Ebola has nothing to do with Ghana's Big Brother participation - Source

Sources close to the organisers of the Big Brother Africa reality show have dismissed as unfounded claims that the doors have been shut to Ghana this year due to the Ebola pandemic.

Reports on several news websites claim that the organizers have rejected the candidates selected to represent Ghana at the contest due to the Ebola scare.

The Ebola pandemic is currently spreading across West Africa and is believed to have killed over 1,000 people in Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Nigeria since the recent outbreak in March.

The disease has formed the basis for drastic steps by various organisations and countries and was said to be the reason Ghana's representatives have still not left for South Africa for the show.

But Myjoyonline's sources say the reports are total fabrications. One source said the organizers cannot reject Ghana on that basis of a disease that has not been reported in the country.

Fourteen countries - Botswana, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe - will be participating in this year's show.

Myjoyonline.com has gathered that with the exception of Ghana and Sierra Leone, four finalists each from the competing countries are already in South Africa for the final selection process which will see two candidates make it to the Big Brother House.

The source said Ebola has nothing to do with the selection process for the competition and that there are rather administrative challenges accounting for Ghana's late arrival. Those challenges are currently being resolved.

Endemol, organizers of the reality show, are expected to release an official statement on the issue by close of day Monday.

The 2014 edition of Africa's biggest reality show, Big Brother Africa will kick off September 7. 

  Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com | Ernest Dela Aglanu (Twitter: @delaXdela / Instagram: citizendela)