The Hamilton Spectator

Hamiltonia­n looks to conquer Big Brother house in ninth season

Victoria Woghiren will be one of 14 participan­ts on this coming season of ‘Big Brother Canada’

- FALLON HEWITT Fallon Hewitt is a Hamilton-based reporter at The Spectator. Reach her via email: fhewitt@thespec.com

Hamilton youth advocate and former Crown ward Victoria Woghiren says she was “born” for “Big Brother Canada.”

And come Wednesday, she’ll be calling the “Big Brother Canada” house home as one of 14 house guests for the show’s ninth season.

(Due to the show having not aired, Woghiren was unavailabl­e for a media interview.)

“Big Brother Canada” is a reality game show where contestant­s are isolated in a custombuil­t home under constant video surveillan­ce. Each week, they participat­e in challenges while “evicting” one house guest.

Having grown up in the child welfare system, Woghiren said “surviving” in the house for 70 days won’t be a big challenge.

“I developed my skill set of being social from my upbringing,” she said in a video biography. “Foster care was definitely a hard time. Me and my whole family got separated. I was constantly moving, I went to a lot of different schools (and) I was constantly the new girl.”

Woghiren is working to break the “stigma” she felt growing up. The 27year-old works at the Catholic Children’s Aid Society of Hamilton while sitting on Premier Doug Ford’s Council on Equality of Opportunit­y, which advises the province on issues such as employment and educationa­l needs of vulnerable youth, according to a November media release from Wilfrid Laurier University.

Woghiren also completed her undergradu­ate at McMaster University, where she sat on the Crown Ward Educationa­l Championsh­ip team and is currently pursuing her master’s in social work at Laurier.

Viewers can expect more than just Woghiren’s profession­al side to come through this season. Woghiren describes herself as “over the top,” with her pink hair and bubbly personalit­y. She also loves to roller skate, party and play with her French bulldog, Astro.

Heading into the house, Woghiren’s overall strategy is to be “fun, present and approachab­le,” according to her cast biography. She plans on making a female “bestie” to help her “divide and conquer,” while forming a secret alliance with the “strongest” guy in the house.

She wants to be remembered as “strategic, optimistic, and as the manipulati­on queen.” She believes she was chosen for the show because she’s “unique, loud, ambitious” and can do anything she puts her mind to. That includes winning it all. Along with the title, the victor will also take home the grand prize of $100,000, $10,000 worth of grills and grilling accessorie­s courtesy of Weber, $10,000 provided by Sunlight and a trip for two from Expedia.

“I know the game and I am ready to play,” she said.

“Big Brother Canada” season 9 premieres on March 3 at 7 p.m. on Global.

 ??  ?? Victoria Woghiren
Victoria Woghiren

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