Olamilekan Moshood Agbeleshe. That is someone’s name, not a voodoo spell but you wouldn’t know unless you are Nigerian or a reader of irrelevant things. The owner of that name won about Shs820 million after emerging winner in the just-ended Big Brother Naija Lockdown season. If you watched or followed the show, you would know him as Laycon. But that’s not even the most interesting thing about him. You see, this 26-year-old was what you would call an odd-man out. Let me explain.Before the Big Brother Naija show can be televised, a call for applications is made with a list of requirements. Thousands of people then express interest by sending in applications in line with the requirements. There is a series of vetting until a final list of most deserving 20 candidates is reached.
As is with most entertainment shows these days, physical appearance matters a lot. The bummiest, boobiest and most good-looking women usually have an advantage because truth is, they are easy on the eye and they generate eyeballs for the show. And for the men, well in this case, they did collect some fine young people with muscles, tattoos, fake accents and beards. Basically, it was a group of very good-looking fleshy people.So that night when the show opened while we were busy wondering how people can be so good-looking, a scrawny childlike man walked in too. I remember wondering what in the world he was doing there or how he had even made it to the shortlist of housemates. I know I am not the only one who thought these shameful things. He honestly wasn’t nice to look at. I thought what he needed was to be checked into an isolation centre to be fed on mwana mugimu porridge, not the Big Brother house, a house of all things fleshy, lusty and carnal.
Fast forward to 10 weeks later, all the muscles, good looks, boobs, bums and brazillian weaves were evicted and the scrawny little fella emerged winner.I do not know how he did it. People who watched the show religiously like their lives depended on it say he won because he was intelligent and smart and all those things that cannot be seen. I say it is that oh-so powerful underdog cult that made it happen. Every time someone shows up and takes the underdog slot, they usually end up winning whatever competition it is. I am not suggesting that Laycon’s was a pity win or that he did not deserve it. What I am saying is, beware of the underdogs; they fight to the death and take no prisoners.