01-08-2025
Hirome Shigeaki bridges the gap: wins 'Die Brug' season 2 and shares the wealth
Hirome Shigeaki, an occupational therapist from Worcester, bagged R720 000 as the winner of "Die Brug" season 2.
Image: Supplied
In an emotionally charged finale of "Die Brug" season 2, Hirome Shigeaki emerged victorious and took home the R720k prize pot.
This series centres on a group of contestants who join forces to construct a bridge.
The finale saw Suidhuis grappling with the emotional weight of deciding who would walk across the bridge. In a nail-biting vote, Hirome triumphed with three votes in his favour.
In a heart-warming twist, the 28-year-old occupational therapist from Worcester decided to share a large sum of his winnings with his Suidhuis teammates, giving away R65 000 each to Melissa and Hanri, R40 000 to Johan and R70 000 to Jaco.
"At first, I thought I'd take it all. I'm young, single and financially, I could use a boost. But then something unexpected happened, I started seeing people's hearts. I realised money doesn't last, but values and relationships? They last. I knew I'd share even before I knew I'd win," shared Shigeaki.
He added that when deciding how much to give his team, he kept it "simple and listened to my heart".
"I knew every Suidhuis member deserved to share in the victory. It wasn't about who contributed more or less. I specifically wanted to honour Johan, not just for his leadership, but because he was the only Noordhuis player who didn't take the money when he could have.
"To me, that was an act of character."
Hirome Shigeaki's bridge of trust crowns him as "Die Brug" season 2 winner.
Image: Supplied.
Hirome's journey on the popular reality show wasn't a straight road to success. After facing early elimination in episode two at Noordhuis, he was offered a second chance when he joined Suidhuis. This was when things took a turn.
"When you enter a competition like this, you never really know how far you'll go. The truth is, I should've gone home on day one. And yet, something in me knew: this isn't just a game of strength or strategy, it's a game of people. Relationships. Trust.
"And that's where I, as a person and as an occupational therapist, excel. So yes, I knew I brought something unique to the table. I wasn't the strongest physically, but my people skills worked in my favour."
Reflecting on his journey, Hirome opened up about the challenges he faced on the show.
"I entered the game with no idea how to build a bridge. I struggled with the ropes. I think I tied more knots in my head than on the rafts. But the bigger challenge was internal: the voices in my head asking if I was good enough and whether I was contributing enough.
"Some days, your biggest enemy isn't another player – it's your own thoughts."
