The Saturday Star caught up with Ferdinand Rabie, the laid-back winner of SA’s first Big Brother.
Fifteen years ago, while he was running with the bulls in Pamplona, Ferdinand Rabie got a call from home in South Africa. Friends and family begged him to try out for the auditions for Big Brother, a new reality TV show.
He scraped together money for the airfare ticket and made the auditions at the 11th hour. He won the first season and, with it, became an instant millionaire. The Saturday Star caught up with him this week:
1. You were one of the loudest, most opinionated Big Brother contestants in 2001. What do you think made you stand out to the audience?
I was raised by Sotho and coloured people. I think at the time South African viewers appreciated this. Every time we had arguments in the Big Brother house I would talk to people about what affected them, and acknowledge their backgrounds and their points of view.
2. What is your most enduring Big Brother memory?
My chickens, which I loved dearly, and my poo (a reference to the episode in which he defecated in the garden while the 24-hour cameras were rolling).
That day I drank Russian Bear vodka, wine and mixed a concoction of things.
Nobesuthu Cele saw it first. She said it was human faeces. In my smug Kaapstad Afrikaans tone, I told her there was no way someone could do that. I didn’t know it was my s**t in there, and thought it was the chickens.
I do a lot of auctioning and that topic always comes up. But then I just joke around that I had a s**t and made a million... (laughs heartily).
SA’s first Big Brother winner Ferdinand Rabie. Picture: Supplied
3. What was it like to be the one loud guy who swore so much on the show?
I was not afraid to say what I felt. I didn’t buy face. With me, I called a spade a spade.
I truly felt like a rock star. Although I was nominated for eviction on the show it was funny that I never packed my bag, because I was always safe - right up until the end.
4. What are you up to these days?
In 1995 I started my tour operating company; it was way before Big Brother. Today, I’m the youngest tour operator to have successfully run a company for 21 years.
We also own an events company called Fisherman Friend Strongman Run and I’m always based between Paarl and Brackenfell. I have the most beautiful girlfriend, son and daughter.
I don’t own a laptop. I think technology has made us lose the essence and meaning of life. I also love mountain biking and trail runs.
5. Your top tip for life, after stepping out of the limelight?
Go for gold. I can apologise for a lot of things in my life but, at the end of the day, face your mistakes. I’ve learnt that you’re going to fail at times, but sitting in the corner and feeling sorry for yourself is not the answer.
Always be on the go and love yourself.
And, oh... I had the worst time of my life with that million I won.
Everyone wanted money from me or needed some form of help. I ended up buying a house, and invested half of the money in the company.
I learnt that, when you have money, you don’t know if people are your real friends or not. You have people hanging out with you all of a sudden, but I’m glad that I knew who my real friends were and those are people who were there long before Big Brother, and are still here with me now.
Saturday Star