In a recent interview with Sabi Radio, Doyinsola David, a former BBNaija All Stars housemate known as Doyin, provided her insights into the reasons behind her friend Ilebaye Odiniya’s victory in the reality show, which came with a grand prize of N120 million. Ilebaye Odiniya, a 22-year-old model from Kogi State, emerged as the winner, surpassing five other finalists during the Sunday night finale.
Doyin suggested that Ilebaye’s win could be attributed to what she termed as the “underdog mentality” prevalent among Nigerians. This perspective implies that Nigerians tend to support and rally behind individuals they perceive as oppressed or isolated by a group.
The interview’s host, Miracle OP, delved into the dynamics of reality shows and the common strategy of isolating contestants. He pointed out that isolating a participant, especially in the early stages of the game, often leads many Nigerians to regard that individual as a hero due to their underdog status.
Miracle OP remarked:
“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 agreed with this viewpoint and emphasized that Ilebaye’s storyline on the show seemed to align with this narrative.
In Doyin’s own words:
“True. I think her [Ilebaye’s] storyline was meant to play out the way it played out.”
She suggested that the events within the house appeared to favor Ilebaye’s portrayal as an underdog.
However, Doyin also candidly shared that she felt betrayed by Ilebaye when her friend secretly reconciled with another housemate, Venita, following a confrontation they had during their time in the house.