\u2019m good at.<\/p>\n
Do you see yourself as a role model?<\/p>\n
Do you see me as a role model?<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a thing of the mind, I might see you as a role model, but you might not\u2026<\/p>\n
When you say role model in such a way, yeah I believe you should be true to yourself. All role models should remember that. I was true to myself, I was honest, straightforward. You know, that\u2019s what life requires from one. Number one, be yourself, believe in yourself. Follow your dreams. Never ever give up, because I know that God has a plan for everybody, it might take long, years even, but that plan would come to pass one day.<\/p>\n
You and Luclay were quite close?<\/p>\n
Yeah, Luclay and I were like brother and sister. But, I didn\u2019t understand Luclay because he\u2019s an actor. And after what he did to Lotus when she slapped him. When we had a fight, I was thinking of pushing myself into slapping him too and they evict me. After what he did trying to pull my pants down, knowing that I had never had shower naked in the house, I want to show Africa what? You know, I felt I should not be happy, so I just took a step back on our friendship. We\u2019re still friends now and have forgotten about what happened. But, on that show, I didn\u2019t know if it was really him. I even told him that I didn\u2019t know who he was anymore. But, we\u2019re cool now, just keeping it real.<\/p>\n
So, who would you say were your best friends in the house?<\/p>\n
Mumba (and) Baby P because I saw myself in them. Like Baby P, she\u2019s been bullied a lot when she was young. I was bullied a lot in primary school, in my life and everything. And, Mumba comes up she\u2019s been through hardship, just like I have. She\u2019s done farming, lived in the village as well. Things were not all rosy for them. So I relate with them.<\/p>\n
Not much is known about your background?<\/p>\n
Yeah, I went to so many primary schools, StarTribe Primary School, Township Primary School, then Government Secondary School, Hopeshe in Jos. When I finished, I went to college in the UK.<\/p>\n
What about your relationship with Vina?<\/p>\n
Yeah, Vina is a nice girl, initially though, she was doing gra-gra, then later she calmed down. But she\u2019s fun to be with.<\/p>\n
Are you related to Peter Igho?<\/p>\n
Yeah, I\u2019m his niece. He\u2019s my dad\u2019s elder brother. My dad is the last born in their family.<\/p>\n
Are you close to him?<\/p>\n
He\u2019s like a dad to me.<\/p>\n
So he must have been one of the first persons to call you when you won?<\/p>\n
Yeah.<\/p>\n
Have you seen him since?<\/p>\n
No, I would go to Abuja and see him.<\/p>\n
Do you regret anything you have done in the past before Big Brother?<\/p>\n
I don\u2019t regret anything, because if you regret something now, you\u2019re going to regret everything in your life. I just feel whatever happens, happens for a reason. They say if you don\u2019t make a mistake, how would you learn out of life? So whatever mistake I\u2019ve made has taught me a lesson.<\/p>\n
With due respect, you never mentioned it, but the story goes. Did you really work as a stripper in the UK?<\/p>\n
You know, when people first see me, because I\u2019ve done bikini and lingerie model. You know, just like I get love, I get hate. And people who hate me would do anything to bring me down. Not everybody can like me so; the ones who don\u2019t like me would want to twist the story. Of course, I\u2019m sexy, of course, I got a boobs job. But do you know why all those things happened? People want to go about twisting their own stories but at the end of the day, I just want people to be true to themselves, not carrying stories that are not true. Strip clubbing? I never went to the strip club for one day. Why should I work there when I have the opportunity to work and get paid properly? If I had worked as a stripper, why didn\u2019t I bath naked in the Big Brother house?<\/p>\n
In the case of the boobs job, some people don\u2019t believe your story that you did it to remove lumps on your breast?<\/p>\n
You know, people would want to believe what they want to believe. But, at the end of the day, it\u2019s me telling you my story. I don\u2019t think people have any right to go your line when you don\u2019t know the person and you didn\u2019t go through the process. You have to be in my shoes. For you to judge me, you need to walk a mile in my shoes. To be honest, there\u2019s nothing to lie about. At the end of the day, it\u2019s my body. I just want to make it clear that this was the reason why I did it. (Breast) lump is nothing to joke about, it could happen to anyone, wife, mum, sister. And it happened to me, and I\u2019m saying that this is why I did it. Can\u2019t people just respect that? What if I actually did that because I had lumps?<\/p>\n
So you are actually saying that you did it because you had lumps?<\/p>\n
Yeah.<\/p>\n
But, there are views that this also has side effects?<\/p>\n
But, you have to understand that when I did it, I was very young. It was like, \u2018if you didn\u2019t do the silicone, the lumps would spread all over, and be more developed\u2019\u2026. I was very young.<\/p>\n
What did you miss most about your real boobs?<\/p>\n
Maybe it is knowing that if not because of the lumps, I would have had my own boobs. You know where I\u2019m coming from. So, I just feel that it doesn\u2019t take anything away from me, but that I still have to answer questions about that.<\/p>\n
So, what about your love life?<\/p>\n
Right now, I\u2019m single and ready to mingle. (General laughter)<\/p>\n
What kind of books do you read?<\/p>\n
Magazines to know what\u2019s going on; newspapers, novels, I read anything that educates me, not just one thing. When I read a book, I want to gain something out of it.<\/p>\n
Can you give us an example?<\/p>\n
(James) Hardley Chase is not bad, M&B (Mills and Boon), I like that. Though my favourite book is Married to her Beauty<\/p>\n
What do you feel after 91 days in the BBA House; do you miss the House?<\/p>\n
Yeah, I\u2019m beginning to miss it. Before, I was like I want to come out. When I came out, I was like oh, I miss Big Brother. I miss the House. At the end of the day, it\u2019s a relief.<\/p>\n
Did you ever deal with low self-esteem?<\/p>\n
Yeah, when I was a kid, I was bullied a lot.<\/p>\n
Did you ever contemplate suicide?<\/p>\n
Of course not, why I wan kill myself? (general laughter)<\/p>\n
What are your hobbies?<\/p>\n
I love to swim, cook, and dance. I love to travel, read. I love to play football. I love watching movies as well.<\/p>\n
What were your childhood dreams?<\/p>\n
I wanted to be a lawyer and a nurse.
<\/p>\n<\/div>\n