The name Mojisola Serah Sowole, otherwise known as Cocoice, was relatively unknown to many people until recently when she appeared on the Big Brother Naija (BBN) show and drew attention to herself when she gladly allowed her breast to be sucked by a fellow housemate on a live reality TV show. The rapper, entrepreneur and creative director is back and has been promoting her trade. She spoke with SEGUN ADEBAYO on some of the low and high moments of her stay in the house, among other issues.
How have you been handling the attention that has been coming your way since you bowed out of the Big Brother Naija House (BBN)?
I’ll say I have been handling it quite well and I want to thank my fans for all the attention and love they’ve shown me since I left the Big Brother House. I really appreciate it. The show of love has been overwhelming.
You may have had a successful career before you went for the BBN. What is happening now in your life and career can be said to be a new ball game. How would you describe the feeling in the last few weeks?
I feel really blessed and humbled and I want to use this medium to say thank you to Big Brother Naija and all the sponsors of the show for giving us this opportunity. The opportunity was mind-blowing and I am glad to be part of the experience.
Suddenly, Cocoice has become a popular brand for different reasons. What does this mean to you?
It simply means growth. It means the brand has come to stay. It means people are yet to see the best of me.
While you were preparing to go into BBN, you must have had your target, but your stay was short-lived. Looking at the circumstances that led to your ouster, how did you handle life outside the house?
First, my strategy was to be myself. Being in a new enclosed environment, it took me a bit to warm up and adapt. After BBNaija, my life has taken a better dimension, but I am just trying to keep my calm and be myself everywhere I go.
Many of the audience back home didn’t know you before BBN but, you kept doing your thing not minding whose ox was gored. Did it occur to you that you could have remained in the house If you had done things differently?
There is a possibility that I could have remained in the house much longer than I actually stayed because I came out of my shell a bit late. Probably, if I had adapted earlier, I might still be in the house but you really can’t tell how people would feel about you when you’re in the BBNaija house until you’re evicted. So, it was all good.
There was a lot of drama in the house- dating, kissing and all of that. You had your fair share before you were evicted. Would you say you had enough fun before your time was up?
I’m sure I did. What do you think?
What would you have done differently if you had stayed longer in the house?
With the way I was adapting to the BBNaija life, I would have had the opportunity to let people know me more.
The high point of your stay was the boob-sucking moment that got many people talking. Many people assumed you did it to keep yourself in the game, but that couldn’t save you. Was that really your thing, or it was just part of the game you needed to play?
Honestly, it was not a dare game, as many people assumed. In truth, I was just having fun. I didn’t do it to get votes. It was never about the votes.
How did your parents, especially your family, react to that moment?
A Yoruba adage says “ti aba fi owo otun ba omo wi, afi ti osi fa mora”, which means when you scold a child with your right hand, you embrace him with the left. As far as I know, that was exactly what they did. We have all moved on from that moment. The truth is that being one of the 14 housemates chosen for the show already makes me feel like a winner, so I have no regrets. I feel proud of every moment I had in the house. No regrets at all.
Has it cost you any lucrative deal since you came back?
As I said earlier, I have been enjoying my time since I came out of the house and to tell you the truth, I have been getting offers since I left the BBNaija house. So I wouldn’t know of any lucrative deal that it has cost me.
If you were to date any of the guys in the house for real, who would that person be?
Bally is cool, calm and collected. He’s a sort of my kind of guy.
How happy are you to be back with your people back home?
I feel very happy to be home. You can’t compare the feeling to anything. I have really missed my family and friends. My world has really turned around towards greatness. When the people around me are happy, I am happy.
Many people would want to know what next project Cocoice is working on?
I’m currently working on my music and video single entitled Feeling my P and collaborations with other talented Nigerian artistes.
What’s the name Cocoice about? Where did you get it from?
‘Coco’ stands for coconut, rough on the outside which describes my past and pure on the inside. ‘Ice’ which stands for breaking the ice (breakthrough).
You must have had a relationship before your stint in the house. How difficult has it been coming back to all that?
I was single before I went into the BBNaija house. There is no point coming back into any relationship.
Is marriage on the card for you anytime soon?
I am still waiting for Mr Right.