THE events at Big Brother Amplified (BBA) are getting more interesting as housemates start getting closer. It is a guess that a few blankets will be needed this winter in the house. Although it is now in its sixth season, many viewers still do not understand the idea behind the show. Big Brother is a television show in which a group of people live together in isolation from the outside world. Their actions are captured by television cameras inside the house and the housemates spend about three months in the house in the hope of winning the cash prize, which is US$200 000 this season. Their actions are recorded at all times and they are not permitt e d a n y c o n – t a c t with t h e outs i d e world. Once a week, housemates are invited nominate a housemate to be evicted from the house. The last remaining housemate is declared the winner. This show affords viewers the opportunity to assess how people react when forced into close confinement with people who lie outside their comfort zone. At regular intervals, each housemate privately nominates a number of fellow housemates they wish to see evicted from the house. The housemates with the most nominations are then announced and viewers are given the opportunity to vote. Zimbabwe is being represented by Vimbai Mutinhiri and Wendall Parsons. The presence of Wendall in this extraordinary show is proof that being an African is not defined by one’s skin colour. Wendall fulfilled the above statement when recently he said he was more African than other housemates despite being white. Vimbai, on the other hand, showed her patriotism as she told other housemates that she was in the house to represent ‘Brand Zimbabwe’. Both Vimbai and Wendall show that they went to Big Brother to put Zimbabwe on the map. However, Munyaradzi Chidzonga’s unfortunate loss last season should push every Zimbabwean to vote and rally behind Vimbai and Wendall. This week, housemates were split into two groups. The house was divided into the original house which is called the ‘Heads’ and a new house called the ‘Tails’. Each housemate was asked to pick one glove to form the two groups. Housemates from the first group were allowed back to the house and the others went to the main house. Both Vimbai and Wendall are among the group back in the main house. The housemates also entertained themselves by using paint and brushes to make their own gnome avatars. A gnome is a small creature usually wearing a pointed hat, while an avatar is an embodiment of a person. The housemates spent the entire Wednesday afternoon painting their faces and fixing their hair in preparation for their Calendar Task. They were required to form groups and each one had come up with a theme for their photo shoot. This week six housemates were nominated for eviction. The six housemates are Vimbai, Jossy, Vina, Confidence, Danny and Weza. Vimbai’s presence on the eviction list exhorts Zimbabweans to keep her in the house. Vimbai outwitted Kenya’s Millicent in the race of who dates Alex from Ghana when she stole a kiss from Alex. Viewers had a remarkable treat when Confidence from Ghana exposed her boobs in the hands of regularly thrilled Zeus. Although BBA draws its viewers from across the world, critics say it is vital for housemates to use the show as a platform to expose their way of life in their respective countries. It remains to be seen if one of Zimbabwe’s two representatives in the show will scoop the cash prize at the end, but it is vital to remember that inevitably, it is your vote that counts.