Former Big Brother Africa housemate Bayo Adetomiwa Okoh has died. This happened more than two decades after he became one of the Nigerian faces of the reality show’s historic first season.
According to Premium Times, media personality Matilda Duncan announced Okoh’s death on Saturday, August 8. She shared photographs of the former reality television star as she expressed shock over yet another loss in the entertainment industry.
The circumstances surrounding his death were not disclosed.
‘One death after another’
Reacting emotionally to the news, Duncan lamented the frequency of recent deaths within the entertainment community.
“Please God, what is happening? This is too much. One death after another. I am so sorry. This part called death. It’s the worst,” she wrote.
Her announcement quickly drew reactions from people who remembered Okoh from the early years of reality television in Africa.
Several fans recalled moments from his time in the Big Brother house. Meanwhile, others offered prayers and condolences to his loved ones.
Bayo helped launch Big Brother Africa era
Okoh became a household name after representing Nigeria in the inaugural season of Big Brother Africa in 2003.
The programme brought contestants from different parts of the continent under one roof. In doing so, it became one of the defining African television shows of its era.
Okoh spent 91 days in the house before he was evicted. This made him one of the contestants who stayed deep into the competition.
His participation came years before reality television became the major entertainment industry it is today. Programmes such as Big Brother Naija later contributed to this growth.
For viewers who followed the first season, Okoh remained part of the generation that introduced millions of Africans to the Big Brother format. This was on a continental scale.
Death revives memories of 2003 season
News of his death has prompted longtime viewers to revisit memories of that first Big Brother Africa season. They have also recalled the personalities who helped turn the programme into a continental phenomenon.
The 2003 edition brought together 12 housemates from across Africa and ran for more than three months.
Okoh’s personality and time in the house made him one of Nigeria’s earliest reality television personalities. This was years before social media transformed contestants into instant online celebrities.
More than two decades later, news of his death has brought renewed attention to that pioneering generation of African reality television stars.
No cause of death had been publicly disclosed at the time of reporting.
