Big Brother Africa DOUBLES Up! This Time, It’s All About Pairs & A Mega $300,000 Prize

Just when DStv audiences thought that they had seen all the incredible twists and turns that mega-hit reality-TV franchise Big Brother Africa could possibly include, M-Net’s sensational series has pulled off another huge surprise.

And you know it’s a massive announcement when even the fact that this season’s brand new cash prize of a cool USD 300 000 isn’t the headline-grabbing news!

Grabbing that honor is the revelation from series producers that this season, entrants must DOUBLE-UP to compete. This means that anyone who wants to enter season 7 must partner with another person to enter as a pair!

So whether you enter with your best friend, boyfriend, girlfriend, mom, dad, brother, sister, boss, husband, wife, neighbor, hairdresser, whomever…you must just make sure that you enter as a pair. So who will take the journey of a lifetime with you? Remember you may have to spend a long time with them in the house so choose carefully!

PLUS, in another bold change, Big Brother Africa welcomes two new countries Liberia and Sierra Leone to the Big Brother house for the first time ever, while this time round, Ethiopia bows out of the game and Mozambique will take on a new role that will be announced at a later stage.

That means that this year, if you want to enter Big Brother Africa you can do so if you and your partner are citizens from one of the following participating countries: Angola, Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Namibia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Both partners must come from the same country, must be 21 years or older, must be fluent in English and must have a valid passport.

How to Apply

Interested persons can collect an entry form from the nearest MultiChoice office in their country anytime from February 5. Alternatively you can also enter by logging on to www.mnetafrica.com/bigbrother and completing an entry form online. Or download an entry form from the website, complete and email it back to bba@endemol.co.za. All online entry forms will also be available from February 5. Whatever you choose to do, do it fast because the deadline for entries is February 27, 2012!

And remember that, as with previous seasons, entrants must be fun-loving, vocal, creative, original and articulate. In addition all entrants must the social flexibility to live in close proximity with others and must be tolerant of views and lifestyle choices other than their own.

Commenting on the surprise turn of events, M-Net Africa Managing Director Biola Alabi says, “We are thrilled to be offering a huge, new, USD 300 000 prize and to include two new countries who were chosen to participate based on their ongoing interest in the series and their growing DStv audiences. And while Ethiopia won’t have a housemate this year, we’ll look to include them and other non-housemate countries in other ways if the opportunity arises, as we do every season. We are and have always been proudly committed to making this a truly African show. And as for Mozambique, they will be included with a housemate – but that’s all we are saying at the moment!”

She goes on to say, “Of course, the really big news this season is that entrants must enter as pairs. In the past we’ve seen a natural and continuous cross-over between individuals and their families, their friends. So this year, we decided to include that as part of the game. It will definitely make a dramatic addition to the series so we urge people to enter and experience what will be a uniquely different Big Brother Africa!”

So with just days to go until the official start of Big Brother Africa 7, start thinking about who you want to share this amazing adventure with. Then make sure you enter AS SOON AS POSSIBLE!

Produced for M-Net by Endemol South Africa, the new season of Big Brother Africa will be headline sponsored by Coca-Cola for the second consecutive year and will be screened to 47 countries across the continent, live 24/7 for 91 days on DStv channel 198. The series starts Sunday May 6 2012.

Island girl! Vanessa Hudgens slips into a white maxi dress for beach shoot in Hawaii;

Since arriving in Hawaii last week, she has been spending time in the arms of her boyfriend Austin Butler.

But Vanessa Hudgens managed to pry herself away from her new beau to promote her new film Journey 2: The Mysterious Island over the weekend.

The 23-year-old slipped into a long white halterneck maxi dress with embroidered detail for a series of stunning photographs.

Of course the shoot had a distinct Hawaiian feel, with the movie filmed and based on the stunning island.

With barely any make-up on her flawless complexion, Vanessa is glowing in the snaps and wears her brunette locks out in a natural wave.

Staying with the tropical theme she accessorises with some coral stone earrings and a tropical purple orchid tucked behind her ear.

Perching on some trees in an idyllic setting close to the beach, she is the epitome of a beautiful island girl.

 Vanessa is currently on the promotional trail for her action-adventure film, which is due to hit theatres in the US on Friday, February 10.

Journey 2: The Mysterious Island centres around a woman named Kailani (played by Hudgens) and her boyfriend on a mission to find his grandfather, who is thought to be missing on a mythical island.

It co-stars Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson who was brought in to replace Brendan Fraser, who starred in the last installment titled Journey to the Center of the Earth.

  Taking a short break from promoting the film last week, Vanessa and boyfriend Butler haven't been able to keep their hands off each other as they frolicked in beautiful Maui.

Over the weekend the couple put on yet another public display of affection in the waters of the island.

With her bikini body on display in a tiny black patterned two piece, Vanessa was seen leaning in to hug and kiss her shirtless beau on Saturday evening.

 The two tanned actors splashed around the water and watched the sun set after going kayaking together.

Vanessa and fellow Disney actor Austin, 20, who have been dating since last September, are clearly very much in the honeymoon period of their relationship.

It was the third straight day the love birds had frolicked in the surf and shared a steamy kiss in public.

 Their affectionate displays have left onlookers with no doubt as to who has Vanessa 's heart now.

When Vanessa and Austin started dating last year, friends said at the time that it was 'nothing serious', but the pair now seem to be inseparable.

They holidayed in Miami last month, visited Disneyland in Anaheim, California, and spent Christmas and New Year's together too.

 Austin, who recently co-starred in the movie Sharpay's Fabulous Adventure, alongside Vanessa's best friend Ashley Tisdale, is three years younger than Vanessa.

But despite the fact that Vanessa is now clearly dating Austin, she was still quizzed by an Australian interviewer last week about her relationship with ex-boyfriend Josh Hutcherson while promoting Journey 2: The Mysterious Island in Sydney.

A host asked: 'So how long have you been going on?', there was an awkward silence between the pair until Hutcherson, 19, said: 'We're not, we were at one point, but she broke my heart.'

'No, I'm just kidding, that was a while ago, we're really good friends now.'

She was promoting her latest film with her co-star Hutcherson and the two looked looked very comfortable in each others company.

The couple, who briefly dated while filming last year, appeared to still have some chemistry together as they posed in front of a hoard of photographers.

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