Former Big Brother Naija housemate and actress, Erica Nlewedim has given a candid account of the emotional toll her time on the reality show left her with, revealing she endured roughly three years of relentless online criticism that eventually pushed her toward therapy.

Speaking during an interview with media personality Toke Makinwa on the Toke Moments show, Erica said she didn’t immediately register how deeply the constant stream of negative comments was affecting her, until anxiety began creeping in whenever she opened her phone.

She described dreading her own notifications, saying her heart would race each time she checked Instagram, worried she’d find herself being dragged online for something all over again. The weight of that pressure, she said, eventually became too much to carry alone, prompting her to seek professional help.

Erica disclosed that she finally sought therapy in 2024, a period she now describes as her deliberate reset year. She stepped back from acting entirely during that stretch, choosing to prioritise her mental wellbeing over new projects, and only began easing back into the industry the following year. Reflecting on the decision, she said she’s grateful she took that time, noting that there were things affecting her that she hadn’t even fully recognised until she stepped away.

Despite the toll it took, the actress was careful to acknowledge what the platform did for her career and finances, crediting the show with reshaping her trajectory in ways she doesn’t regret. Still, she was unambiguous about never wanting to repeat the experience, however lucrative it proved to be, saying she has no intention of ever returning to a show like Big Brother Naija again regardless of what opportunities might come with it.

Erica first appeared on BBNaija’s fifth season, Lockdown, in 2020, where her stint ended in disqualification but nonetheless launched her into one of the most recognisable faces to emerge from the franchise. Her latest comments add to a growing conversation among former reality TV stars in Nigeria about the lasting psychological cost of sudden fame and the intense public scrutiny that often follows contestants long after they’ve left the house.