Mercy Eke, popularly referred to as just Mercy or Mercy Lambo rose to what seemed to be the pinnacle of her fame after she emerged as the winner of the Big Brother Naija (BBNaija) Season 4.
The Pepper Dem edition of the widely watched reality show, BBNaija, was punctuated with its fair share of drama.
Mercy, who won the show and the first woman to do so had her fair share of them during the competition. In many instances, the drama hinged on her. Despite this (or maybe because of it), Mercy emerged the winner of the BBNaija Season 4 making history along the way.
However, for many past participants, after the show, they have to deal with the fact that their fame might slip away. Many of them quietly go back to their lives as it was before the show, and manage to pop up infrequently on our social media feed.
Only a few really stay relevant following the conclusion of a season, with varying degree of success. Those that stay relevant do so because they are doing something that keeps them in the spotlight, usually within the entertainment sector, for example, acting and singing are the most common ones. However, there are a few exceptions such as Bam Bam who is running what seems like a successful beauty business.
In the case of Mercy, she has somehow managed to stay relevant so far, appearing every week on internet top trends although she has no discernible profession that would account for it. However, Mercy says she’s a businesswoman.
Her relevance is helped in part by her continued beef with fellow former housemate, Tacha, with who she had several contentious moments in the house, which spilt over outside. However, there is much more to this beautiful woman than just the surface view and that is the subject of our article, Mercy Eke biography. We hope you enjoying reading it.
Read on to find out some important facts about Mercy.
10 quick facts you don’t know about Mercy Eke, Big Brother Naija season 4 Pepper Dem winner
- Mercy won the BBNaija grand finale with 41.77% of the votes cast beating four other finalists including Mike (19.94%), Frodd (16.46%), Omoshola (11.58%) and Seyi (0.25%).
- Mercy Eke and the previous BBNaija contestant, Nina, attended the same University – Imo State University.
- Before contesting in the Pepper Dem edition of Big Brother Naija, Mercy appeared in a DMW music video (Man Must Chop, by Ichaba featuring Davido) as a video vixen.
- Mercy was a businesswoman before she turned 22 years old.
- She was graduated from the university by age 21 years old.
- Mercy is the first woman to win the BBNaija show.
- Her nickname Lambo is the shortened form of Lamborghini, Mercy Eke is also called Queen of Highlights.
- She currently has the most endorsements among all contestants at the Pepper Dem edition.
- Mercy was dumped by ex-Super Eagles international, Emenike.
- Mercy Eke is also a good singer and rapper.
Mercy Eke Biography: Early life of Mercy Eke
Mercy Eke was born on 29th September 1993 to Igbo parents from Imo State. She grew up and spent most of her youth in Imo State. She had her secondary school education at Egbu Girls Secondary School, at the state’s capital, Owerri. After completing her secondary school education, she studied Psychology at the Imo State University.
She was graduated from Imo State University in 2014 when she was just 21 and soon after began a career as a video vixen.
Mercy Eke Biography: Mercy Eke before Big Brother Naija Pepper Dem (Season 4)
Prior to appearing on the scene of the show, where she immediately caught viewers’ attention like dry leaves in contact with fire, Mercy was already in the show business, albeit not as a performer. She seemed to have achieved some modicum of success appearing as a video vixen in music videos.
Most noteworthy was her appearance in the music video for the song Man Must Chop by DMW’s Ichaba featuring Davido. The track made rounds and further added to her popularity while she was in the house.
Mercy also tried her hand in a business although details are not given as to the nature of these, although she admits that “popularity is very important for my business,” according to her profile on the African Magic DSTV website. It’s therefore conceivable that Mercy Eke sought participation in the Big Brother Naija as a means to gain popularity. She auditioned for and was accepted as a contestant in the Big Brother Naija Season 4: Pepper Dem, which aired from 30th June to 6th October 2019.
You may also like: Natacha Akide (Symply Tacha) Biography: Early life, Instagram fame, BBNaija, Controversies, and more
Mercy Eke Biography: Mercy Eke’s relationship
Mercy is thought to be currently dating a fellow ex-housemate, Ike. However, she mentioned having been in a relationship with ex-Super Eagle’s footballer Emmanuel Emenike. Mercy made the reveal to another fellow housemate Elozonam. She said that the ex-Nigerian international footballer had dumped her for Iheoma Nnadi, a former winner of the Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria pageant.
Mercy claimed she found out about this on Instagram. according to the BBN winner, that was one of the reasons she was resolute on becoming a celebrity.
Meanwhile, Emenike and Iheoma Nnadi are now married and have a child together, a baby girl.
Mercy Eke Biography: Mercy Eke (Lambo) at the BBNaijaPepper Dem (Season 4)
At the 4th edition of the popular Nigerian reality show, Mercy announced herself to the world on the very first day. On the night of 30th June 2019, she came on one of the biggest entertainment stages in Nigeria and literally threw the crowd.
She was dressed to slay and slay she did. Armed with nothing but her glorious body she told a tale of beauty and enchantment. Knowing quite well the power her body possessed, she did not try to keep it under wraps. It was not long (in fact, within an hour) that she started having fans.
Social media savvy users quickly coined and gave her the nickname ‘Lamborghini’ or ‘Lambo’ for short because of her pronounced bum. And all through the show, Mercy ensured that she kept serving her fans with all they wanted. Week in week out, she kept giving everyone a thing or two to talk about. From her revealing dresses to her romance with Ike (a fellow housemate), to her weekend lively partying, and her drama with Tacha.
Mercy was described as the total package of what the Pepper Dem theme stood for by both fans and neutrals. On the national stage, with millions of attention trailing her every move, Mercy never slowed. These fans were the ones that ensured that Mercy eventually won the reality tv show as their votes for her kept her in the show to the very end and at the finale of the show, gave her a whopping 41.77% of total votes cast. The rest is history as the story goes.
It would be, however, incomplete to talk about Mercy’s time in the BBNaija without describing her rivalry with Tacha, whose full name is Anita Natacha Akide.
Mercy Vs Tacha in the Big Brother Naija House
They say some friendships last a lifetime, some rivalries can last likewise as long or even longer. If, while in the house, Mercy was not popular that you didn’t know of her, now, even if you live under a rock, chances are higher that you must have come across someone or a group of people talking about Mercy and Tacha.
Even months after the end of the Pepper Dem edition that brought them together, they still manage to surface regularly on our social media feeds. Some competition improves you while some do not allow you to have a moment’s rest. But the beef between these two women began in the house and is yet to end, more than two months after the conclusion of the event where they met each other.
It looked like both women knew they were one another’s main competitor from the early stages. And this must have contributed to the reason they were always at each other’s throats for the most part of the show.
Yet Mercy maintains there was no animosity between the two, they were just not friends with each of them doing her own thing. In a sit down with the show presenter, Ebuka Obi-Uchendu, during her interview just after she won the show, Mercy claimed to have admired Tacha, asserting, she even told Tacha so. But that wasn’t always obvious during the show. For instance, Mercy had championed the agenda of Tacha having body odour. A slur that became a major part of insults used when they quarrelled back in the house. It even extended to their fans using it as well, as Ebuka also told Mercy in that st down.
Tacha’s Disqualification
The rivalry between the two came to a head on the morning of Friday, 27th September 2019. Mercy and Tacha had one of the biggest confrontations in the show’s history. And even after some hours, both women did not show any sign of backing down from the fight.
The damage was done mostly with words but Tacha went farther by shoving Mercy and pulling her by her hair. Fans of the show waited anxiously as Big Brother, Biggie, prepared a verdict for the fighters. By the night of that same Friday, Biggie announced the judgment.
Tacha was disqualified from the show because she had allowed the confrontation to get physical, something frowned upon by the organisers of the show. However, for Mercy, she had to walk a thin line. She got two strikes for her role in provoking the fight and not walking away when things got heated.
A third strike would mean her disqualification as well. She had to walk as if on ice for the rest of the show. A feat that was easy to accomplish with Tacha no longer around.
It was one of the biggest moments of the show. Many refer to it as the decider of the winner of the show. Some fans threatened to boycott the season as they did not like the verdict. And the rest of their fans just continued the fight on social media on behalf of the two heavyweights.
Mercy Eke Biography: Mercy and Ike
Mercy and Ike developed a romantic relationship in the Big Brother Naija house and it continues to survive outside it. Speaking on her relationship with Ike whose full name is Ikechukwu Onyema, she said it was not scripted. Many viewers had accused her of fighting with him to get ratings. Mercy, however, debunked the rumours. She stated that all the fights were on real issues. According to Mercy, may no have been privy to the cause of their quarrels and that can explain the reason some people might think that she and Ike were playing to the camera.
She also described Ike as her ideal man, that is: hard.
During the final weeks of the show, Mercy had purchased immunity using coins borrowed from Ike. He revealed that they had agreed initially on this after he was evicted from the show.
After Ike’s eviction, Mercy broke down in tears. She cried uncontrollably after he left the house on Sunday, 29th September 2019.
Weeks after the show ended, Mercy and Ike covered the front page with a raunchy photo. It was a replica of Travis Scott and Kylie’s pose for GQ magazine.
Mercy and Ike on the cover of Media Room Hub magazine. This photo drew them into controversies on social media outlets with veteran actress Joke Silva questioning why Mercy had to appear half-clothed while Ike was fully covered.
Read also: Fashion Friday: Ebuka, Tacha, Mercy, Inidima Okojie serve eye-popping looks on Instagram this week
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However, Mercy Eke and Ike’s relationship broke down just before Christmas. Mercy later confirmed the breakdown in January when she posted on Snapchat that she was single and not searching.
Mercy Eke Biography: Winning the Big Brother Naija Season 4
At the end of the BBNaija Pepper Dem reality show, Mercy became the first woman to win the reality show. The announcement was made on 6th October 2019 by the host, Ebuka Obi-Uchendu.
For winning the Big Brother Naija Pepper Dem edition, Mercy won an estimated total N60 million prize money that includes N30 million cash. In addition, an SUV from Innoson Motors, a trip to Dubai (packaged for two) and a home make-over sponsored by Scanfrost was also part of the winnings.
Also, she got herself one year’s supply of Pepsi, One Africa Fest VVIP experience ticket, one year’s supply of Indomie and Munch It, a brand new Oppo mobile smartphone and two VIP tickets to watch any European Football final game life, sponsored by Bet9ja.
Ike’s reaction to Mercy Eke winning BBNajja
Despite not winning, Ike was obviously happy about Mercy’s emergence as winner of BBNaija: Pepper Dem. He came on stage to congratulate her and also gave her flowers. Later the same day, he took to his Instagram page and posted:
“Congratulations on emerging the winner of BBNaija PepperDem! Mercy. You just made history as the first BBN female !!Woahhhh!!!
“You played THE game! We rode for each other, you were always by my side, my friend, my baby, my confidant!
“You’re a queen, I’m beyond proud.”
Mercy Eke Biography: Mercy Eke after winning the Big Brother Naija reality tv show
Fame can sometimes be a difficult thing to shake off. Sometimes it lasts for a lifetime or just 15 minutes. It can be alluring and exhilarating (or not) depending on one’s disposition. In the case of Mercy Eke, aka Mercy Lamborghini, fame seems to be initially welcomed but we are not so sure if that were the case anymore.
After the announcement that she was the winner of the season’s show, Mercy began a life of glitz. Despite her experience in the TV business, it seems that she was not prepared for what her new lifestyle will mean. She recently told Punch that her relationship with Ike would not be affected by the fact that she now has more money than him. However, a video on Pulse Nigeria showed her saying that she wished for her former life back.
We don’t really know what prompted that confession, but Mercy has been reported to have been in a few less than ideal situations, which may have affected her outlook on life. We explore this theme further in the section with Cubana Chief Priest.
Mercy Eke’s sponsorships and endorsements deals after BBNaija
Besides all the prizes that she won on the conclusion of the BBNaija reality show, her win and popularity put her in the frontline for many cool benefits.
One of her most popular supporters/sponsors is the Owerri-based celebrity barman, Cubana Chief Priest, a vocal supporter of Mercy ‘Lamborghini’ during her time in the Big Brother house. While she was in the house, he had sponsored campaign for her in major Nigerian cities and secured votes as well. On conclusion of the reality show, the Chief Priest initially continued his patronage of her after her win.
On Mercy Eke leaving the house, Cubana Chief Priest, whose real name is Paschal Chubuike Okechukwu, brought Mercy ‘Lambo’ to Owerri after her win. With her fame preceding her and his hype, her hosting at the Cubana bar turned out to be a big deal. Many were willing to pay to see the winner of Big Brother Naija Season 4, Mercy Eke.It was unclear what the sponsorships and endorsements amount to for Mercy in terms of monetary value as these were not always made public. But note that these things take some time to be arranged. However, she was courted by some of the companies that sponsored the reality show that ran from 30 June to 6 October 2019. With brands like Pepsi, Indomie, Heritage Bank, Oppo, Bet9ja and many more in the wings, it was just a matter of time before the results of the endorsements will start to surface.
However, that is not to say that she’s been idle. Recently, Mercy signed a deal with Royal Hairs and jumped onboard the hair company. She has also signed as an ambassador for Mapia Tea, SIMS and Just Furniture. Mercy has a paid partnership with Ciroc based on the number of bottles sold with her name branded on them. Mr Taxi and Up Front & Personal also signed her as ambassadors of their brands. Each of these deals is likely worth hundreds of thousands if not millions of naira.
Mercy Eke buys a house in Lekki
Mercy seems to keep winning as she recently bought a house in Lekki that is allegedly worth millions of naira. The CEO of the housing company also shared a video of herself with Mercy.
Victoria Crest Homes’ CEO, Ichechi Okonkwo’s Instagram post says:
“Congratulations Babygirl, buying yourself a house the best decision and I am super proud Mercy Lambo on the 1000Landladies train and moving”.
Moet and Chandon Sponsorship controversy
There were rumours about Mercy Eke landing a mouthwatering endorsement with Moët & Chandon Champagne not long after she left the BBNaija house. With the wine company’s reputation, this deal was likely going to be life-defining as it would mean big earnings for the businesswoman. Mercy Eke did not directly start the rumour, however, her action precipitated it.
The ex-reality star had shared photos that showed her at the office of the champagne makers. Social media users added 2 and 2 together and made 5. Mercy, however, kept mum about the mistake.
However, this information was wrong. The company’s officials later confirmed that the pictures Mercy took in their office were nothing more than just that. According to them, anyone who visited the office can take harmless pictures, which was what Mercy did.
What was then the relationship with Mercy Eke and Moët & Chandon Champagne?
The wine giants donated bottles to her party slated for 26th October 2019. That was what Mercy and Cubana Chief Priest, Paschal Okechukwu had met the Moët & Chandon Champagne company for.
Is Mercy Eke really Innoson ambassador?
While she claimed the prize of an SUV worth about N25 million, the representative of Innoson IVM said:
“[…Mercy] automatically today becomes our brand ambassador, she will enjoy the vehicle in a way she will feel all her life has been…with Innoson vehicle.”
The above is from the Vanguardngr Website. It is not clear if this is another deal worth money aside from the fact that her driving their brand would mean her promoting their product.
Mercy Eke Biography: Mercy Eke’s net worth
Although there is no official statement on her net worth, we would try and provide some of the facts that we have discovered. Mercy won an accumulative sum of N60 million from the show. This is also in addition to emerging as the last woman in the house after 99 days. In addition, before winning the reality contest, she was said to have earned up to $95,000 in the house.
There have been rumours that she got endorsement deals from wine brands like Moet and Chandon, however, that turned out that to be false. Furthermore, Mercy Eke did not make public her the monetary value of her various endorsement deals, thus, making it difficult to really place her net worth.
Since leaving the house, Mercy has notably only spent a huge sum of money on her new house. Also, investments in her businesses could have taken some cash. Also, Mercy has been seen at several high profile shows and her purpose there is likely because of are popularity. The organisers of these events would likely have paid her to attend.
We estimate that Mercy may have an approximate net worth of about $200,000.
Mercy Eke at the headies awards 2019.
Mercy Eke Biography: Mercy Eke’s fall-out with Cubana Chief Priest
Recent news about Mercy Eke reveals that just months after winning the BBNaija show, she has had a fall out with her major sponsor, the Cubana Chief Priest. The party celebrity barman and hype-man has not confirmed any of these stories yet but they seem plausible.
The billionaire whose real name is Paschal Chubuike Okechukwu gave a snide reply to an inquiry about Mercy missing the outing he had planned for Cardi B when the latter visited Nigeria earlier in December. The American superstar had been in Nigeria briefly in December 2019 for a show.
He said sitting on the same table with Cardi B will cost N5 million and anyone who could afford it was free to come.
Also, there are reports that both celebrities had unfollowed each other on Instagram. Even one report mentions that Mercy had deleted all pictures of her previous personal hype-man on her page. The cause of this misunderstanding is not publicly known..
Mercy Eke Twitter and Instagram
Many want to keep tabs on Mercy and know all that she is doing via her social media handles. Her official handle on Instagram is @official_mercyeke. Her Twitter handle is @real_mercyeke. Fans also want to know the type of car Mercy drives. She likely drives the Innoson IVM SUV she won after the show.
Conclusion
Mercy Eke, also popularly called Mercy Lambo, has come a long way from the unknown video vixen of just a few months back. Her dream of becoming a celebrity has become a reality, and she is now also using her fame to push her business further. She is a model to many out there, to always believe that they can achieve their dreams. Mercy Eke’s celebrity status is still in its infancy. Whether or not it would endure is a matter of complexity with hard work, relevancy, continued interest in the lifestyle and luck all playing some roles. How she handles it is also of equal importance because that will have a big impact on her career as a brand influencer and ambassador. She probably has people advising her and she could also study other celebrities before her. However, at the end of the day, she is, like everyone else, ultimately responsible for the path they have chosen.
We wish Mercy the best for the future.
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mercy eke your dressing is very bad and is not good but i’m not saying that is so bad just reduce it and good job congratulation