Gulder Ultimate Search 8: Crowd Besieges Lagos Regional Selection

Barely three weeks after registration opened, over 26,000 Nigerians had registered to participate in the reality TV show. Last year, close to 20, 000 Nigerians registered for GUS.

This increase in the number of willing contestants clearly reflects the popularity of GUS as Nigeria’s longest-running, 100% local content, reality TV programme.

The regional selection processes for the show were held in Abuja, Benin, Owerri and Lagos. As usual Lagos lived up to its moniker – ‘Centre of Excellence’. As early as 7am, on the first day of the physical screening exercise over half of the entire sum who registered for the show flooded the National stadium for the Lagos screening. Each one of them enthusiastic and armed with10 empty, uncrushed, cans of Gulder beer and credentials, which were prerequisites for the exercise.

Standing on an elevated platform and sighting the sea of heads, observers may be quick to liken the crowd to a political rally.

For those that scaled the hurdles of the regional evictions, the 3 day psychological test and are to proceed for the Final Selection Party in Lagos, their exclamations of victory were almost deafening. They screamed for joy and could hardly contain their feelings of excitement. Their outbursts of joyous emotions were quite understandable. Emerging as part of the chosen few out of the many that were called was no mean feat.

As they await the Final Selections Party, where the last eliminations will take place live on stage in front of invited guests and the press, preparatory to their entry into the jungle, they can continue to bask in the euphoria of their success, however temporary.