Steamy Lexi not with Big Brother winner Mandla

“I was surprised when Mandla told me he was in a relationship back home, so I didn’t consider myself his girlfriend,” said Van Niekerk, who lives in Cape Town. “We were close in the house, but never made any commitment to each other.” 

Some Big Brother fans still believe the two were simply playing the game and using each other to attract viewers. “When I walked into the [Big Brother] house, I just wanted to be myself. I happened to be close to Mandla and shared intimate moments with him. There was no strategy.”

Asked whether she hoped to rekindle her “romance” with Hlatshwayo now that the show was over, Van Niekerk said: “We’ll see what happens between us. He will always have a special place in my heart. Whether he had won the money or not.”