Hazel Warren on Big Brother Africa and virtues

It’s official. One does not need to be a self-proclaimed sex siren or bomb to win over the hearts of an increasingly sexed-up Big Brother Africa (BBA) audience.


Ask pure-of-heart Hazel Warren of Malawi. The self-styled model of virtue lasted an incredible 91 days in BBA III house, emerging a credible runner-up amid
the sexual escapades notoriously associated with the highly controversial reality television offering.

And the 25-year-old is extremely proud she did not let her guard down and give in to the “filthy ‘S’ factor” in attaining the A-list celebrity status she now enjoys in her native country where she has been anointed goodwill ambassador for tourism.

Politicians, fans and well-wishers have been tripping over each other to shake hands or steal a glimpse of the stunner who has been praised at the highest level by President Bingu wa Mutharika for her “superb performance and putting Malawi on the international map of cultural achievers”.

The “Queen Hazel mania” that has gripped the southern African nation of nearly 14 million people marks a sharp departure from the 2003 debacle when shell-shocked lawmakers voted to ban the maiden series of BBA from state-run Television Malawi.

Parliament rubbished the show then, citing its steamy content and foul language, but was subsequently overruled by the High Court which declared it had flexed its muscles way too much.

All forgotten, Hazel’s 2008 feat is even more remarkable considering the Big Brother brand thrives traditionally on bust-ups among housemates and what its harshest critics term sex, sex, and more sex to prop up its spectacular TV ratings.

The God-fearing Hazel was one of 12 guests sentenced to live in a camera and microphone-infested house with fellow strangers from Angola, Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Namibia, Nigeria, Tanzania, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

At stake was a winner-takes-all US$100 000 jackpot bagged by 21-year-old Ricardo Venancio aka Ricco of Angola, after an unprecedented dead heat which saw him and Hazel receive an equal number of votes from six countries apiece.

The tie was only broken by a percentage calculation of the overall individual votes cast which eventually handed victory to Ricco by a whisker. Needless to say, Hazel loyalists suspect foul play.

The mind-numbing program, beamed live by M-Net on digital satellite channel DSTV to some 30 million viewers across the continent, premiered on 24 August, climaxing on 23 November.

Painting a heart-warming portrait of herself, Hazel pulled no punches in a post-show interview with the independent weekly Malawi News.

“I never had sex in the house because I knew what I wanted to achieve . . . (without compromising) my Malawian values.”

Housemates are allowed to take condoms into the house.

But such is the public outcry sparked by the subject, even the British version of Big Brother has not been spared the whip, amid mounting concern that its raunchy slant encourages young people to “play Russian Roulette” with sex. All this in the face of the UK’s galloping HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STI).

Concerned officials say film makers and TV producers should scrap the often-glamourised “James Bond image” of bed-hopping, pointing out that if the OO7 character were a real person he would have almost certainly been HIV-positive.

Given the well-documented dangers associated iwith reckless sex, was Hazel’s holier-than-thou conduct therefore a cunning ploy to come across as a girl-next-door
with a wholesome image in order to win votes from conservative Christian viewers? Apparently not so.

“My secret is the fear I have for the Lord.”

So strong is her conviction, she urges young people to constantly take stock of their moral values by ensuring they don’t get swayed by “moments of pleasure”.

However, her squeaky-clean antics have been dismissed by some BBA devotees as fake, especially those desperate to feast on no-holds-barred intimacy among love-sick housemates.

One audacious houseguest is believed to have got too close for comfort with three different seemingly hot-blooded warriors on different occasions during some much-anticipated moments of sexual buzz in the house.

Unimpressed by the daring antics of other housemates, leading Malawi daily The Nation trumpeted in its commentary that Hazel radiated values that truly reflected the country’s culture.

“Certain things (should) be done within the confines of a bedroom and not on TV while millions of people in many countries are watching. In that regard she has a become a role model to children.”

Hazel told Botswana daily, Mmegi‘, in separate remarks that she wanted “Africa to love me for what I am”.

She credits her beloved mother for grooming her well from the womb, a claim perhaps manifested by the manner in which she conducted herself in BBA house located in Randburg, South Africa. She lost her father last year.

“That’s how my mother raised me . . . I thank her for making me the woman that I am today,” she told Malawi media.

“I am most honored, blessed, and most grateful to have represented Malawi and Africa as a continent in that fashion.”

While Hazel did not send tongues wagging by talking dirty or flaunting herself in overly-flattering attire like micro-mini skirts or see-through outfits, she certainly left some housemates drooling, chiefly thanks to her culinary skills which she developed at early age.

She told Malawi News: “Cooking is something I developed way back when I was young. If you have a passion for something you will do it no matter where you are.”

But her obsession with cooking and tidiness has been fiercely blasted by some viewers who labeled her super boring for locking herself in the kitchen for much of the show.

Also, she stands accused of lacking a coherent game plan in the house - an essential component of Big Brother.

However, neutrals are apt to observe that Hazel’s disciplined approach and somewhat low-key presence constituted her game plan and, in essence, the foundation for her staying power in the house.

Tashi Tagg, writing on her TVSA blog, says: “On one hand, she may have been boring and cooked and cleaned. On the other, she (was) smart . . . (and) got along with one guy for protection.”

The man in question is fellow housemate Thamsang “Thami” Prusent of South Africa, who many now suspect to be romantically linked to Hazel.

Elated authorities in Malawi, buoyed by local media commentators who inadvertently waged a Big Brother contest of their own to find the best superlatives to sum up Hazel’s performance, rolled out red carpet treatment for the Lilongwe native on her her return home.

Conspicuous by her side was the 26-year-old Thami, further fueling rumors that the two are indeed lovebirds.

The flattering title of “Queen Hazel” bestowed on her by some enterprising headline writers in her country has stuck, underlining her growing popularity.

Not to be outshone, the corporate community and fans alike have been passing the bowl around, with national mobile phone giant, Zain, generously donating one million Malawi kwacha (US$7 200) towards her personal kitty.

Described as single and enterprising by nature on BBA’s official website, Hazel holds an advanced diploma in travel tourism and hospitality. She works full-time as a personal assistant in the Malawi capital Lilongwe while running a bridal business in her private time.

She entered BBA house with one eye firmly on the rich pickings on offer and the other on the chance of a new life experience.

Hazel plans to ride on the back of her charm, great looks and fame to venture into acting and modeling. And she is only too happy that her shoulder-length hair, no doubt the source of envy for many female viewers, could spawn one or two offers for hair product endorsements.

“I would like to try my hand at modeling and acting, and do promotions for hair products.”

Perhaps she may even be persuaded to take on board a tongue-in-cheek business tip by Jean Sutherland of the influential daily Namibian to launch her own
“Crazy Hazy” fashion line.

Such is her focus on scaling the dizzy heights of success that her actor profile is posted on the authoritative South African television website, TVSA, alongside stars like Denzel Washington, Whitney Houston and Oprah Winfrey.

Afterall, some Big Brother housemates have been handed new lucrative careers on a plate after appearing on the show, while others, sadly, have seen their lives fall apart because of the over-hyped controversies often lurking in the dark.

Hazel may have shamed the devil in Big Brother III by not publicly doing the deed with a stranger to spice up the series for the benefit of producers and viewers, but commentators will hasten to warn that although the cameras have since stopped rolling inside the house, the outside world will be watching every move she makes for a very long time to come.

Which begs the US$100 000 question: Will Malawi’s public face of biblical values successfully guard against the endless trappings associated with her newly-acquired pop star status?

Enter Big Brother IV . . .