Inspiring beatific love, relationships through unique reality shows

My life, your entertainment’ is a saying that’s deeply rooted in the reality that humans are naturally fascinated by activities going on around them, especially when these activities revolve around the lives of other people.

This unsolicited interest is even more profound when these activities involve tales of love and relationship. And regardless of the nature of interest, this is one of the mighty pillars the world of entertainment is unashamedly built upon.

It is understandable why such tales continue to find a home in the hearts of millions of people. While some of these love tales are a vessel of hope and succour for the audience as the stories mirror their own experiences, some simply serve as a fulcrum of entertainment.

In Nigeria, one of the shows that have gained widespread popularity is the Big Brother Naija reality show. Asides that it strips the housemates to nothing but their real selves, the show continues to thrive on the back of the uncommon love and relationship stories that develop from it.

Some BBNaija housemates have even taken their love in the house to a height unforeseen by walking down the aisle and swearing to remain the apple of each other’s eyes through the good, bad and ugly times. The love story of Oluwabamike ‘BamBam’ Olawunmi and Temidayo ‘Teddy A’ Adenibuyan on the show’s third edition tagged Double Wahala eventually set the foundation for a deeper level of commitment between the pair, as they went on to tie the nuptial knot on November 16, 2019.

BamBam and Teddy A’s love story on BBNaija has rightfully inspired other relationships, with Khafi Kareem and Gedoni Ekpata also set to get married after they clicked during the fourth edition of the show in 2019. The pair were engaged last December while enjoying a Christmas vacation in Cape-Verde, with their wedding only on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic that continues to trouble the world.

MultiChoice, the organisers of the highly successful BBNaija show, are aware that this formula works and have doubled down on telling unique love stories by creating more enchanting reality shows around the tales of love and relationship such as Date My Family, Ultimate Love, and the recently launched Mercy & Ike Show which is centered around former BBNaija stars.

In Date, My Family, the concept of ‘meeting the parents’ was excellently depicted. The recently concluded reality TV show told the story of a suitor, who was meeting and getting acquainted with three potential dates’ families over dinner. The suitor/suitress, in turn, had an option to choose a date based on their experience with the dates’ family members and only got to see their pick at the eventual dinner.

Another show based on love and relationships, Ultimate Love, told the story of 16 housemates – eight young men and eight young women – who were on a quest to find true love. The show which premiered on February 9, 2020, promised the housemates who emerged with the most convincing love story a lavish all-expenses-paid wedding and a fully furnished apartment (should they decide to get married after the show).

The winning pair in the love pad will also win a cash prize of N5 million after being married for 1 year. The first edition of the show was won by the duo of Rosie and Kachi, with Iyke and Theresa, Bolanle and Arnold emerging as first and second runner-up, respectively.

These incentives, beyond the entertainment value for viewers, simply demonstrate MultiChoice’s commitment to promoting healthy, positive, and productive love stories among young Nigerians.

A new show that is currently grabbing the headlines is the Mercy & Ike. The show is woven around the love story of the Big Brother Naija season 4 ‘Pepper Dem’ housemates – Ike Onyema and eventual winner, Mercy Eke – who both found love during their stay in the house. Since Mercy and Ike left the house in 2019, their relationship has seen the good, the bad and the ugly times. While speculations were ongoing on whether the pair were still an item, they both shocked their teeming fans and naysayers with an announcement of their show ‘Mercy & Ike’ on Africa Magic on April 26, 2020.

The show’s premiere has gone on to break Africa Magic’s rating record, just as the pair’s unlikely bond comes into a full glare. On the show, which currently airs at 6:30 pm every Sunday on DStv Africa Magic Showcase Channel 151, Mercy and Ike continue to entertain fans with their personal stories and suspense-filled pranks. The former BBNaija participants are unpretentious and bold as they bring their fans into their world even when it is inconvenient to do so.

MultiChoice’s dedication to keeping viewers glued to their TV screens with great content is evident with these thoughtful shows, which consequently play important roles in creating a platform for the development of local content and talent. And with an added spice of love and relationships, you really love to see it.