Every week he was left with so many questions but with no answers, “I was like why me? Why it is always me who is left when people who are strong competition went home, people I thought would make it to the finals?”
For Thabang Mazibuko, this meant he is on the right track.
“I started to be content and believe in myself, especially after week five, I was like ‘wow, okay’,” he says. But just when he was getting his head into the game, things took an unexpected twist.
Thabang left the audience backstage in awe and proved that no one is safe at this stage in the competition. This is after it was announced that he didn’t make it to the top six finalists on Big Brother’s Titans.
Many rallied around him win each week, but they were shocked when he failed to secure a spot for the grand finale. This was confusing for him. He tells us that he didn’t think he had so many fans across the country who were rooting for him.
“I really don’t know why people kept on voting for me and not someone else. I didn’t know what people were seeing on the outside but now that I am out [of Big Brother’s House] I got to know what people saw in me and kept on voting. I was always concerned about what did they see in me that they didn’t see in other people and that’s why I am so grateful for them to keep me in the house for this long. I am overwhelmed by the love.”
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He says even though he didn’t see himself as strong competition, he knew he was going to put up a fight for his place in the house.
“In terms of the games [though], I saw myself as a strong competitor,” he tells TRUELOVE.
The 21-year-old sports data analyst from Soweto prides himself on making it this far on the show, he says that he is leaving with so much gratitude.
“I don’t think I could have done anything differently, I am proud that I was able to be myself and open up, share some parts about myself. I am grateful for the opportunity to have been on the show.”
He says he had so much fun that he would often forget that they were surrounded by cameras and on national television.
“It was like real life but you are just stuck in the same house and there are cameras, which you forget about them and also that you’re on TV – you’re just human. So, at that moment, you are just in the house with strangers who later become family. We speak, develop bonds and friendship blooms. It was such an amazing experience.”
He has made a name for himself without even noticing, he says as soon as he got home, everyone in his area couldn't hide their excitement when they saw him.
“It is just a lot, it feels like I am having an out-of-body experience because I am used to introducing myself when I meet people but since the show, I no longer have that privilege. It is a weird out-of-body experience because it doesn’t feel like I was in a live reality show, to me it felt like I was in a house.”
He still can’t figure out where his head is at when it comes to his relationship with Khosi, he says.
“Right now, I am just focusing on taking everything in and finding my feet after my eviction. I think as for Khosi and I (takes deep breaths) eish I don’t know actually; I think we would cross that bridge when we get there. There is a lot more out there and putting in the work,” he giggles.
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While glammed up and looking ravishing in a stylish yellow suit on eviction night, the dream of walking away a millionaire came to an end for Victor 'Blaqboi' Panwal too.
It was a close call, he says.
“And I got very close [to the finals] for three times. The first time was when I almost won the battle for head of the house game but lost to Ipeleng and the second time was when I thought Ipeleng would save me and then the third time is now that I got to leave a week before. So, it shows that it was never my fate to get saved.”
As much as it is disappointing, he says he has made peace with his eviction.
“It is a thing of ‘okay I accept whatever comes and I move with it’ so I just take it as fate, it was never meant to be. I was never meant to be in the finals, and I have taken it good. I’m proud of who I was in the house.”
He had so much to live for while being in the show, but he says what he will miss the most also which is on top of his list, “is the free food.”
“Now I am going to have to buy whatever I want to eat, no more free foods. And secondly, I’m going to miss the wagers, tasks and presentations because I loved them so much, it was what I lived for.”
He says his strategy of being himself has worked in his favor as he stayed in the house till the tenth week.
“I did achieve my goal of selling my dream and, of course, outside the house I am planning on pushing my movie production and grow bigger on my charity events and influencing. I did realise my dream in the competition and the only thing I didn’t do was to win the money.”
Blaqboi and Thabang were evicted alongside Justin Peters, leaving six housemates who made it to the grand finale.
The show is set to end on Sunday, 2 April 2023, after showcasing 24 housemates.
