On Sunday night 27-year old PA Mimi Abu-Andani was the fifth housemate to be ousted from the BBAfrica house.
Evicted by 10 countries to 3, she was up against TK and Thami and was visibly whammed at the news, having told Big Brother in a diary session that she was convinced she'd be staying.
Here's who she spoke about when I caught up with her to demand
our answers:
Tashi: Being so shocked at being voted out - who were you convinced would leave?
Mimi: I thought Thami was gonna leave because I thought Africa was on the same page as me about him throwing the food away because I think it's not right and there are starving kids out there. I was shocked Africa voted me out but obviously now I understand.
Tashi: Why'd do you think it happened?
Mimi: I think they're voting out the most talented and entertaining and I think Africa misunderstood my playing of the game to be a backstabbing person and a gossip. I was just playing my game, that's all.
Tashi: Are you in love with Ricco?
Mimi: No - I just liked him. I couldn't be in love within three months, that would be a big lie. I just liked him, his personality and who he was. He told me about his strategy and it was good one and he was a good player, I thought that being close to such a person would help me in the house - but in love? no.
Tashi: What's his strategy?
Mimi: He just told the things that he wants to do to - for now I don't think he'd like me to tell people what his strategy is so I'd rather leave it until he comes out. He told me in confidence and because he's really a buddy, right now I'm outside the walls so I don't think I'll be a backstabber like they called me.
Tashi: If you'd met him in the outside world would you have fallen in love with him?
Mimi: Yeah, it's possible, it's possible, it's possible because he's a nice person so it's possible but I would have gotten to know him first.
Tashi: Do you want to pursue a relationship with him once it's all over?
Mimi: I can't tell now.
Tashi: How did you feel when you heard that some of the housemates thought you were a "gossip, stirrer and backstabber."
Mimi: I was shocked - obviously they were taking things to another and I think they were playing the game. I think Africa got played too because housemates obviously say things so Africa would see it from their point of view so Africa would agree with them. I just got played.
Tashi: But you did gossip a lot.
Mimi: I don't know what you consider gossip.
Tashi: Talking about people behind their backs.
Mimi: That's not gossip - I couldn't gather the whole house and talk to them about the things I wanted to talk about. I was only talking to people I felt comfortable with - what's the big deal? I'm a normal human being, it's just that I was on TV.
Another thing, I never forgot I was in a game, I was just playing people's minds - I don't think that's difficult to understand, mistaking playing a game to be gossip.
The fact that I nominate somebody I'm close to or someone who didn't think I would - I had the right to nominate anybody, even
Ricco. What's the backstabbing when we all know it's a game for $100 000? I don't understand where Africa's coming from but it's over - I'm out here and I'm cool and I get their point - obviously they want a bunch of boring people in there.
Tashi: You often analysed the situations in the house as if you were a viewer - where there times when you forgot you were a housemate and not a viewer?
Mimi: Yes, there were a lot of times I forgot I was a housemate, that's how they got things from me. I was a big threat and I knew it - it felt like they thought "That girl's watched too much Big Brother, she knows more than us who've never watched the show."
Tashi: So it was a disadvantage?
Mimi: No, it's just that I forgot myself and explained different things to them and they thought I was being strategic. Another thing I'd like Africa to know is that it's very different being a player and watching - you can't know the emotional trauma we go through in there psychologically. It's like the difference between watching soccer and playing.
Tashi: Which Big Brothers have you watched?
Mimi: The other two Big Brother Africa's, South Africa, UK and Europe. I went online to see them.
Tashi: Who's your favourite housemate from all seasons and countries?
Mimi: Tatiana.
Tashi: Oh really - why??
Mimi: I think she was a very good player - she managed to win the hearts of the housemates and Africa, which I failed to do. I wanted to break her record which I told Ricco - to not be nominated for a long time. I loved her.
Tashi: So that's why you pursued Ricco - it's been said that he wants to be Richard.
Mimi: No, that's not why - my strategy was to get close to a guy because it's easier to get ahead when you have a partner. It's easier than being alone so someone always has your back. I knew he'd never nominate me.
Tashi: Before you hooked up with him, was there anyone you thought could have been your partner instead?
Mimi: No, no, nobody - I think they'd all be good friends, Ricco was just interesting, the kind of person, the kind of boyfriend I'd like to have.
Tashi: What do you think of Tawana's bed-hopping?
Mimi: I wasn't there, I was in my room and they sleep in the other room - I only heard about it once I was out and it's a shock. Obviously they could each be playing a game so I'll leave it to them.
Tashi: Which housemates' general behaviour shocked you most?
Mimi: Hazel - she's such a snitch, no she's not a snitch, a snake in the grass. She's very dangerous - she and Tawana, the things they said about me, I was amazed, I'd never say a thing like that. Anyway I console my soul with the fact that they could be gameplayers and they're doing it to get the money and I can't judge them too much on that. Probably they're just different people and they're acting. She could be playing as well.
Tashi: Do you think she has a chance of winning?
Mimi: No.
Tashi: Why did you use the nickname Diva all the time?
Mimi: It's something that I always used when I was a kid - that I was gonna to be a superstar, that I was gonna be a Diva and that I was gonna have a positive effect on people all over the world. It's been my dream that I'm going to be a diva positively.
Even people who went to uni with me, would be very surprised to see me on Big Brother, they'd say: "This girl, she said all these things and it's coming to pass." I used to tell them they need to watch out for me, that they'd see me on the bigscreen. It's something I put on myself and it's coming to pass.
Tashi: Why are you working as a PA if you're a princess with a biochemistry degree?
Mimi: No Chemistry degree. I was working at an oil refinery and then I travelled to learn some languages because I like to be universal so I went to study a bit of Spanish, Italian and other things and then when I came back I got a different job. I'm very dynamic, I change a lot because I'm multi-talented and I can do a lot - when I came back I was hired as a PA at an engineering firm, I said they must put me on training which is how I went into engineering without training.
Being a PA's fun because you move a lot, I'm a person who doesn't want to be in one place but being a chemist in the refinery I was put in one place. That's why I swapped - dealing with people, it's one thing I love a lot because I know I'm a very lovely person.
The princess issue, I'm a princess, the whole of Ghana knows I'm a princess, my surname's a very popular surname in Ghana, we have a lot of issues, we're always in the newspapers so I can claim I'm a princess, I'm just not interested.
My dad is a prince, my uncles are princes but my dad's not interested. I'm from the royal family that's big in Ghana, I can't change it, I'm just a princess.
Tashi: Are you very rich?
Mimi: I'm not very rich - my parents are hardworking, my fathers father was rich he was a king, he died. My mom wasn't rich, my dad had his problems and then woke up again. The throne could be very rich but I'm not interested, I'd say I'm from a medium class family that fights hard for themselves to survive. I don't involve myself because there's a lot of issues and fights over power and the throne. It's known in Ghana for that - sa you say your name they "Ai, troubled people."
Tashi: Could you be the queen of Ghana if you wanted?
Mimi: Not Ghana - the queen of the Andani throne, it's a particular clan and throne that's the popular one.
Tashi: Your hair - why did it make such a radical U-turn after just a week in the house?
Mimi: When I came out and saw the big deal about my hair I was surprised because anybody who knows me really, really well knows that I'm very, very elegant, trust me. I change my hair every two weeks, I'm very fashionable. What a lot of people don't know is that we had very strict restrictions on what we took in, we had limited clothes and all our clothes were sorted out and we could take in a particular amount of clothes.
Also, in West Africa we use a lot of human hair, we don't use our hair so because I didn't have chance to fix it. I never keep it natural, it's the first time I had - I didn't care, I didn't think Africa would pick on my hair, my this, my that.
It's not about beauty in there, if I really want to look beautiful, if they saw me on the streets they'd never know it was me, I can paint myself up but I didn't think it was about beauty, I thought it was about personality, playing the game and winning the money.
Later, when my housemates started going on about my hair and Munya laughing at me about the particular blue dress I was wearing, that's when I woke up and thought "They're thinking I'm some colonial girl who doesn't know anythng about dressing up or looking up for herself."
If you watched the show I even dressed up for a day, wore heals for the whole day - just to prove a point. If I really want to be divalicious, you won't know this is Mimi.
Tashi: Do you have skirts longer than 0.5cm short??
Mimi: I've been wearing short things since Adam. My mother had a problem with that but it's been part of me. I like to wear short things but I do have things that cover myself - I always dress for the occassion.
For instance when Dr Waxxy came I thought I couldn't wear something long but if I go for an interview I know how to dress.
Tashi: You obviously want Ricco to win?
Mimi: Yes, yes - he's going with the money. I'd do anything, I'd vote - he must win so I can get my share. He'll probably buy me a car or something.
Tashi: Do you think so?
Mimi: Ricco's very kind - he can do that.
Tashi: Who do you NOT want to win?
Mimi: Hazel or Tawana - anybody else can win apart from those two. The things they said about me were so lame - other who niminated me gave their lame reasons. How can Tawana say she nominated me because she's scarey. Scarey? What do you mean by scarey?
Munya stabbed me in the back but if he wins I don't mind because he's intelligent and I like his philosophy.
Tashi: Do you think his trip to Finland's going to increase or decrease his chances of winning?
Mimi: Decrease his chances, obviously - as soon as he comes back they're going to nominate him. It's a game, they're already clammering for him, they'll think he's ahead of the game with all the travelling.
Tashi: If you were to do it all again, would you lose the gossiping?
Mimi: I'd be the same, I'd still talk, I'd speak my mind, if I think I have to say it, I'll say it. That's what hurt because they knew it about me. I'm not on the same page as Africa calling me a gosiip and a backstabber, I'm not on the same page - but I still love Africa.
Tashi: Are you going to watch the show?
Mimi: Every moment, I'm even watching it now. I'm going to be in my room watching because I don't want to miss a thing because I want to see people's faces on the last day. I want them to know I saw everything, I don't pretend, I'll make certain comments when I see them, that's me.
Ends