Adeola Adeyemo
Vimbai Mutinhiri is a model, presenter and actress who burst onto the African stage as a housemate in Big Brother Amplified. Born in her home country Zimbabwe, she started her career as an actress at the age of 15 when she starred in a short film for the Zimbabwe International Film Festival titled “Who’s In Charge”. She went on to play a lead role in Zimbabwe’s first soapie, Studio 263 and did some modeling while she was studying at the University of Cape Town, South Africa. In 2011, she took part in Big Brother Amplified which opened doors to bigger platforms. Now 26, she co-hosts Africa Magic Entertainment’s daily entertainment and lifestyle news program, StarGist. During her latest trip to Nigeria, BellaNaija’s Adeola Adeyemo caught up with her for an interesting chat on her career, her Big Brother experience and more.
Although this is not her first time in Nigeria, Vimbai is here for probably one of the biggest breaks in her career. She will be co-hosting the maiden edition of the Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards with IK Osakioduwa in Lagos later this evening and just like most Africans, she is very excited about the awards and the opportunity to be a co-host.
I know this is not your first visit to Nigeria but this time around you’re here for something big. How do you feel at this point in time?
It’s a bit exciting because it’s our first African Film & TV Awards of this magnitude so to be chosen to co-host is really an honour. It’s also a great honour to work with IK who is so well established and has a great reputation in the industry.
Why do you think you were chosen to co-host the awards?
I think I need to give the first testimony to hard work. Since I started hosting TV shows, I’ve been committed and I’ve worked really hard. I really do put a lot of work into it so I just like to believe that God saw my effort and thought that it was time to reward me and I’m really grateful for that.
How Big Brother Amplified Changed Her Life
Let’s talk about your journey to fame. What were you doing before you got into the Big Brother Amplified House?
My journey started when I was 15. I was involved in a short film in Zimbabwe. They needed a young girl to play the role of a young maid and when I auditioned for it, they thought I was good for the role. From there I became involved with Zimbabwe’s biggest soapie called Studio 263. That is really where my journey with entertainment began.
Do recall your time in the Big Brother Amplified House and tell me about your experience.
It was one of the most difficult experiences I’ve ever been through. It teaches you the power of the mind because I think we’re often reckless with our mind and with our mouth in our everyday life. But when you are in that house where everything you say or do is being monitored, it teaches you so much discipline but also a lot of respect. Sometimes we say things, even under our breath, but we don’t realize how powerful the words are. It taught me a lot about myself as well, my strengths and my weaknesses but it also gave me more drive and inspired me.
While you were in the House, your character was tagged as snobbish and arrogant by some viewers. Why do you think you were perceived this way?
As viewers, it’s impossible for you to see me from the moment I wake up till when I go to sleep so remember that there were certain moments that were captured and maybe they were moments that will be misunderstood. The other thing about my personality is I’m often very reserved until I feel free and comfortable so in my own way I’m a very shy person. In BBA Amplified, it was loud and crazy and sometimes when you’re not being loud and crazy, you can be misunderstood for being snobbish when to be honest you’re just feeling insecure at the time. It’s also difficult to voice out your insecurity because the moment your housemates know that, they will use it against you. But I never thought of myself as better than anyone else in the house, I simply expressed a lot of my frustrations and I can understand how that could have come across as snobbish or arrogant. But I never intended to hurt anyone.
Read the rest of this interview on BellaNaija
Photo Credit: @libartystudio
