By Andiswa Ngenyane.
BIG Brother Mzansi season 5 has been officially launched. Mzansi Magic hosted the launch at the MultiChoice offices in Randburg, Joburg, on Thursday, 5 December.
The new season kicks off on 12 January 2025, with the theme Umlilo. Radio presenter Smash Afrika will take over from Lawrence Maleka as the host.
Shirley Adonisi said they are happy about the success of previous seasons. “The Big Brother phenomenon has taken the whole continent. When we brought it back, we were doubting a bit. But with the pressure to do better as Mzansi Magic, we always try to do better. And the seasons were successful,” Shirley said.
She said the new season will be something never done before on TV.
“The theme is in line with what people can expect. We’re about breaking boundaries and taking people out of their comfort zone. This format is the perfect pressure cooker to put people in.
“There are so many interpretations of the word Umlilo (fire). We’re really going to make housemates uncomfortable. We’re experimenting with things never done before. We’re determined to make them as uncomfortable as possible. We’re really pushing the envelope. We’ll test their intolerance to see how much they can take without breaking any legal rules. The team has come up with devious things,” she said.
She mentioned they had many entries this year.
“The number of entries this year was more than the ones we received last year. We know that it’s more than just the R2 million. It’s about the platform that BBM offers.
“A big thank you to our audience for sticking with us. We take their feedback seriously,” she said.