Lawredo Modise

Lawrence “Lawredo” Modise is a South African model, entrepreneur, actor and television personality who became widely known after appearing on Big Brother Mzansi Season 6, “Bazozwa.” Originally from Mahikeng in the North West, Lawredo was 32 when he entered the Big Brother house in January 2026.

Although his stay on the show lasted only two weeks, Lawredo brought plenty of personality, confidence and ambition to the competition. He was the first housemate to walk through the doors on launch night and, ironically, one of the first to leave.

But Big Brother was not the beginning of his entertainment journey. Lawredo had already spent years trying to establish himself in television, modelling and business before getting his big reality-TV opportunity.

Early Life and Background

Lawredo’s real name is Lawrence Modise. He is originally from Mahikeng, North West, although he was living in Soweto, Gauteng, when he joined Big Brother Mzansi. His official profile listed his occupations as model and entrepreneur.

Lawredo entered the entertainment industry long before Big Brother.

According to him, he had spent years trying to build a career in television and media. He had appeared in television shows, advertisements and music videos, often working as an extra rather than as the main star. While those opportunities gave him valuable experience, they did not necessarily give him the recognition he wanted.

That long journey is one of the reasons Big Brother meant so much to him.

A Long Road in Television

Lawredo has described himself as someone who had been working behind the scenes and in supporting roles for years.

In an interview after leaving Big Brother, he explained that he had already had some lead roles and had participated in acting and presenting workshops. However, there was a period when he stepped away from television and media because things were not working out as he had hoped.

Eventually, he decided to try again.

He returned to modelling, participated in fashion shows and continued looking for opportunities in entertainment. When Big Brother Mzansi auditions opened, he decided to give himself another chance.

For Lawredo, being selected for Big Brother was therefore more than simply becoming a reality-TV contestant. It represented a breakthrough after years of trying to get his moment.

Modelling and Acting

Modelling has been another important part of Lawredo’s career.

His confidence, personality and interest in fashion made modelling a natural fit. He continued doing fashion shows and other modelling work even after taking a break from television.

At the same time, he remained interested in acting and presenting.

Lawredo has said that modelling and television have always been close to his heart. He had spent roughly a decade trying to establish himself as an actor and presenter and had appeared in a number of productions, commercials and music videos.

Big Brother gave him something he had not always had before: a national platform where audiences could get to know him by name.

Becoming an Entrepreneur

Lawredo is not only interested in entertainment. He is also a businessman.

He has built his own liquor brands, including Preside Gin and Mokala Vodka. He spent several years developing the businesses while continuing to pursue his entertainment ambitions.

Building a liquor brand has not been easy.

Lawredo has spoken about the financial challenges involved in running such a business, including the costs associated with licensing, compliance, production and distribution.

For him, entrepreneurship has therefore been another example of persistence. He has continued trying to build something of his own even when resources were limited.

Entering Big Brother Mzansi

Lawredo became one of the contestants on Big Brother Mzansi Season 6, which carried the theme “Bazozwa.”

At 32, he entered the house representing Mahikeng, although he was based in Soweto at the time. His official occupation was listed as model/entrepreneur.

Interestingly, Lawredo was the first housemate to enter the Big Brother house on launch night.

That gave his journey an almost ironic ending: he was the first person viewers saw entering the house and then became one of the first people they saw leave.

Lawredo’s Personality

Lawredo described himself as a bubbly, social and authentic person.

He believed one of his biggest strengths was his ability to connect with different types of people. Having spent years in entertainment and public-facing roles, he felt comfortable communicating and interacting with others.

His official Big Brother profile emphasised authenticity. Lawredo said that if Mzansi wanted someone who was authentic without apology, he believed he could be that person.

He also had a playful and cheeky side.

Lawredo openly described himself as “naughty” and was not shy about discussing attraction and romance.

His Love Language

Lawredo said his love language was physical touch.

He explained that he was affectionate but would only show that side of himself when he felt a genuine connection with someone.

His comments about romance reflected the confident and playful personality he brought into the Big Brother house.

However, romance was not the only thing on his mind.

Lawredo entered the competition determined to build relationships naturally rather than immediately forcing himself into alliances.

His Big Brother Strategy

Unlike some contestants who enter reality shows with a detailed game plan, Lawredo wanted to take his time.

After his eviction, he explained that he saw himself as a slow burner.

He noticed that many housemates quickly started forming romantic pairings and groups, but he did not want to rush into anything. Instead, he preferred to observe people first, understand their personalities and then decide who he genuinely connected with.

Lawredo said he was intentional about the people he interacted with.

Ironically, the week when he felt he was finally ready to start having deeper conversations was the same week he was evicted.

His Friendship With Ofentse

One of the people Lawredo became particularly close to was fellow housemate Ofentse Modise.

The two developed a strong friendship during their short time in the house.

They were often seen together and became part of the same social circle. Their friendship continued to attract attention even after they were evicted together.

Both men were among the first contestants to leave the competition, making their simultaneous departure one of the early surprises of the season.

The First Eviction

Lawredo’s Big Brother journey came to an end after only 14 days.

On 25 January 2026, he and Ofentse became the first two contestants to be evicted through the public voting process of the season.

The eviction was particularly significant because Lawredo had been the very first housemate to enter the house.

It was not the ending he wanted.

Lawredo admitted that he was disappointed because he felt he had not had enough time to fully express himself.

Still, he tried to look at the positive side of the experience rather than treating the eviction as a failure.

Lawredo’s Reaction to His Eviction

Rather than describing his Big Brother journey as a loss, Lawredo looked at what he had achieved.

He explained that he had spent much of his life working hard and trying to establish himself in television. For years, he had mostly been an extra rather than the main character.

Getting into Big Brother changed that.

As Lawredo put it, simply making it into the house meant that one of his dreams had already been fulfilled.

That attitude says a lot about him.

He may not have stayed until the final week, but he saw the opportunity itself as a victory.

What Big Brother Taught Him

Lawredo’s biggest lesson from Big Brother was arguably the importance of being authentic.

He did not want to create a fake personality simply to survive the competition.

Instead, he wanted viewers to see who he really was, even if that approach did not guarantee him a long stay.

He also learned that reality television moves very quickly.

People form opinions, alliances and relationships within days, sometimes before they have had enough time to understand each other properly.

For someone like Lawredo, who preferred to observe before making moves, that pace may have worked against him.

Life After Big Brother

After leaving the show, Lawredo continued focusing on his entertainment and business ambitions.

Big Brother gave him something he had been trying to achieve for years: exposure.

Instead of being recognised mainly as someone who appeared in the background of productions, he now had his own audience and a personal story that viewers could connect with.

That exposure could also help him promote his businesses and open new doors in television, modelling and presenting.

Growing His Business Brands

Lawredo has continued working on Preside Gin and Mokala Vodka.

The businesses are important to him because they represent something he has built independently of his television career.

He has explained that running a liquor company without strong financial backing is challenging, particularly because of licensing, compliance, production and distribution costs.

His Big Brother appearance therefore gave him another platform to tell people about the businesses and potentially attract new customers and opportunities.

His Future in Entertainment

Lawredo’s ambitions extend beyond reality television.

He has spent years interested in acting, modelling and presenting, and he wants to continue pursuing those areas.

His previous experience includes appearances in television productions, adverts and music videos, while his participation in acting and presenting workshops has helped prepare him for a career in front of the camera.

Big Brother may have been his biggest television opportunity so far, but it is unlikely to be his last.

What Makes Lawredo Stand Out?

Lawredo’s story is really a story about persistence.

Before Big Brother, he had already spent years trying to make his name in television. He had modelled, acted, appeared in advertisements and music videos, attended workshops and built businesses.

For many people, repeatedly working without receiving major recognition could be discouraging.

Lawredo kept going.

When the opportunity to audition for Big Brother arrived, he took it.

Even though he was evicted after just two weeks, he walked away believing that getting through the doors was itself an achievement.