Former Big Brother Naija housemate, reality TV star, and actress Erica Nlewedim has opened up about enduring three years of relentless online insults and criticism following her participation in the popular reality show.
In an interview on Toke Makinwa’s Toke Moments, as reported by CableLifestyle on Sunday, Erica spoke candidly about the emotional toll her Big Brother Naija experience took on her and the difficulties she faced after leaving the BBNaija house.
Erica revealed that she was unaware of how deeply the constant negativity was affecting her until she began to experience anxiety. “I was getting three years of back-to-back insults. I had to see a therapist because of that show,” she shared.
She explained that social media became especially overwhelming, with a nonstop stream of notifications and critical comments. “At first, I didn’t know it was getting to me. But after three years of insults, whenever I opened Instagram, I just saw notifications. I was always anxious, and I don’t like that,” Erica said.
The actress, who was a contestant in the 2020 edition of BBNaija, said these experiences eventually led her to seek professional help. “I went to therapy in 2024. 2024 was my quiet time. I didn’t act in any movies,” she said. Erica explained that she intentionally took a break from acting to focus on her well-being and address personal issues she hadn’t previously recognized. “I just decided to take a break in 2024. It was just last year I decided to start coming back. I’m happy I did that because there were a lot of things I didn’t even realize were affecting me.”
Despite the emotional challenges, Erica acknowledged the financial benefits the show brought her. “I’ll never go to a show like Big Brother Naija again in my life. I’m happy I did it because, of course, it changed my life money-wise, but I’m never doing it again if I’m given the opportunity,” she stated.
Erica was disqualified from the 2020 BBNaija edition for breaching the show’s house rules. In 2021, she had previously revealed she suffered from “full-blown anxiety” after her time on the reality show.
Her recent comments shed light on the ongoing struggles faced by former reality TV contestants, especially regarding sustained public scrutiny and online criticism. Erica’s experiences echo similar sentiments shared by fellow BBNaija alum Mercy Eke, who also recently reflected on the challenges and opportunities that came with her participation on the show.
