Inside The Cryptic World of Broken Ties and Closure: “MTV Base Ghosted” Reality Show Storms Nigeria

It’s a jolly time for audiences of the Nigerian entertainment scene, as MTV Base takes another leap with a new reality show “Ghosted”. A bold and relatable television show, Ghosted captures the raw experiences of individuals who have been suddenly cut off from relationships of all kinds—family, friendships, lovers, and acquaintances. The show offers participants the opportunity to physically confront their “ghosts”, providing the grounds for face-to-face interactions and possible reconciliation.

With MTV Base squad members Ilooise Omonhinmin (a.k.a. Ilo) and Oluchi Harrison (a.k.a. The Ibo Blondie) as hosts, the show blends drama and entertainment in a way that connects deeply with the audience. The infectious energy and sharp intellect of the hosts guide the “haunted”  through every awkward encounter and emotional moment as the participants pour out their feelings with the hope of finding some closure.

The latest show is a subsidiary of the “Ghosted” franchise which began in America before spreading to South Africa where it first captured the hearts of the African audience. Now, with the show premiering in Nigeria, one of Africa’s finest hubs of entertainment, it taps from the first-hand experiences of willing Nigerians, bringing to the spotlight the stories of participant “ghosts” and their victims.

In a conversation with The Culture Custodian, show host Ilo said: “The vision of the show is to help people get access and closure to understand other people’s perspectives. When you ghost someone or completely go cold on them, you just leave them in the dark so all they have are questions or musings in their minds. Some people who have been ghosted even judging themselves. Meanwhile, the ghost in question has a reason, legitimate or not, for disappearing on the person, and instead of telling them which is the right thing to do, you leave them in a state of confusion.”

Ilo also described the show as “a public service”, recalling one of the experiences of the show to illustrate the necessity of effective communication as a means to strengthening relationships. “We had a scenario where a man ghosted his family for about four years, and then the reason why he did so was absolutely wild. In this guy’s case, he couldn’t handle that and completely disappeared on them,” he said.

Stressing the importance of the show and the sensitivity of the issue it addresses, Oluchi said: “Most times, we think that when people ghost, they are being very irresponsible, reckless and disrespectful. While that is the case sometimes, there are times when it is a cry for help. There are times where people are not confrontational, and they feel ghosting is the best way to solve the situation, and it’s not entirely a negative response they intended. This show helps to see the perspective of the ghost as well, so they understand the effects of their actions. In some cases, the ghosts are remorseful, so they will then try to stretch a hand out and mend the situation.”

Busola Komolafe, Senior Channels Manager, Paramount, expressed her delight for the show: “We are thrilled to bring ‘Ghosted’ to our Pan African audience base. It’s a show that resonates deeply with many reality content lovers and offers a unique blend of entertainment and real-life drama that we believe will captivate our viewers.”

MTV Base is at the forefront of curating innovative programmes and shows for Millennials. Establishing itself as a cultural home for young people, music artists and fans, MTV Base champions popular culture and compelling content revolving around music discovery and activism through digital media—television, online, mobile. The youth-centric brand continues to stimulate the hopes, dreams, and ambitions of its audience, with the adoption of an all-round approach towards exploring music content around the African continent—including bringing to the consciousness of her audiences platforms and events for the discovery and engagement of diverse musical soundscapes. 

MTV Base Ghosted premieres on MTV Base DStv Channel 322 and GOtv Channel 72 on 11 July at 20:30 WAT.