By Zera Nambu
The latest episode of Biggy Studios, Cameroon’s ongoing reality TV show, has sparked controversy, after a pregnant contestant known as Spicy Black (Laura), was evicted under unclear circumstances.
She was among six contestants evicted on Sunday and later reinstated following the first round of public voting for the show that kicked off on August 25.
However, controversy arose after Biggy Studios failed to reinstate Spicy Black, despite reinstating all those who had been evicted.
The management of the show reportedly have reportedly linked her permanent eviction to her pregnancy, which had been a subject of debate when the show kicked off.
Despite understanding the potential health factors involved with managing a pregnancy on a reality TV show, many viewers have voiced their belief that the eviction was unfair.
Publicly released voting results showed that Laura ranked 16th out of 29 housemates, garnering 2.51 percent of the total vote, which placed her ahead of several contestants who were spared from eviction.
On social media, some bloggers and fans of the show have been displeased with Spicy Black’s treatment, terming it unfair.
One social media user stated: “This just isn’t right, If ‘Biggy Studios’ knew about her pregnancy before everything kicked off, then why allow her on the show to begin with? All her time, money, and energy have been wasted and for what exactly?”
Adding to the controversy are Laura’s circumstances, in which she has also publicly shared that her baby daddy is unwilling to take responsibility for the pregnancy and has allegedly refused to provide assistance or support.
These events have caused a broader discussion on the ethics that reality television has to make things right with Laura, given that the organizers had accepted her into the show fully aware that she was pregnant.
