Big Brother 8: Denzel and Lugudde profiles

It's a fresh season of Africa's biggest reality TV show. . . Big Brother Africa. Uganda has not tasted Lady Luck on the jackpot yet. But fortunately, we've had representatives to try their luck at the BIG cash since the show's inception.

In this year's edition, Uganda has sent in two interesting personalities, two people full of character, two people ready to wow the audiences . .  a TV/Radio personality and a basketball player.

Fancy that!  But hey, do you know them that well? In case you don't, here are their profiles.

DENZEL CHARLES MWIYERETSI

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By Joseph Ssemutooke

Remember that lad who last year graced local tabloids for storming the goat races wearing nothing but a pair of shorts you could accurately describe as pyjamas?

He is the same guy local media have often arrested for giving new meaning to partying hard, having unlimited fun, dressing stylishly (read weirdly), being free-spirited, name it.

Some think him crazy, others weird. Some find him irritating, others humorous, cool and fun. Basically, he arouses varied opinions. But all, in their opinions, agree that he is conspicuously different from the crowd.

And he, himself, knows that he is uncanny, only a week ago having declared on his Facebook page: ‘I am very different from the normal human race.’ That is 30-year-old Denzel Mwiyeretsi for you – one of Uganda’s representatives in Season Eight of the AfricaMagic reality television show, Big Brother Africa, this time tugged The Chase.

For those who happen to be Facebook friends with him, the drama on his wall never stops. Today he will post a picture of himself kissing two girls at ago, tomorrow show himself playing with another in the toilet, and the following day post pictures from his birthday celebrations, of himself and his girlfriend raising the steam.

On another relaxed day, he will be riding his bike about town, or part-timing as a DJ at a high-end hang-out.

Denzel, as he is commonly known, becomes the third broadcast media personality from Vision Group to represent Uganda in the reality show after Ernest Wasake and Kyle Duncan Kushaba, who represented Uganda in Season Six and Seven respectively.

He is presenter on both radio and TV, hosting The Shuffle on 94.8 X FM everyday between 10:00am and 2:00pm, while on Urban TV he hosts The House Party every Saturday.

As regards bringing home Biggie’s grand prize of $300,000 (sh780m) at the end of the show, Denzel has a good chance. As crazy characters who come loud both on action and talk naturally score with viewers across Africa.

Giving viewers hyper romantic episodes also works, and on that front too expect Denzel to deliver. There’s no way anyone will fail to notice Mwiyeretsi, because even when he isn’t verbally loud, his actions are naturally loud.

And by the way, he has got quite an experience in broadcast media. To join Vision Group (up left, sharing a handshake with Vision Group CEO Robert Kabushenga), he first had to win Urban TV’s maiden reality talent search Rated Next The Presenter, whose focus was finding a TV Presenter.

The second, tagged Coca Cola Rated Next, which ended three weeks ago, was to see him as the host in a high-ratings reality show. Before that he had worked a year in Namibia hosting a daily TV show, the Late Date.

He has also worked with Sanyu FM, WBS TV, NTV (where he hosted two seasons of the Hot Steps reality dance contest), as well as Beat FM, where he started out. He was also first runner-up in the MTV VJ search Uganda chapter in 2010.

Denzel was born in Uganda to Dr. William Mugisa and Deodata Mugisa. He attended Kitante Primary School and Greenhill Academy for his primary education, then Aga Khan for his secondary education, before pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Information Technology from Sikkhim Manipal University in Uganda.

ISAAC LUGUDDE

By Caroline Ariba

Basketball club D-Mark Power this eighth season of the reality show Big Brother Africa gives us one of our representatives – Isaac Lugudde aka LK4, who is their shooter.

He isn’t just their shooter – he is a celebrated one, who actually is mostly referred to as a socialite due to his flamboyant lifestyle off the court.

Born to Sam Lugudde-Katwe and Dr. Lugudde-Katwe Elizabeth Nabatanzi (the latter a former presidential advisor), Isaac went to Kinderkare in Boston, Massachusetts, John K. Fitzgerald in Beverly Hills, and Beverly Hills High school, US.

After that, he joined Winchendon Preparatory College School in Massachusetts for two years before joining Boston College for a degree in accounting and marketing. It was here that his talent in basketball was identified after having spent most of his childhood toying with the ball.

Immediately after college, Luggude signed a three-year contract in 2005 with Spanish club Caneros De La Romana, but sadly an ankle injury did not entice another renewal in 2008.

A few months later, he tried out a nine-to-five job as an accountant at the Harvard Health Insurance company, but later got bored and quit.

It was at this point of emptiness, followed by a failed marriage, that his mother, also a former contender for the Luweero Parliamentary seat and president of Falcons basketball club, encouraged him to come back home, where he signed up for basketball again.

A friend of his, who works with D-Mark, says that as soon Luggude stepped on court, the ladies were smitten! The guys too couldn’t resist that he was talented, and seemed like he was here to stay.

Then the shine was diverted from the court to his personal life; the media getting awash with rumour of a brewing romance between him and city socialite Zari Hassan (pictured up right). With this, even those that had never caught wind of the Friday Night Lights basketball do at YMCA in Wandegeya started to notice the brother.

One minute he was rumoured to be dating Judith Heard’s friend and socialite Sue Ochola, the next Zari. In a flash, we had us a ‘bad boy’ taking to the basketball a socialite lifestyle.

And though the thing with Zari ended in a messy social media breakup involving Zari erasing tattoos of him off her body, Luggude’s new title, The Bad Boy of Basketball, stuck. The ‘bad boy’ thing was concretised by the fact that this heart breaker loves dogs; in fact, he is the owner of Royal Pit-bulls, a dog-breeding company.

With a friend of his having already assured us that Lugudde is quite the reserved guy with a rare love for poetry and an occasional party here and there, we are looking at someone who is somewhat mysterious, your typical Big Brother character!

So, I wouldn’t be off-track if I said watch out for the Ntinda resident heartbreaker, people. The ladies of the Big Brother house are going to be tripping on themselves for him, and trust this dog lover to bite!