Former Big Brother Mzansi season 5 contestant Ash-ley Ogle, who was evicted last week in a surprise twist, believes that if she had not been chucked out by housemates, she would have walked away with the R2 million prize.

Ogle told City Press that, if she had remained in the house, she would have won. She said she gauged this on her eviction when she saw how much fans loved her.

“If the housemates didn’t have the power, I would have been the winner. It sucks. I believe that greater things are coming; I am a child of God. If something bad happens, something better is going to happen,” she said.

Ogle’s eviction was out of the ordinary and shocked the housemates and the viewers. Instead of the usual Monday night nomination process, last week housemates had to individually vote for one contestant to be evicted immediately. Ogle and Nsuku Mabunda were tied with four votes each and, as a twist, Big Brother left their fate in Siyabonga “Swiss” Mlangeni’s hands to choose the housemate to be evicted.

Mlangeni chose the 26-year-old from Durban, making her the eighth hopeful to leave the house. Now 16 housemates remain, fighting for the ultimate prize.

Ogle told City Press on Monday that she was sad about how she left, especially because her supporters were not given a chance to vote. She added that her supporters, whom she referred to as family, had, however, made her feel better about her sudden eviction.

“I expected it; I saw it coming. I am even so calm right now because the energy is dragged out of me. I can’t wait for it to come back. But I’m still sad,” she said.

Even though she was not at her best behaviour in the house, which resulted in her getting a strike, the Durbanite still received the most love.

She told City Press that she had not expected that kind of reception. She supported that by saying that, before she had gone into the Big Brother house, she had not been liked that much, because people did not understand her personality. With her, you either liked her or not.

Ogle added:

I knew that the world is big; it’s broad, and there are going to be people who love me. No one is going to be like: ‘Ah, she’s alright.’ It’s either you are going to love me or you are going to hate me.

She received a strike for continuously getting into heated altercations and using foul language. She had also referred to rape survivor Florence “Kay B” Mphirime as “the rape girl” and plotted to use the ordeal against her.

She told City Press that, after that incident, she had became a better person and learnt to control what she said. She added that she and Mphirime were now in a good space and were friends. Mphirime was disqualified three weeks ago for sexual harassment.

Asked how she felt about her nemesis in the house, Swiss and Siphesihle “Mshini” Lekwadu, Ogle said she had no particular feelings about them, as they were just people to her.

On her relationship with Akhonamathemba “Sweet Guluva” Mbele, she said it was real and his quietness was what attracted her to him.

Her eviction left people thinking she was pregnant because of what viewers thought they heard when she hugged Mbele.

She clarified the confusion:

I said: ‘Don’t worry baby, I won’t disappoint you’. I don’t know how it got to the point of [me being pregnant]. No, I am not pregnant. I can’t be pregnant if I didn’t have sex.

Ogle, who has three younger brothers, said this was not the end for her, as she would capitalise on her Big Brother fame.

She planned to get into more reality shows, and fashion and hair spaces, as well as script writing.