Big Brother Mzansi winners: where are they now?

Big Brother was initially a Dutch reality competition television franchise created by John de Mol, with its first episode broadcast in the Netherlands in 1999.

The reality show features “housemates” who live together in a specially constructed house that restricts them from seeing the real outside world or having any contact with people outside, while the housemates are constantly monitored by Big Brother and the viewers.

Over time the Big Brother franchise was syndicated internationally and on 2 February 2014 Big Brother Mzansi – Secrets was born. The reality TV show was hosted by Lungile Radu and the housemates were Iris, Jase, Jenayne, Kat, Kgosi, Lexi, Loko, Mbali, MK, Mzamo, Nku, Paris, Poolie, Sol, Thando, Vanessa and the season winner, Mandla.

Mandla Hlatshwayo walked into the Big Brother house as the owner of a spaza shop in Sebokeng and left the first season of Big Brother Mzani R1 million richer. A year later Mandla created a hot reality show called Mandla & Lexi, alongside his co-star and wife, Lexi, who he met in the Big Brother house.

Despite comments by people that Mandla and Lexi would not work out as a couple due to their different backgrounds, the couple proved the whole of Mzansi wrong and stuck it through until they finally got married. Mandla and Lexi welcomed their first child on 12 April 2019 and Mandla has been sharing a few pictures of his son on his Instagram page since then.

The second season of Big Brother Mzansi Double Trouble aired on 22 and 23 March 2015. This season had 20 housemates, six more than the first season. The housemates were Adams, Bexx, Blue, Bongi, Chelsea, Ex, Gino, K2, Kay, Khali, Lebo, Matthias, Mbali, Pumba, Sibu, Soxx, Tembi, Tiffini and winning couple Ace and Ntombi.

Nkanyiso Ace Khumalo and Ntombifuthi Tshabalala both walked away with R1 million, making them the first couple to win the reality show.

Ntombi and Ace have been together since they started dating on the show and Ntombi shared an Instagram post that she and Ace have been together for 10 years. The post was captioned” 10 years together I’m still happy with you and I love you so much”. The lovebirds have two beautiful children and made it a priority to focus on their family.

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