In an interview with Tribune Online and other media houses, Big Brother Naija All Stars housemate Uriel Oputa, the second evicted housemate of the season, shared her insights and thoughts on various aspects of her journey in the house.
The interview delved into her approach to being part of the All Stars house, her unique personality, her perspectives on the jury, her dynamics with fellow housemates in this edition of the show, and her outlook moving forward.
Read the details of how the interview went below:
You spoke about Princess’s accent being inconsistent, what is the nature of your friendship?
There are certain people I call friends, and there are certain people I call acquaintances, like we touch base, especially when you’re a family of Big Brother, and immediately, no matter the year you were on the show, you become a family.
So I wouldn’t label everybody my friend because I think I’m not trustworthy of people. It’s very hard to get close to me because I always second-guess everybody and their intentions.
So we had met a couple of times and spoken over the phone, but I wouldn’t classify Princess as a friend.
The initial comment about her accent came from a place of shock. I had spoken to her previously, and obviously, the accent I heard was different from the one I was given in the house.
So if you know me and you’ve watched me, you know that I speak my mind. So I spoke my mind, I was like, Omo, I don’t know where it came from’ but I’m also a strong believer that if you want to reinvent yourself, who am I to tell you otherwise?
If you want to dress or talk in a certain way, that is up to you and what you want to do. If she wants to have an accent, so be it. Let her enjoy it.
In the diary session, Biggie asked what the housemates felt about your eviction, and most of them had nice things to say about you. Was that the real Uriel, or was being nice part of your strategy?
When they asked me several times if I had a strategy, the only strategy I had the first time on the show was being myself.
I feel like this time around, that was my strategy too, be Uriel.
If you don’t understand the meaning of my name, it means Angel of Light, so no matter where I am, there’s always a light shining upon me, there’s always a clear direction, and I think the whole entity of being myself, Uriel, is fully packaged.
I have talents when it comes to cooking, singing, and acting, and I have talents when it comes to voice projection, so for me, I didn’t need to have a strategy because I’m being myself already, that’s a strategy.
I didn’t go there to be somebody else, the only thing I could be in my life is myself, and that is what has carried me through. Did I have a strategy? No. All I had was self-awareness.
Before you went into the house, you said you were open to a relationship. What happened between you and Pere?
He is no doubt an attractive man, and about my relationship with him, I feel we share an understanding friendship.
Doyin said you are mentally unstable and you can hurt Whitemoney. What do you think about this?
I think Doyin is also mentally unstable. I would never hurt anybody; the altercation between I and Whitemoney just started over cooking, and we are cool now.
The altercation stemmed from our friendship outside of the house, and I felt like if you’re friends with somebody outside of the house, certain things should have been swept under the rug, certain things should not have come about, i.e., from Whitemoney, from myself; I should have acted in a different manner, he should have acted in a different manner because we had a relationship outside of the house, and that is it.
That is my story, and I’m sticking by it.
Neo was seen as the diamond in the house, majority of the girls were around him. What is it about Neo that those outside see?
Neo is good-looking, he has a good fashion sense, and he dresses well so basically, he is obviously the full package.
What would you have done differently if you had more time?
I feel I made a lot of impact; I don’t think in the whole history of Big Brother Naija that has happened, from my diary sessions to the way I express myself in Igbo-English. I came out of the house loved, there was no hatred or anything, so I have no regrets.
What are your thoughts about Ilebaye being the youngest housemate in the house and giving the perception that she was bullied? Do you think she was just provoking people on purpose?
I feel Ilebaye was just being ‘Ilebaye, and based on the fact that she’s young, she just needed something to sit her up in the game and I feel the strikes have done that already
Do you feel the dynamic between Doyin and Ilebaye is genuine?
I can’t speak about their friendship, but when Ilebaye comes out of the house, I want to bond with her. I feel she’s an amazing young woman based on my short relationship with her.
I want to see so much more than the shouting and fighting; she has so much more to offer, but I can’t speak on her friendship with Doyin; I can only speak on my friendship with Baye, and I will say that she has a big sister.
Were you aware of the twists before getting into the house?
No, I was not aware of anything; it came as a shock to me.
Which of the housemates do you have connections with?
I love everyone, but I feel I connected more with Alex, Ceec, Pere, Neo, and Soma, but I can’t speak about them for now until they come out of the house.
There has been a narrative that other housemates rally around Mercy Eke, basically trying to be in her favour; is this true?
I agree with the narrative of being a winner, and when being a winner means that you have people that naturally flock to you that make the path to winning the N120 million easier, then so be it.
If I have that energy that people naturally gravitate towards and it’s going to help me on the journey, then I think it’s a beautiful thing, but if you ask me if I gravitated towards that energy, I say no, because, like I said, I always stand alone and I always believe that I am enough and I don’t need anybody in order for me to get far.
You were seen in the kitchen on several occasions. What do you think about the idea that cooking is a strategy?
I never used cooking as a strategy because I felt like I did so much more besides my cooking, and I had so much love to show besides my cooking.
It just depends on the individual. As for myself, I can only speak for myself; no, it wasn’t a strategy. I feel like I got the chance to show that cooking alone wasn’t my strategy; I did so much more.
What do you feel about the eviction jury and the fact that they evicted you?
I honestly don’t like the idea of the jury; I’m aware that it wasn’t my time to go, and it’s a shame because I didn’t have the lowest votes. But it has happened, and I’m out.
Talking about relationships, your kiss with Neo—is that something we should look forward to?
If I wanted to have Neo, I could have made it happen. The only reason I didn’t push too hard for Neo was because of the respect I have for Tolani.
Even though I asked Neo if he was single and he said yes, I saw that he and Tolanibaj share a close bond. I just decided to stand by and watch.
How did it feel to be in the house again?
It felt amazing; the diary sessions were on 1000; I felt positive energy; I felt confident; I felt like it was my time.
Despite having the personality of a sweet person, you were involved in altercations in the house. Was this a deliberate act to create content for yourself?
Everything I showed on the show is myself. I have my moments where I get angry, which is normal, but I did not do anything for content.
What’s next for Uriel?
I realised that a lot of people love to hear me talk; they love my vibe, so I’m about to start my podcast, then focus on my restaurant, which I’ll be opening soon, and create more workout content.
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