Nigerian Idol star, Jemiriye, has advised contestants of the talent show against borrowing money to buy votes.
The singer, who was a finalist of the reality show in 2012, told PUNCH that some former housemates borrowed money to buy votes.
Jemiriye said that those people were in double jeopardy because they did not win the show, yet, they were in serious debt after their eviction.
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The songstress said, “I have people that called me during the last show to tell me that their parents went to borrow a lot of money for voting. After the show, they owed so much.
“Do not break the bank trying to impress people. Make sure that your talent speaks for you. During my time, I distributed flyers for people to vote for me whenever they allowed us to go outside. I did not go out of my way to borrow money.
“I know people that became finalists but they owed a lot of money. I felt really bad for them. Someone told me that the mother had to borrow money from a co-operative.
“Your talent should be able to make people vote for you. Don’t buy vote and when you are done with the show, what do you go back to? Believe in yourself and people will vote for you. If you can buy votes, why not? But it is only if you can break the bank. But do not borrow money. Don’t put your mother or father in debt.”
The Nigerian Idol star further gave her two cents on the backlash a judge on the show, Seyi Shay, received due to her harsh criticism of contestants.
“Honestly for me, as much as it is a competition, people should not forget that it is a TV show. So, it has to be as entertaining as possible.
“Maybe Seyi has a script that says she should be harsh while criticising the contestants. They know why they put her there in the first place but she was just doing her job.
“At the same time, it might have a lasting impression on the contestants because whatever you say to them, they can take it through their life’s journey and it can make or mar them.
“Even if I am doing my job, I will not want someone to feel like they are a nobody because my words hold a lot of weight. If I am established and I tell you that you can never be anything, the person can hold on to those words, go into the market and become successful then come back to say, ‘I told you I will make it’. Someone may just hear those words and run home crying. So, I advise contestants not to take those words to heart.”
She continued, “The judges are just human beings; some of the contestants are better than the judges, but by virtue of what they have done, they are seated there. So, contestants should work on themselves and not rely on someone’s word thinking that it is the end of their life. It is an entertainment show and they are allowed to say all that.”
The songstress who hails from Osun state, recently released a song, Eko, to pay homage to Lagos state where she was raised.