'For every underdog this is testament that you can still make an impact' – BBM winner McJunior

Big Brother Mzansi (BBM) season four winner, McJunior Zondi, has dedicated his Sunday night victory to the underdogs after causing an upset by beating social media fan-favourite Tshepo Tau aka Makhekhe. 

The 25-year-old aspirant writer was seen as the dark horse of the season by viewers of the 24/7 reality TV show, but found himself R2m richer after spending three months in the Big Brother house. 

Zondi, who regarded himself as an introvert, grew up in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal. He told Sowetan on Monday afternoon that he had no strategy going into the game back in January, as he wanted to be authentic to viewers and and grow his fan base. 

“It’s barely been 24 hours… it hasn’t sunk in yet and my adrenaline is still pumping. I still feel like I heard the announcement five seconds ago… I’m so over the moon, I just can’t believe it,” he said.

“I don’t wanna lie, I was also one of those people who thought Makhekhe was going to take it because he is a formidable competitor. I kept hearing his name in the crowd and before Lawrence [Maleka] called out my name, I had already made peace with the fact that I could be the runner-up. But when he said my name, I cannot put in words how I felt.” 

This season was marred with controversies, with two fan-favourite housemates Yolanda Munkondi and  Lindokuhle "Bravo B" Nsele disqualified over inappropriate comments made on air. 

“Being on the show was a crazy experience, it’s not something many can fully understand until you’re inside the house," Zondi said.

"When I first walked on that stage on January 21, it felt unreal that I was actually entering into the house. Believe me when I tell you this, that house is nothing that you could ever imagine.

“Bear in mind that we are secluded from the entire world. We don’t have our phones, we don’t know what’s going on around us and despite all of this, I managed to keep my sanity… yes, it was challenging but it wasn’t all that difficult for me because authenticity is my thing.”

Zondi is glad that he still made an impact even though he was not the most flamboyant player. 

“I think the other housemates came into the house with a strategy and I didn’t. I focused on winning the task given by Big Brother which I think helped me stand out,” he said. 

“I’m the guy that always has nothing to say but I came through, so for every underdog this is testament that you can still make an impact.

"This win is for all the bedroom actors and rappers who aren’t sure of themselves. As an introvert, this win clearly showed that we have something in us that we can show the world."

Zondi now hopes to make moves in the business sector and probably feature on TV, provided that the money is right. 

“I plan to use the money for business that I’m already implementing but I don’t want  to divulge any of them now. However, I can say Big Brother is a launching pad for greater things for McJunior – people just need to watch the space,” he said.