Qualified contestants for the 2020 edition of the Big Brother Naija are being quarantined in an unknown facility ahead of the July 19 kick-off.

This was made known by Wangi Mba-Uzoukwu, the Regional Director of M-Net West Africa on Thursday, July 2 during a media parley via zoom.

“The contestants are currently in quarantine and we are working with the NCDC to ensure due protocols are observed in monitoring the contestants.

This is aside going through other health and regular medical checkups to be sure all contestants are fit and ready for the show.

In the case of contestants not fit for the show, we have a wide pool of qualified contestants that we can choose from,” Mba-Uzoukwu stated.

Ahead of the reality TV show, the organisers, Multichoice Nigeria, made known some of the changes that will be occurring in the show’s fifth edition.

Mba-Uzoukwu said there would be no audience for live shows that include the opening night and eviction shows.

She said live audiences won’t be allowed to participate in the live shows as previously done.

Ma-Uzoukwu said this is in line with the guidelines of the social distancing and other procedures in place to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

In furtherance, Mba-Uzoukwu said the number of ninjas used on the show will be reduced while celebrity guests won’t be allowed throughout the show.

“We are encouraging the audience to stay at home and enjoy maximum entertainment as we roll out season 5 of BBNaija.

It promises to be fun, entertaining, and interesting. BBNaija encourages people and the audience to stay at home and watch,” Mba-Uzoukwu stressed.

Multichoice’s chief customer officer, Martin Mabutho, noted that while the number of contestants and theme for the fifth edition of BBNaija can not be disclosed at the moment, the prize will be mouth-watering.

“I can tell you for sure that the total and ultimate winning prize for this year is bigger than you know.

I can tell you that the ultimate prize for BBNaija 5 is the biggest in the history of all Big Brother editions,” Mabutho revealed in excitement.

The BBNaija season 5 is expected to run for three months from Sunday, July 19.