(Phyna. Photo by X.com)
Former BBNaija ‘Level Up’ winner Phyna, who walked away with ₦100 million in prizes after her 2022 victory, found herself at the center of public conversation after a video emerged around May 20 showing her serving customers as a waitress.
Rather than shy away from the attention, she responded boldly in a video that circulated widely on social media, challenging Nigerians to explain why service jobs attract ridicule at home while the same roles command respect and dignity abroad.
She also drew from her personal background, revealing that she began working as a waitress from a very young age, framing her current situation not as a fall from grace but as a continuation of her honest work ethic.
The video sparked mixed reactions online. Many supporters rallied behind her, commending her for staying grounded and calling out the double standard in how Nigerians perceive manual and service-oriented work.
Critics, on the other hand, speculated about how her prize money may have been managed, with some suggesting the whole episode could be a publicity move.
Her response has reignited conversations about the harsh realities that former reality TV stars often face once the spotlight fades, while also challenging the deeply rooted culture of job shaming in Nigeria particularly when similar work is celebrated and normalized in other parts of the world.
