Meme Meryl means business

Windhoek Gordon Joseph With Meryl Mwampamba it is pretty much what you see is what you get and in many ways she is still the same girl we got to know on Big Brother six years ago. However, she tells tjil that she is very toned down now - a consequence of her now being a wife and a mother of two. Sitting under a large, leafy tree in the backyard of her Windhoek North home, Meryl is dressed comfortably in white sweat pants and insists she is all grown up, as shadows dance around her. Her signature laugh bellows loudly when she talks about all the rumours she has heard about herself in recent months. There is so many things I have recently heard, from rumours that Mwisho and I aren't together anymore to me apparently sleeping with some minister or stealing someone's husband, she jokes. Meryl says people probably got the wrong impression of her during her appearance on Big Brother. Yes I liked partying. I probably still do a little, but I'm all toned down now. People grow up. Still I have no regrets about past choices, she says. Meryl, who had a brief acting career in Nigeria, also laughed off rumours that she got into a fight with someone's wife while on set. She says although there were fights on set while she was in Nigeria, she wasn't involved in them. Meryl says her mother is her moral compass. My mother and I are very close. We have such an open relationship that she knows certain things are just below me, she says. However, she admits she is a drama queen, but is quick to point out that those close to her know she is real and keeps it real . Often on Big Brother, housemates, who at the time pretended to be her friends, would talk about her negatively during the show's diary sessions. She is, however, used to that kind of behaviour, as people have always been cautious about what they say to her face. I'm certainly not bothered if anyone says something about me, because I will still be able to sleep at night, I just think it's unfortunate because I'm real and honest. I am incapable of stabbing people in the back, she says. Asked about whether she would change anything if she had a chance to represent Namibia in the Big Brother game again, she is quick to point out that she has always been herself, and thus it's almost impossible to change anything. However, she added that she would now act more maturely, as she is older and wiser. Tjil also asked Meryl her thoughts about the Big Brother housemates that have appeared after her on the show. She tells us that she supports all Namibia's representatives. Of course I have done things that I am not proud of, and so did some of the others, but they made conscious choices to do certain things. I generally think Namibians can be too judgemental. I love Jessica and Junia, I also love Lady May, and they all kept it real and for me that is enough, so I support all Namibian representatives and always will, she says. Asked about why she's been keeping such a low profile, she says that her responsibilities as mother and wife come first. Meryl is married to Tanzanian Big Brother housemate Mwisho, after the two got engaged on the show. Without revealing too much, she promises that she may be resuming her acting career soon. However, for now she is happy being home with her babies, whom she fondly refer to as Monkey and Happy Feet. My first pregnancy felt like a real jungle, so I call the first child Monkey, the second child gave some happy kicks so I call her Happy Feet, she laughs.