News / National
Zimbabwe's ex-Big Brother contestant 'stressed, broke, on rehab'
19 Mar 2015 at 15:45hrs | Views
Jerome 'JJ' made Arab a name for himself on reality television show, Big Brother Africa (BBA).
He stayed all the way to the last day in the BBA house but is depressed because he got out with nothing.
"The truth is I am broke and going through a bad patch," he says but there is more.
It appears being on Big Brother has piled pressure on JJ to make something of his life. Everyone looks at him as a continental television personality but the fact is he is just an ordinary unemployed Zimbabwean struggling to make ends meet.
"I am a pedestrian, I didn't win the jackpot and I'm probably poorer than I was before BBA," JJ admits.
The stress has now seen him going for counselling sessions to avoid falling into a depression.
"So many things are piling in my life and it doesn't seem like there is an immediate solution for me. It stressed me so much I had to go for a psychological analysis.
"I started losing weight and my friend referred me there to a psychologist... they then referred me to South Africa for rehabilitation."
In a wide ranging interview with H-Metro, JJ opened up on his life, the stress, being an adopted child whose mother gave him up when he was two- weeks old and never knowing his real father.
He also spoke about his stint in the UK where he was homeless and had to sleep in restaurants and pavements.
But it is his latest fame which has not come with any fortune that seems to be haunting him.
"I was among the last group and having spent three months in the house, it is painful to have nothing to show. I left the house empty handed. Upon my arrival, I had to help my granny pay her medical bills and start a life all over again. It was like starting from zero. Besides being called at Multichoice official functions, there is really nothing to show for it," JJ laments.
He stayed all the way to the last day in the BBA house but is depressed because he got out with nothing.
"The truth is I am broke and going through a bad patch," he says but there is more.
It appears being on Big Brother has piled pressure on JJ to make something of his life. Everyone looks at him as a continental television personality but the fact is he is just an ordinary unemployed Zimbabwean struggling to make ends meet.
"I am a pedestrian, I didn't win the jackpot and I'm probably poorer than I was before BBA," JJ admits.
The stress has now seen him going for counselling sessions to avoid falling into a depression.
"I started losing weight and my friend referred me there to a psychologist... they then referred me to South Africa for rehabilitation."
In a wide ranging interview with H-Metro, JJ opened up on his life, the stress, being an adopted child whose mother gave him up when he was two- weeks old and never knowing his real father.
He also spoke about his stint in the UK where he was homeless and had to sleep in restaurants and pavements.
But it is his latest fame which has not come with any fortune that seems to be haunting him.
"I was among the last group and having spent three months in the house, it is painful to have nothing to show. I left the house empty handed. Upon my arrival, I had to help my granny pay her medical bills and start a life all over again. It was like starting from zero. Besides being called at Multichoice official functions, there is really nothing to show for it," JJ laments.
Source - H-Metro
