Former Big Brother Naija housemate Seyi Awolowo has revealed that he initially planned to keep his famous family name hidden during his time on the reality show.

Speaking on The Nigerian Meter Podcast, Seyi, the grandson of the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, said he wanted to be judged based on his personality rather than his surname.

According to him, his plan changed when show host Ebuka Obi-Uchendu introduced him on stage as “Seyi Awolowo.”

“I didn’t want anybody to know I was an Awolowo in the house. I wanted to be there simply as Seyi, but once Ebuka mentioned my full name, everyone knew,” he said.

Seyi also dismissed claims that his family background gave him an advantage during the selection process.

He explained that he went through the same audition process as every other contestant and received his golden ticket in the early hours of February 3, 2019.

“I did the audition properly and stood in line like everyone else. I got my golden ticket at about 3 a.m.,” he said.

Seyi was one of the contestants in the 2019 edition of Big Brother Naija, where he became one of the season’s most talked-about housemates.